[Kristien]

Being aware of one's own faults and habits can be the first step to changing them. It can also be yet another step toward staying the same. It all depends on you. I think it's natural for people to want some recognition for the positive changes in their lives, to be able to hold some achievement up and say "Hey, I did this!" and have people be congratulatory. It's part of our natural social need, to be able to do this, to have people to do this with. The problem comes, I think, when you get so caught up in the hurrah, and lose sight of the achievement, so that you start to make things up, or hold up smaller and smaller achievements for people to ooh and aah over, rather than working toward your goal of change.