don’t manage disappointment, create success: set s.m.a.r.t. goals and work with a health coach
quite often someone streams a look of confusion my way as i mention i’m a health coach. it piques their interest and generates more than one question. ranking among the top: is that a real thing? what does that mean? can you help me?
health coaching is a real thing. it’s about support, behavior and accountability, and yes, i can help you once we identify what you need.
health and wellness coaching was born out of the field of humanistic psychology and behavioral change theory. with an undergraduate degree in psychology that focused on behavior change and the completion of studies at the institute of integrative nutrition i’ve studied over 100 dietary theories and look at each individual’s needs to tailor our time together.
although hiring a health coach isn’t a quick fix it is a lasting one. programs consist of making changes to your current habits in order to meet your healthy lifestyle and wellness goals. feeling great becomes your norm and illness or discomfort your uncommon. energy is abundant and life feels more vibrant.
working with me as your health coach you’ll learn to make healthy choices on a daily basis that leave you feeling your best. i listen to your needs and wants and engineer a plan to help you achieve your goals. together we build and implement a personalized plan that does not require deprivation.
we focus on incorporating whole foods and learning to observe the body’s responses to various lifestyle and dietary modifications. essentially you learn how to choose the health promoting behaviors and habits that work the best for you. instead of a struggle health becomes enjoyable which i’ve found to be an empowering process for each of my clients. it’s a process which produces lasting results because the choices being made are based on experiential education. their personal experience not the latest fad.
book your complimentary wellness session NOW!
many health coaches come from a variety of backgrounds much like my own. however, how i got to where i am is a story for another time. this is about how i can best serve you and help you set s.m.a.r.t. goals to successfully generate your ultimate health.
s.m.a.r.t. goals are:
specific
measurable
attainable
relevant
time-based
it’s not an idea i came up with but in practice i’ve seen it be very successful. the idea being the more detailed you are about what you want, the more likely you are to get it. plain and simple.
to say ‘i want to lose 20 pounds and be able to run one mile on the treadmill by march 2016’ packs a more powerful punch than simply saying ‘i want to get in shape this year’.
have you been guilty of creating grand goals and intentions but falling off your own wagon after a couple weeks for one reason or another? maybe not always ‘falling off the wagon’ entirely but definitely hobbling along on a broken spoke? or two?
as a health coach i will help keep you in and on the wagon with all four wheels rolling smoothly. i help you set up challenging but attainable goals. i motivate, encourage, suggest and recommend health and lifestyle practices and hold you accountable to ensure your success. occasionally i’ve been known to blatantly bribe because honestly i’m not above that. but overall, i will get you where you want to be.
in a discovery session we discuss your top health and wellness concern. we spend 30 minutes on the phone as i gather information. following our discussion you receive an email follow-up to the session with 2-3 suggestions or recommendations to help you set s.m.a.r.t. goals. the discovery sessions mission is to get you off on the correct foot–placing you one step closer to success.
book your free discovery session.
think you’re too busy? you’re in luck because i specialize in designing healthy active lifestyles for the busy and willing. and because we are celebrating health coaching week in february–i’m gifting mini-minute breakthrough sessions this month….they’re first come first serve and you can sign up here.
I’ve used smart goals all through school and can vouch for their effectiveness!
that’s awesome ashlyn, i wish i’d known more about SMART goals when i was in school myself…cheers!!
Hey there! This is a good read. I am an acupuncturist and often have people ask me what I think about hiring a health coach. I am always on the fence, because it is unclear to me what the minimum requirements are to become a health coach. I imagine as a client you really need to ask the right questions when searching for someone to work with. What wood you say are the main questions to ask when looking for a health coach to work with in person? Thanks for the post!
hi andrea, thanks stopping by and taking the time to comment! that’s a very valid concern seeing as this is newer field people are working in and in many ways it’s currently unregulated. and i agree, asking the correct questions as a client is very important. i would definitely ask what makes them qualified to be a health coach, what their beliefs and values regarding health and wellness are, and most valid health coaches will offer a free consultation before there’s is any money exchanged and that, in my opinion, is important because the client should have a very good feel for the person they will work with to get their best results. i, as many health coaches do, do a majority of my work with people online so a number of my clients live all over the place. if you’d ever like to like to speak with me further for the benefit of your own clients, feel free to email me at inphyusion@gmail.com…i’m a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and integrative nutrition health coach and have a unique way of working with the whole being.
Wow, what an interesting vocation to have. Thanks for sharing. I think we’re taught at school how the body works in biology, but we’re never really taught about how to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. I definitely need more of this guidance in my life!
i totally agree and although biology is very important, there’s so much more to us all as well!
I like how you mention to focus on smaller attainable goals such as being able to run a mile on the treadmill next month. I think I need to revisit my goals and focus on the little things while looking at the big picture! Thanks for the inspiration!
yes kathleen, i love that you picked that up! break it all down to actionable steps and then the big picture is not so daunting or overwhelming…cheers and if you need any help when you revisit your goals, don’t hesitate to reach out!
I love this article. I wrote something similar for New Years. An article called don’t make any more resolutions. I outlined the use of SMART goals over resolutions. I say that to say this. I enjoyed your article. I really love seeing other’s point of view on similar topics. Thank you for posting.
awesome jim and thanks for taking the time to check the post out…love the idea of SMART goals over resolutions. so many quit their resolutions as quickly as they begin them!!
HI! thanks for sharing this post! I am also firmly believer of how we should change our lifestyle to become more healthy! I suggest you to read the secret book you might love it haha
lifestyle is one the most important factors i see people ignore when wanting to make change…the secret is a great book. there’s so much power in intention (:
I’ve used SMART goals professionally, but honestly, I never thought about using them for my health goals! What a great idea!!! I need to get focused on re-writing a few of these goals using this method.
After I left a teaching career that was no longer serving me and before becoming a full time blogger, I considered becoming a health coach. It sounds like a fun career!
Love how you use SMART goals in your coaching. I only think of SMART goals in the workplace!