There’s an old saying that I always come back to…
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
When it comes to personal training, this is perhaps my biggest frustration. I can create the best, safest, most effective exercise program, but if my clients don’t do it, then what good is it? About 20% of my clients have difficulty getting on track and staying on track. It does not matter what I say, what I do, how I nag, whether I call, email or stop by, if the client can not find the self motivation and self care to help themselves, there’s nothing I can do.
Many people have many excuses for not exercising. Some are valid, some are not. All of them can be justified by the client. So the bigger question really is, how does the client adress these excuses and overcome them? Often, the excuses are created by underlying issues with time management, stress, lack of self esteem, past failures and…. gremlins…. that tiny voice in your head that creates doubts and holds you back from success. Until we discover the reasons for these gremlins and our continued “stuck” behavior, we won’t, can’t , move forward.
This is where I was with a very dear client. Smart, beautiful,accomplished, wealthy,giving, she had almost everything. The one thing she did not have was her health. Over time, I realized there was nothing more I could do for her until she was ready. Luckily, at the same time, I began exploring alternative methods for empowering my clients: life coaching. Life Coaching is something I had experienced personally via one day workshops, self help weekends, books, CD’s and more. But, the workshop experience was fleeting. I never followed through. And, I did not have the finances to work with a life coach every week. One day, after a particularly frustrating day, I had a thought….. What if there was a workshop series, where clients could experience life coaching in a group setting, where the cost was affordable, and the follow up was extended and clear?
This is how the Today’s Superwoman Series was created. With the help of a life coach, Maureen Letendre of In demand Coaching , and acupuncturist Julie Dalbec of Marlborough Wellness Center, we put together a comprehensive group coaching forum which has been a huge success for everyone involved, including us! And, my special client…she is finding success too.
So… if you are stuck, have gremlins, can’t initiate, life coaching may be for you! If you are local to Metrowest Boston, Massachusetts, you can take advantage of this great group coaching experience. For more information, concat Maureen at www.indemandcoaching.com.