The Coach Approach
What's a health coach anyway? The first image that comes to mind when I hear the word coach is that of a barrel chested man with a slightly creepy mustache standing at the edge of a poorly ventilated gymnasium while pre-teen girls clumsily make their ways back and forth dribbling, passing, and occasionally shooting a basketball. (this image brought to you directly from my memory of growing up in a town so small that everyone in school pretty much had to play sports in order to have enough players to form a team...I'm sure many middle school girls are gifted at hoops in ways I never dreamed). In any case, you've now been introduced to how I can always make a short story long.
Back to coaching…the gist of [health] coaching is to be a guide of sorts. Not quite a sherpa (we're not going to carry your tent or chart your path), definitely not an instructor (we do our best to not tell you what to do), not that b-ball coach (you’re the one calling the plays in the game of your life). So it sounds like…I’m over here charging real dollars for my vaguely defined services…let’s dig a little deeper.
Over the last few decades, research has revealed insights into what creates lasting behavior change. (hint: it does not generally thrive under New Year's Resolution type conditions.) One key to understand is that we are much more likely to succeed at our own chosen missions when we are intrinsically motivated. We need to see, to feel, that the sacrifices (challenges, changes, improvements) we make move us toward a goal that fits into a vision of our best future selves.
In other words, does losing ten pounds resonate as a key to your future health and happiness? What does that feel like? Not much, probably. It’s a number that illustrates your relationship to gravity, but does it speak to you? What about seeing yourself being able to walk your dogs (or grandkids…or cats…or whatever) well into your golden years? Keeping your body moving today pays it forward to future you (and your canine best friend). Would easing back on the bacon improve your heart health which would also contribute to that vision? And would the extra movement and less saturated fat result in a body change that might ease the burden on your hips and knees? Well, now we have a self-motivated you and happy pup who is eager to help meet your goal by encouraging you to get walking…and if yours is anything like mine, Fido will also volunteer to eat the extra bites that you left on your plate.
So that’s one role a coach plays. We help you see and feel the future you want, and then guide you to make just-right sized goals that eventually add up to a healthier, happier future you. I would imagine that future you will be pretty grateful to today you for taking the strides (literally and figuratively) so that you can keep comfortably moving and thriving long into retirement.
From my side of the table, coaching is the privilege of being by your [virtual] side as you chart your path to the version of you that you envision. It's asking the questions that make you go, "hmmm" and then helping you set goals that take you from "harumph" to "aha" and finally "I did it!" So to sum things up, I pretty much have the coolest job in the world…watching you succeed.
