Need a friend to lend you a hand? That is just what coaching provides. We all need people around us to help reach our goals. No matter what you are trying to do, you will have more success with adequate support. Teammates in sports, colleagues at work, family members, friends and husbands and wives are all part of your support system. They help us to feel confident and offer advice when we need it. Best of all, they hold us accountable for our actions.
Why does this help? It is helpful to have someone who knows your goals. It is even more important to have someone who knows your challenges to reaching these goals. Setting a goal for yourself you make it real. Once you say a specific goal out loud and write it down, it becomes tangible. What’s better is that once you tell someone else about that goal, it becomes more likely to happen. No one wants to claim something and not be able to achieve it.
So what do you do? Get your support system in place. Before you start your journey, make sure that your travel companions are ready too. As a coach, I have the privilege of taking this journey with all of my clients. There is nothing more enjoyable for me than helping you reach your goals. With me on your team, the journey is likely to be a success.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Routine: You are in one...is it the one you want to be in?
Have you ever tried to make a change? I’m sure you have. We have all started something new at some point. Was it easy? That depends on what it was and how badly you wanted to do it. Every year, as kids, we started a new schedule. When one grade ended, there was a summer that consisted of a schedule far different from the previous school year. And when that summer came to an end, the next grade forced us to adjust again, not only to a change from the summer, but to a whole new set of classes, guidelines and even new people around us.
So, how did we make this change? Simple, we didn’t have any other options. You go to school because you go to school. You don’t go because you want to or because it’s easy. You go because that is what kids do. It’s the same with work. Why do we go to work? Because, if we don’t do something to earn a living, you won’t have a roof over your head or any food to eat.
It’s that simple. We get into the routine because we know that the alternative is unthinkable. It’s not the fact that skipping school or work wouldn’t be enjoyable. It’s the fact that we would never be satisfied with the results of those actions. So why do we resist the routine of good health?
Why don’t we look at the alternative to living healthy in the same way? Why are we ok being sick, tired and depressed? The sad truth is, we are in a routine. It’s just not the one that will lead us to what we really want. We know the results of the action (or lack of action), but remain in the routine of actions that lead us to lives of sickness, fatigue and depression.
I have seen many people stuck in that old routine. It’s far too common as we see that over 60% of our nation is in it. As a health coach, I relish the opportunities to help people see the alternative. These brave people are able to take the alternative and make it their norm. It’s not easy, but with time, they are able to make it happen. After all, you didn’t get into this unhealthy routine overnight. It took years of practice to master these bad habits. There is no reason that you can’t master new habits and change your life. It’s all in the routine. Which one are you in? Is it the one you want?
So, how did we make this change? Simple, we didn’t have any other options. You go to school because you go to school. You don’t go because you want to or because it’s easy. You go because that is what kids do. It’s the same with work. Why do we go to work? Because, if we don’t do something to earn a living, you won’t have a roof over your head or any food to eat.
It’s that simple. We get into the routine because we know that the alternative is unthinkable. It’s not the fact that skipping school or work wouldn’t be enjoyable. It’s the fact that we would never be satisfied with the results of those actions. So why do we resist the routine of good health?
Why don’t we look at the alternative to living healthy in the same way? Why are we ok being sick, tired and depressed? The sad truth is, we are in a routine. It’s just not the one that will lead us to what we really want. We know the results of the action (or lack of action), but remain in the routine of actions that lead us to lives of sickness, fatigue and depression.
I have seen many people stuck in that old routine. It’s far too common as we see that over 60% of our nation is in it. As a health coach, I relish the opportunities to help people see the alternative. These brave people are able to take the alternative and make it their norm. It’s not easy, but with time, they are able to make it happen. After all, you didn’t get into this unhealthy routine overnight. It took years of practice to master these bad habits. There is no reason that you can’t master new habits and change your life. It’s all in the routine. Which one are you in? Is it the one you want?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Reason to Change
Many of my clients have described their challenges for me. In fact, that is one of the first conversations we have. “What is standing between you and the life you want? “ is a question I ask very early in our interaction. I get answers ranging from one single thing to a laundry list of challenges that are making it difficult to change. After they have told me all of their challenges, I have a lot to think about. Even if they have only brought up one challenge, it is still important to focus on it and try to determine the significance. Clearly there is some significance, or we wouldn’t be talking about it. Often the question my clients ask is after they tell me their challenges is “What should I do?” or “What do you think I need to do?”
My response, while it varies, is always another question. Now, you may think that sounds like a frustrating conversation, but trust me, it is a very important question. It is a question that not everyone is ready to hear. The question (in one way or another) is “Why do you want to make this change?” Once I ask this question, I can really start to understand where they are coming from.
