The other day I had an early morning start to a longer run on the schedule. So rather than wearing a headlamp, I decided to knock out the first 5 miles or so on the treadmill and then head outdoors for the last 7-8 miles. It was a coooold day here in Colorado, but as I stepped off the treadmill and pondered what to wear for the outside portion, my mind seemed to assume that just because I was sweating meant it probably wasn’t all that cold outdoors either.
Huh?
Fortunately, a quick glance at the actual temperature resulted in a hat, gloves and a couple of extra layers. However, it was a great reminder of how easily our minds assume that what we’re experiencing at this moment quickly becomes our “reality” and influences our thoughts about what is around us.
The examples are almost endless. When running on a slight downhill slope, we start thinking we’re in better shape than reality would reveal. When we’re healthy, we forget how brutal the flu can feel. When finances are on track, our memories suddenly become very short about the stress of piling bills… You get the idea. So why bring this up here?
Simple. As wellness coaches, this forgetfulness can be one of our worst enemies. Our clients are struggling with a variety of issues in their lives. Sometimes those overlap ours and make perfect sense. But more often, these issues can seem quite foreign to us. This can be most notable in the areas of fueling and fitness. While obviously not true across the board, a majority of wellness coaches are pretty dialed in when it comes to these two area. Not perfect, mind you, but clearly much further along the bell curve than the average person. As a result, something that we’ve mastered long ago (ie, knocking out 5-7 servings of fruits/veggies or a daily exercise routine) can seem like an impossible feat to our clients.
And that’s when forgetfulness can be damaging.
If you’ve kept a journal over the years, it might be worth re-visiting it occasionally to review your own struggles. Or, reflect back with a parent or childhood friend about some previous habits that wouldn’t exactly set the standard for your clients today. It’s easy to lose perspective. As a certified wellness coach, it’s so very important to remember.
