NAMING THE PROBLEM

I love working with clients. I love walking them through the process of their health concerns, what their goals are, and how those goals can be achieved.

But there is inevitably a glitch in the process where clients get stuck. For me, as well, when I’m working on my own personal goals.

They hit a point where they feel like they’ve stalled in their progress. Or they feel like they don’t know where to start. Or how to navigate through an issue.

And when these obstacles happen, the secret ingredient that health coaches use to help clients through these barriers is to Name The Problem.

In my own personal experience, I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I’ve made a goal too big. I get sucked into the vastness of the “forest” and I struggle to recognize the individual “trees” around me.

For example, let’s say you’ve set a goal to “Eat Healthier”. That is a very broad goal, and it could cover hundreds (if not thousands) of options. But you’ve made some changes that work for your life: adding an extra serving of vegetables to your dinner, swapping your afternoon sweet snack with a banana, and switching out white flour products (pasta, bread, tortillas) with whole wheat versions.

And this was working for you.

You are getting extra nutrients, you’ve had more energy, and you’ve even had some weight come off in the last month.

But then something changes.

The weight loss has stopped. Your energy levels have gone down. And you’ve slipped back into having a cookie or a candy bar in the afternoon instead of your fruit.

If you’re not working with a health coach, nutritionist/dietician, or fitness trainer this is usually where most people give up or backslide into their previous habits….without ever taking the time to look deeper into what’s going on.

Or, not Naming The Problem.

What changed in your life, your circumstances, your situation, or your schedule that shifted you away from your habits?

It might be something incredibly complicated and serious – Example: a spouse lost a job and you’re picking up extra work.

It might be something more simple – Example: your child started a new sport and you’re gone more often to their practices and games.

But this is why it’s important to take a few minutes and analyze what is happening in your life and what you can do to adapt to these changes.

It might mean changing your goals, it might mean taking different action steps, or it might mean shifting your focus to an entirely different aspect of your health and wellness.

For example, if a spouse has lost their job, you might decide that focusing on stress management is far more important than losing 20 pounds. Or if your child has started a new sport, you might decide to focus on bringing healthy snacks with you to practices and taking short walks around the soccer field to get more steps into your day.

So, the secret to helping yourself stick with your health goals, getting started on a goal, or even getting back to your goals after a setback is to take a moment to evaluate your situation and Name The Problem that is holding you back. Once you have an idea of what is going on, it will help you determine a path forward that aligns with your life and circumstances.