The maintenance stage

The maintenance stage is the phase in which the new behavior settles in and the gain is protected. Here the goal is not to start something new but to hold what has been started without returning to the old pattern. The danger often appears not in great crises but on ordinary days when attention loosens. The coach helps the client notice in advance which situations challenge them and set up a plan for a return. Permanence becomes firm as the behavior becomes a part of the person's identity.