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One of my clients, Jim, has mentioned getting in shape since we started coaching together, but other areas of his life have taken precedence. Until now.
Two factors have sparked renewed interest in his fitness level. First, at his annual physical, he was slightly overweight and his blood pressure was up. His doctor suggested that he exercise more and eat better. Second, he had just received an invitation to his 30th high school class reunion.
“I’ve wanted to get in shape for a while, but I’ve found out that talking about it doesn’t make it happen,” he said. “I want to look good at my high school reunion, but it’s more important to me to create healthy habits for the rest of my life.”
I asked him, “Remember when we were focusing on your promotion and we visualized how your new position would look and feel? By determining where you wanted to go and what you wanted to achieve, we came up with a clear vision and an action plan to help get you there. Let’s start this process the same way.”
I continued, “Pretend it is 12 weeks from now and you are walking into your reunion. Looking around, you see many familiar faces. How do you feel as you enter the room?”
Jim got into the visualization and sat up straighter as he talked. I asked him to imagine looking into a mirror and seeing himself as he would be in 12 weeks.
He described a tall, tan, energetic man who was in good shape. I had him get very specific on what it would look and feel like to be the person he had just described. Then I asked, “What is going to help you move forward and change your habits?”
“I used to be an athlete, and I like to work out,” he said, “but I wouldn’t know where to start. My daughter has been working with a personal trainer and has had great success. To help me get started, I could meet with a trainer and a nutritionist.”
These were great ideas to take Jim towards his vision. To help him turn these ideas into action, I asked for clarification and timeframes. He answered, “I will set up an appointment with a trainer and with the nutritionist by Friday.”
“Great!” I said. “I can see what the goal looks like and I have an idea of where you now, but how can you be more specific?”
“I’ll take a picture of myself and have the personal trainer weigh me and measure my body fat percentage.” he said. “I also know what my blood pressure is and what a normal reading should be.”
When I asked him what success looked like, he said he would find a picture that symbolized how he would like to look and hang it on his refrigerator. He would also work with the trainer to create realistic goals for his 12-week program in regards to weight and body fat percentage.
He summarized his action plan: “By our next appointment, I will write down my current measurements including my weight, blood pressure and body fat percentage. Then I’ll clearly outline my goals, my workout plan and my timeframe.” Having him clearly state where he was now and where he wanted to go would help him to create his plan to get there and help to keep him motivated.
As Jim walked out, I think he stood a bit taller. He had the motivation and a plan to move him towards his goals. Watch out, class of 1978!
Coaching challenge: Rate your physical fitness level on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest). If you rate yourself significantly lower than you would like, make a decision to focus on this area of your life. Determine where you are now by either meeting with your physician or a personal trainer. Set a realistic time frame, specific goals and gather expert advice on how to reach your goals. Create accountability by sharing your goals with people you are close to. Ask them to support you as you make these changes. It is amazing how much more accountable you are once you tell other people your goals.
<i>Sheri Fisher is a life coach who lives in Grand Junction with her family. Her practice focuses on personal and professional coaching, consulting and trainings. She can be reached at sheri@coachwithsheri.com or for more information visit www.coachwithsheri.com.<;/i>
Two factors have sparked renewed interest in his fitness level. First, at his annual physical, he was slightly overweight and his blood pressure was up. His doctor suggested that he exercise more and eat better. Second, he had just received an invitation to his 30th high school class reunion.
“I’ve wanted to get in shape for a while, but I’ve found out that talking about it doesn’t make it happen,” he said. “I want to look good at my high school reunion, but it’s more important to me to create healthy habits for the rest of my life.”
I asked him, “Remember when we were focusing on your promotion and we visualized how your new position would look and feel? By determining where you wanted to go and what you wanted to achieve, we came up with a clear vision and an action plan to help get you there. Let’s start this process the same way.”
I continued, “Pretend it is 12 weeks from now and you are walking into your reunion. Looking around, you see many familiar faces. How do you feel as you enter the room?”
Jim got into the visualization and sat up straighter as he talked. I asked him to imagine looking into a mirror and seeing himself as he would be in 12 weeks.
He described a tall, tan, energetic man who was in good shape. I had him get very specific on what it would look and feel like to be the person he had just described. Then I asked, “What is going to help you move forward and change your habits?”
“I used to be an athlete, and I like to work out,” he said, “but I wouldn’t know where to start. My daughter has been working with a personal trainer and has had great success. To help me get started, I could meet with a trainer and a nutritionist.”
These were great ideas to take Jim towards his vision. To help him turn these ideas into action, I asked for clarification and timeframes. He answered, “I will set up an appointment with a trainer and with the nutritionist by Friday.”
“Great!” I said. “I can see what the goal looks like and I have an idea of where you now, but how can you be more specific?”
“I’ll take a picture of myself and have the personal trainer weigh me and measure my body fat percentage.” he said. “I also know what my blood pressure is and what a normal reading should be.”
When I asked him what success looked like, he said he would find a picture that symbolized how he would like to look and hang it on his refrigerator. He would also work with the trainer to create realistic goals for his 12-week program in regards to weight and body fat percentage.
He summarized his action plan: “By our next appointment, I will write down my current measurements including my weight, blood pressure and body fat percentage. Then I’ll clearly outline my goals, my workout plan and my timeframe.” Having him clearly state where he was now and where he wanted to go would help him to create his plan to get there and help to keep him motivated.
As Jim walked out, I think he stood a bit taller. He had the motivation and a plan to move him towards his goals. Watch out, class of 1978!
Coaching challenge: Rate your physical fitness level on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest). If you rate yourself significantly lower than you would like, make a decision to focus on this area of your life. Determine where you are now by either meeting with your physician or a personal trainer. Set a realistic time frame, specific goals and gather expert advice on how to reach your goals. Create accountability by sharing your goals with people you are close to. Ask them to support you as you make these changes. It is amazing how much more accountable you are once you tell other people your goals.
<i>Sheri Fisher is a life coach who lives in Grand Junction with her family. Her practice focuses on personal and professional coaching, consulting and trainings. She can be reached at sheri@coachwithsheri.com or for more information visit www.coachwithsheri.com.<;/i>
