Self Coaching For Mom

When my clients reach their fitness goals, I always tell them thank you for involving me in their success. Once committed to the outcome, anyone can reach their wellness goals. While I always celebrate my clients’ achievements, I don’t think I am the person responsible for their success. Nor do I think I’m responsible for their failure. Every individual is responsible for their own success or failure.

When you do work out with another person or teacher, the difference is you also become accountable to another person. This approach works for those who realize they need a little extra motivation to get moving and take action.

Whether you decide to work with a trainer, take a fitness class or work out entirely on your own, you have a choice to make – to meet your goals or not. Thus you are your own self coach.

Given the fact you are reading this article on Urban Moms, chances are you are self coaching right now. Here are some things to help you become a successful self coach. I find these are particularly helpful to women who find themselves stuck in a rut and have difficulty figuring out where to start:

RECRUIT – Recruit help and support. It could be professional coaching but it could also be a friend or training partner. Ultimately, your support person needs to be someone who will “call you” on things, someone you respect but who is not afraid to make you feel accountable.

READ – Plant reading material around the house like fitness magazines, books and guides that you can read at your leisure. You don’t have to sit down and read a 400 page book from beginning to end. Choose a book or magazine that will inspire you and keep you focused. My favourite magazines are Oxygen, HERS Muscle and Fitness. I would also recommend picking up a book on strength training and fitness for women at your local bookstore.

MENTOR – Mentoring someone younger or with less resources holds you accountable, awakens your integrity and forces daily reflection. Mentoring is a win/win dynamic. Another thing you can do is sign up to motivational or educational websites that send out weekly or monthly information and education on an area you want to improve. FITMOM has one at www.newmom101.com and it’s FREE!

SIGN UP FOR A PROGRAM – Invest in a fitness program designed to help you reach your goals. Notice I used the word “invest.” We all spend money on things that don’t serve us so if you take a close look at your finances, you may be surprised to learn that you can make the investment.

CREATE A DAILY AND WEEKLY TIME BUDGET – With the whirlwind of responsibilities moms have in a day, it’s no wonder we often forget things and drop the ball once in a while. Get your “to-dos” out of your head and on paper so you can think straight and not get overwhelmed. You can use sticky notes and place them in your bathroom or on your mirror, computer screen, fridge and doorways. These messages can serve as reminders of your goals and “to-dos.”

CDS – One of the best learning tools I have come across recently are books on CD. You can usually find many audio book titles online and in local bookstores. Use them as you shuttle your kids or put them on while you get things done around the house. Better yet, listen to them while you workout! You can often borrow CDs at your local library or purchase them at discounted prices at second hand media shops.

GOAL SETTING BIG AND SMALL – Goal setting is not a unique idea. In fact most of us have done this at some point in our lives. Once we become mothers though our self care often dwindles so it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of the importance.

Changing any aspect of our lives can be difficult. When it comes to your fitness and general wellness, change is really about changing habits and forming new ones. The longer you stick to the routine, the more likely you are to change and to make that new habit a regular part of your life. Granted, it may not happen overnight, so don’t get discouraged. If, for example you want to start running but feel you are not ready yet, start by purchasing a magazine about running.

Another step is to look at this list of self coaching tips regularly and start examining how you can apply these principles and get started on a path to change and a new you.