Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009 - (Page 13)

4. What strengths can I bring to the change process? Now focus on their strengths. What strengths and talents that they use in other areas of their lives can they draw upon to help them realize their vision and rise above challenges? How can the lessons from their past successes carry over to their current challenges? 5. What are my greatest challenges, and how can I overcome them? What challenges do your clients anticipate having to deal with on the way to reaching their visions? Generate multiple scenarios: Which concerns them most? Now it’s time to strategize: What strategies may be eﬀective to overcome these challenges and help them realize their goals? Don’t forget their supports: What people, resources, systems and environments can they draw on to help them realize their vision and meet their challenges? 6. What are my ﬁrst priorities for change and improvement? How can I turn them into speciﬁc goals for myself? Now it’s time to make a list of those speciﬁc areas that they want to work on as they travel toward their vision. Those areas could range from eating breakfast every morning to doing more cardio on their own to recharging their batteries during the day to stave oﬀ overwhelm or connecting more with their mates or colleagues. Now prioritize: What’s most important to begin with? Ask the following question: “What are you ready, willing and able to work on in the next three months?” Get speciﬁc as you list their goals. They should be SMART: Speciﬁc, Measurable (e.g. an increase from one to three servings of veggies per day), Action-based (speciﬁc behaviors), Realistic and have a Timeline (e.g. “In three months, I will be eating breakfast ﬁve days a week”). Goals should stretch them enough so they don’t become bored but aren’t too insurmountable so that they become anxious. 7. How ready, conﬁdent and committed am I to take the ﬁrst steps toward my vision? They are almost there. But ﬁrst, take a moment to assess their conﬁdence. Think about the size of the gap between Point A (starting point) and Point B (their goals). On a scale of zero to 10, with 10 being really conﬁdent and zero having no conﬁdence, how conﬁdent are they that they can close this gap and reach those goals? If they are at least a seven, it’s a good time to go for it. If not, you may want to help them scale back their goals. 8. What will I do next week? Changes that last go baby step by baby step. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so break down their goals into weekly stepping stones. And always be SMART in designing goals. Real change toward your “best self ” requires self-acceptance and courage. Help clients realize the journey is satisfying and rewarding as they navigate the challenges along the way. And if they should slip, help them fend oﬀ discouragement and remind them to never see themselves as a failure. Each slip is a valuable opportunity to learn and grow. Make sure to celebrate your clients’ successes — even the little ones. Remember, no success is too small to acknowledge and feel good about. Be your clients’ cheering section, and invite others to cheer them along as well. Above all, encourage them to have fun. As coach Kate Larsen says, “It’s about progress, not perfection.” Margaret Moore, BS, MBA, is the founder and CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation, which trains and certiﬁes physical and mental health professionals as wellness coaches. She also co-founded the Coaching Psychology Institute at McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School). For more information, email her at margaretm@wellcoaches.com. For additional resources about the importance of coaching, visit www.wellcoaches.com. ● JAN-FEB2009 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM 13 http://www.fitnessinsurance-kk.com http://www.fitnessinsurance-kk.com http://www.wellcoaches.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009

Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009 Contents Letter from the Editor, Writers Ready to Rock the Podium What It Takes to Change Fitness Marketing Makeover Be Better Top Club Building a Base of Special Populations The Balancing Act Take Action! Nutrition Solutions Datebook Journey to Success New on the Market The Four P's Exercising Your Influence No More Pain in the Back!

Personal Fitness Professional - January/February 2009

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