Have you ever noticed how little hinges swing big doors?
Small, consistent actions (hinges) are so powerful, they swing open big goals (doors) in our lives.
As a Hawaii based female personal trainer and health and wellness coach, when I first meet my potential clients over coffee or tea, we chat about everything. Life, likes, dislikes, pet peeves, careers, family, what they hope to achieve with our work together and then I ask them BUT WHY? Why do they want to do this thing right now?
And the answers, although all different, can be sewn with the same thread: they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. They are fed up with putting themselves last (career, advanced education, kids, loss, heartache…). They have experienced some THING that has given them PAUSE and they realize that NOW is the time that they come first.
Edward Stanley penned it best, “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”
Any coach or fitness trainer can give you a bandaid fix of weight loss; body composition change or buns of steel, to quickly get you to your goal. I AM NOT THAT TRAINER OR COACH. I like to dig deep and require the same of my clients because when we work together, I start at your CORE.
Your CORE:
Commitment to dig deep
Openness to change
Relationships with yourself & others
Energy Management
COMMITMENT TO DIG DEEP
Our quick fix, always plugged in culture supports us in the notion that if things get too complex, we should move on to someone or something else.
But what if we stay and dig deeper? Sit in the uncomfortable as long as it takes to move through it? To stick with the uneasiness to find what’s at the end of our tunnel? Most times, we throw in the towel before even reaching the light.
You must make the commitment to dig deep, not ten feet down, not 100 feet deep, but whatever it takes. Are you committed to dig deep?
OPENNESS TO CHANGE
Henry Ford said “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
Ain’t that the truth. Working on change, including wellness change requires a level of openness – the ability to be willing to embrace new things, fresh ideas, and novel experiences.
And I get it, this is SCARY! And I understand – myself included – I am resistant to change. I like structure. I crave same same. I breed familiarity. But I also deeply understand what Henry Ford was saying. If you desire a different result, then real change is necessary and only possible if you are open to trying a new way.
Look, you can always go back to the way things were. You can always return to how you did things; how you exercised or not exercised; how you ate or crash dieted. Your old ways will always be there waiting for you. But where have your old ways gotten you? Are you where you want to be? Are you open to change?
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF AND WITH OTHERS
How often do you check in with yourself, with your self-relationship?
We are quick to evaluate our relationships with others, but often, we forget to check in with ourselves. Self-relationship is the foundation for all other relationships that you have. It’s all about healthy self-love.
When you prioritize basic self-care, you become connected to your body, thus, creating a healthy relationship with yourself. And when you love yourself, all of your external relationships also improve.
When my clients come to me, I empower them to get stronger. I coach them to view their external strength as an inner strength. I help to facilitate a level of self confidence derived from them moving faster, having better mobility, improved balance, increased lifting strength… I remind them often, that our work doesn’t rely solely on the scale, the tape measure or a food journal. And once they realize just how amazing their bodies are, the keep keeping on, not because they HAVE to but because they WANT to.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Your energy is finite and unlike other energy systems out there, ours is not always readily renewable.
Most of us respond to rising demands in the workplace by putting in longer hours, which inevitably take a toll on us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Self care is the first to drop off the to-do list when things get hectic.
It is scarcely news that inadequate nutrition, exercise, sleep, and rest diminish people’s basic energy levels, as well as their ability to manage their emotions and focus their attention. Nonetheless, many people don’t find ways to practice consistently healthy behaviors, given all the other demands in their lives.
All of my clients are different and it is about finding the unique renewing energy behaviors best suited for that client. This is a non-negotiable. When we work together, clients must incorporate a few energy renewing activities into their daily living. For one client, it may be eating breakfast every day. For another, it may be taking a few five minute breathing exercise breaks during a work shift.
Regardless of the activity, renewing one’s energy allows for increased creativity, increased productivity as well as lower incidence of stress markers such as high blood pressure. If your energy is depleted, our work together will be for not. Only when you can fire on all cylinders, will your body be at its best.
I help women ages 35 plus find a happy, sustainable balance when it comes to their health and wellness. With my online virtual personal training services, I have been able to connect with women from around the globe. My coaching philosophy incorporates my 3M Method – Mindfulness of your Why; Movement that is enjoyable and Moderation for all foods that is effortless. Having a well rounded approach to Fitness is the only effective way to make it ever lasting. I am currently enrolling clients for my October 2020 #LevelUP program! Register today as spots are limited.
