My purpose as a wellness coach is to help people develop positive health habits over time. Over the years as I’ve connected with people about their health goals, I’m sometimes met with thoughts like, “I just have bad genes. It runs in my family,” or “You’re always so happy. It’s easy for you to do healthy things.”
While I agree that I’m a generally happy, optimistic person, my journey to today has been far from easy. The lifestyle I enjoy is due to a large amount of trial and error, asking tonnes of questions, and being open to receiving so much grace.
The path to anything worthwhile will have bumps along the way. We all have a choice in how we navigate it. Everything you do needs to begin with two questions though.
What? And Why?
What exactly do you want to achieve? Is it that you want to eat more real food and less packaged or preserved foods? Do you want to exercise a specific amount of time each week? Do you want to get 8 hours of sleep at night? Being clear about what you want is the starting point.
Vagueness is the best friend of procrastination.
Have you ever found this to be true? You say you want to lose weight or get fit, but it seems like a huge mountain in front of you. You have no idea where to begin. Your vagueness causes you to continually get distracted from taking any real action or getting any results.
If this is where you’re at, don’t sweat it. I’ll guide you through some ways you can get some clarity.
Once you’ve decided the number one  thing you want to achieve in your health, you need to ask another question:
Ask Why
Why do you want to lose extra weight? Why do you want to exercise more regularly? Why do you want to get more sleep? Is it that you want to have better mental clarity throughout your workday? Do you want to feel more comfortable in your clothes? Or do you you want to be fit and active so that you can keep up with your grandchildren?
Asking good questions can quickly start you down the path to clarity.
Every challenge can be broken down into smaller pieces. Once you ask and answer some thoughtful questions, the road map to getting there becomes more defined. You’re better able to activate a plan that is personalized to your goals. Most importantly though, your commitment to following through with lifestyle improvements will be higher.
What’s in it for you?
This is a question you ask yourself often, whether you know it or not. Your answer to it is either a catalyst for positive growth in your life, or a choice to try something different.
The beautiful thing is that when you ask yourself good questions, countless options open up to you. You’ll surprise yourself with how creative you can be. The power to choose  is in your hands.
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Blessings,
Sheila