The responses I get are never the same. Sure, there are common answers like: to feel better or to have more energy, but very seldom do I hear the same thing twice. This is an interesting concept for me. In fact, it reinforces the need for an individualized approach. If we all have different reasons to make changes, shouldn’t we have different approaches? I think so. That is why this question is so important.
Another reason that this question (and the answer to it of course) this:
You will make a change if you have a reason.
Finding out why someone wants to change is the key to helping them get and stay motivated to do so. We all know the facts around health. The basics have been common knowledge for centuries. If you eat less and move more, you will lose weight. That is no secret. The secret and the question that is asked by most of my clients is: “How do I stay motivated”? When it comes down to it, as long as you know why you are making a change, you can stay motivated to make it.
You just have to remember that important reason that made you want to change in the first place. That reason doesn’t go away. It may be difficult to stick with it or think about it regularly, but it never goes away. I will tell clients to write down the reason they want to change. When they do this it reinforces the importance that they have placed on it. With that importance staying conscious, it can be honored. When you honor the importance of your life, you are honoring yourself. Doesn’t it feel good when others honor us and hold our wellbeing in an important light? Well, we need to do that for ourselves too. You are important. Your health is an important reason to change.
My response, while it varies, is always another question. Now, you may think that sounds like a frustrating conversation, but trust me, it is a very important question. It is a question that not everyone is ready to hear. The question (in one way or another) is “Why do you want to make this change?” Once I ask this question, I can really start to understand where they are coming from.
The responses I get are never the same. Sure, there are common answers like: to feel better or to have more energy, but very seldom do I hear the same thing twice. This is an interesting concept for me. In fact, it reinforces the need for an individualized approach. If we all have different reasons to make changes, shouldn’t we have different approaches? I think so. That is why this question is so important.
Another reason that this question (and the answer to it of course) this:
You will make a change if you have a reason.
Finding out why someone wants to change is the key to helping them get and stay motivated to do so. We all know the facts around health. The basics have been common knowledge for centuries. If you eat less and move more, you will lose weight. That is no secret. The secret and the question that is asked by most of my clients is: “How do I stay motivated”? When it comes down to it, as long as you know why you are making a change, you can stay motivated to make it.
You just have to remember that important reason that made you want to change in the first place. That reason doesn’t go away. It may be difficult to stick with it or think about it regularly, but it never goes away. I will tell clients to write down the reason they want to change. When they do this it reinforces the importance that they have placed on it. With that importance staying conscious, it can be honored. When you honor the importance of your life, you are honoring yourself. Doesn’t it feel good when others honor us and hold our wellbeing in an important light? Well, we need to do that for ourselves too. You are important. Your health is an important reason to change.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Taking one step at a time
The key to health is living it. You can want it. You can even talk about it all day, but if you don’t live it, you won’t be able to reach your health goals. The phrase that comes to mind is, “if you don’t give it, you won’t live it.” What do we need to give in order to be…excuse me, to live healthy?
That is where it gets interesting. What are you willing to give? More importantly, what do you want to get? How do you want to live? It is interesting to me how simple it is. It is as simple as deciding what you want and what it takes to get it. The challenge is that we don’t often know how we want to live or what it takes to get there. Many people are stuck thinking they can’t change because the “sacrifice” is too great.
We think that the changes we “want” to make are too difficult. We think that by not changing, things are and will continue to be easier than changing. There are certain fears that we have around change that continue to hold us back. In reality, they can change and the sacrifice is not as significant as they thought.
How can you make this happen? The only way to do it is one step at a time. When you look at your life as one large step and the only way to change is to change it all at once, it will be difficult. In fact, it is difficult to even get started. So what can you do? You can take the first step. By taking the first step…and only the first step you can get started. Once step one is done, you can think about taking step two. No matter how many steps you have to take, you can only take one at a time anyway, so why not set realistic goals and reach them? Is that a major sacrifice?
That is where it gets interesting. What are you willing to give? More importantly, what do you want to get? How do you want to live? It is interesting to me how simple it is. It is as simple as deciding what you want and what it takes to get it. The challenge is that we don’t often know how we want to live or what it takes to get there. Many people are stuck thinking they can’t change because the “sacrifice” is too great.
We think that the changes we “want” to make are too difficult. We think that by not changing, things are and will continue to be easier than changing. There are certain fears that we have around change that continue to hold us back. In reality, they can change and the sacrifice is not as significant as they thought.
How can you make this happen? The only way to do it is one step at a time. When you look at your life as one large step and the only way to change is to change it all at once, it will be difficult. In fact, it is difficult to even get started. So what can you do? You can take the first step. By taking the first step…and only the first step you can get started. Once step one is done, you can think about taking step two. No matter how many steps you have to take, you can only take one at a time anyway, so why not set realistic goals and reach them? Is that a major sacrifice?
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