When I begin working with a new client, I start with the obvious question: "What can I help you with?" We then chat about their goals, what's holding them back, and so on. 

I also usually ask this follow-up question: "what's the biggest thing that you want from me as a coach so I can set you up for success?"

Do you just need  a plan to follow? Do you need an energetic environment to push your workouts to the next level? Do you need technical help? Do you need more accountability and structure? Or something else?

If the client says "I need you to motivate me", alarm bells go off. 

When people say "I need motivation" that can mean: help me not be bored with my routine; I'm working hard but not seeing results and that's bumming me out; or I need a bit more encouragement and the confidence that I'm on the right path. I CAN help with those things. 

But as a coach, I can't give someone the underlying motivation to do something. That needs to come from you.

What a coach (like me) can do for you:

• I can show you what to do to achieve your goal more efficiently and to a higher standard. 
• I can show you how to do it - effective implementation strategies to make it easier to avoid the common pitfalls that might trip you up. 
• I can help you find ways around the lack of resources that you face: knowledge, lack of time, skill, mental blocks, and low confidence.
• I can ask you the right questions, so we can get to the core issues that are blocking progress, and help you build your awareness and knowledge so that you can solve more of your own problems over time (our ultimate goal). 
• I can even help you feel more positive about making change by ensuring that you're confident in the plan, maintaining realistic expectations, and that you see results that excite you.

But, I can't provide the will or impetus to put time, energy and ownership toward the work it's going to take to make a change. And you will have to put in some work. Coasting and maintaining the status quo is easy. Change requires effort. And if you're not willing to put in the amount of effort required to reach your goals, how can you succeed?

Here's the bottom line:

No matter how great your coach is,

you're not going to succeed at stuff you don't want to do. 

So, here's my advice, especially leading into New Years resolution time: before you start a new fitness plan or nutrition program, ask yourself:

1. Why am I doing this? Is it important enough to prioritize in my life right now?
2. Am I willing to take responsibility for it? Or am I prone to blaming other people or life factors on my current situation?
3. What am I willing to change and what am I not willing to change to accomplish my goal? It's OK to not be willing to change everything, but be 100% up front about that so you can temper your plan and your expectations.
4. What has prevented me from taking small steps towards improving already? I.e., why weren't you already working on this last week? How likely is it that the same reasons are going to stop you in the near future, and what will you do to make sure they don't? 

If you're ready for change. Awesome! Go forth and kick ass!

If, on the other hand, you hear yourself making excuses or hoping that by throwing money at the problem things will improve, they won't. Stop yourself right there. You may as well load your life savings into a Cash Cannon (yes, this is a real thing... don't just make it rain, make it a class-4 hurricane), aim it at your toilet bowl, and then hit flush. 

What I'm trying to say is: if this isn't the right time for you to commit, don't waste your money (or time, or emotional energy). Put your wallet away. Save your fat stacks for something else this year until the answers to the questions I posed above lead you to believe that you're ready. 

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