By Lindsay Nauen, Mayo Clinic Trained Wellness Coach
I have been going through a life transition since I lost my 97-year-old mother. She was an amazing woman, born in Liverpool, England, who lived life to its fullest. There are so many vibrant memories dancing in my head.
While grieving, I realized that I could quickly lose the rhythm of my fitness routines, and even friendships, if I let the process weigh me down so heavily. I made a conscious decision to focus on my goals and what was important in my life.
With determination, I made the effort to keep up with my fitness routines, logging my daily activities, and keeping my weekly consultations with my trainer. Not only did this keep me on track, but it kept me focused on what I really wanted for my health and wellness.
When circumstances change in our lives, it is so easy to get caught up in the moment and lose track of our goals. We can make excuses for our lack of focus, and we can lose momentum that we later regret.
Here are a few comments I’ve heard often. See if you can relate to any of these:
⮚ When I’m on vacation, I will eat what I want.
⮚ I’m so busy that I don’t have time for a 60-minute workout.
⮚ Life is so stressful right now, and I can’t make time to eat healthy or exercise.
Here are some ways to look at things from a different angle.
When I’m on vacation, I will eat what I want.
Alternate view:
- a) I love vacations and will have time to find ways to eat healthier.
- b) Vacations are a fun opportunity to try new, healthy meal choices with fruits and vegetables.
- c) While making new food choices on vacation, I’ll make a few notes on how to easily incorporate these healthy selections into my routine once I get home.
As a health and wellness coach, I help by:
- Brainstorming ideas for healthy eating options while traveling.
- Kindly holding you accountable for staying on track while on vacation.
- Helping you design goals for healthy eating that are measurable, obtainable, and flexible.
I’m so busy that I don’t have time for a 60-minute workout.
Alternate view:
- a) I will take a few minutes to adjust my schedule to fit in shorter workouts.
- b) Since I can’t find free 60-minute blocks right now, I’ll discuss options for shorter workouts with my trainer.
- c) I will ask my family and friends to help me so I have time for my workouts.
As a health and wellness coach, I help by:
- Brainstorming for times during the day/week when you can exercise.
- Working with you to create a support team that will help you achieve your goals.
- Finding ways to adjust your goals so they continue to be measurable, obtainable, and flexible.
Life is so stressful right now, and I can’t make time to eat healthy or exercise.
Alternate view:
- a) I will ask for help managing my stress levels, so I can still meet my goals.
- b) I will lean on my support team and accept their help to reduce the stress.
- c) I will review my stress reduction strategies and choose those that will best help me in this situation.
As a health and wellness coach, I help by:
- Developing those much-needed strategies for your demanding and stressful days.
- Offering ways to ask for help when you need your support teams the most.
- Highlighting ways to revise your goals so they remain measurable, obtainable, and flexible.
To conclude:
When circumstances change, there are ways to stay on course and follow your plan. Giving up or making excuses will not feel great when you look back. To be successful, make a focused effort to remember your goals and why you made them in the first place.
As I always say, “It takes the same amount of energy to figure out how to do something successfully as it does to decide that you cannot.”
When you choose your support team carefully, they will be there for you when you really need them. You can also call on your health and wellness coach during times of transition, temptation, or change.
You’ll also find that the journey is more effective and enjoyable when you have a reliable support team in place and positive people helping you along the way. Be healthy. Be happy.
Biography
Lindsay Nauen is a graduate of the Mayo Clinic Wellness Coach Training Program. She has been on a fitness journey for the last 14 years, during which she lost over 170 pounds. No Quick Fixes: A Fitness Journey for the Real World is the book she wrote about her experiences and the lessons she learned. For more information about health and wellness coaching, contact her at noquickfixes18@gmail.com or visit her website at https://noquickfixes.me.
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