Today is a new day.
Today the world feels lighter.
Today the clouds and cold don’t seem burdensome.
Today I can make a difference.
Today I can dream bigger than I ever thought I could.
Today is the day. Tomorrow will be too. And the next day and the next day.
Over the weekend JP and I ate everything good. We yelled at each other. We laughed with each other. We were together, but also accomplished things separately. He worked on his car and I wrote my paper for class.
The paper wasn’t that hard once I got started, but that’s the hardest part about anything. Where do I start? I knew what I wanted to say, but I felt like I was dancing in circles. Maybe I said the same thing in two places, but at least I have different sources backing up what I was writing.
We stayed up past our bed time. We saw friends that we don’t see often. We ate dessert. Dessert was free and that made it taste better.
Saturday, after my paper was written and sent to Samantha for edits and feedback, I did something I never thought I would do. I posted on Instagram that I was interested in helping others achieve their goals.
I told you all that I wanted to start coaching, but that I also wanted tweak my program a bit and to do it effectively I wanted to take on a group of people to test it out. This group will give me feedback and help me develop the program fully so that I can offer it in the new year.
Up until now my whole journey has been about me and my goals. Trust me it still will be that. It’ll be about figuring out my next step and then moving forward, but it’ll be about directly empowering others to do the same.
I am not a fitness account, whether you believe that or not. I’m a life account. I share what’s important in my life – my health is up there with my boyfriend and cupcakes. I like lifting, but I like lattes too. You’ve noticed I’ve been sharing a lot of those lately as well.
I can’t believe the interest I received on Saturday in relation to my announcement. That’s crazy to me! But maybe it’s just some of the assurance I need to move forward.
My plan for my program is to screen clients. I want to know them a little bit before saying yes I can help you because nothing is worse than not being capable of helping someone else when you really want to. For those who showed interest, I sent a client screening information form asking some basic information as well as things that could impact their goals like are the single or married or divorced, do they have kids? These questions are important because a mother of two who has a husband she cooks for may prioritize herself differently than a single guy who just goes to and from work.
I also asked them what their short term and long term goals were and why. They why is more important than the goal. You need to figure out what’s motivating you want to accomplish something specific. Maybe you need a challenge and that goal is going to provide it. Maybe your goals will help develop balance in your life and that’s what you want – to eat your cupcake and run a half marathon.
I asked personality questions like do they make list or do tasks from memory. It gives me an idea how they work, or how they think they work. This is about helping them find the best way to accomplish their goals. The way I do things works for me, but it may not work for Susie down the street. But I want to help Susie figure out how to make her goals and life work with each other, not against each other.
I asked about expectations because I know what I expect when I ask and pay someone for assistance. When I left my coach I was pretty harsh and I made a list of suggestions… some of which I noticed were implemented once I terminated the relationship. I want these individuals to feel supported by me. Support in some form is important especially if you feel defeated some days. Sometimes you need a kick in the ass and other days you need someone to reassure you that you’re making the right or best decisions you possibly can.
I believe in open communication. You’ve seen how I share my life. Honesty is the best policy. Not every day is going to be awesome. Some days are going to bite the big one and to be able to actually help these people they need to feel like they can tell me that. They need to be able to tell me that I got into a fight with a friend and that caused an anxiety attack, which led to over eating and then binge eating. I may not be able to diagnose them, but I can help them find the right person who can. I can be an ear for them when they need it and help them come up with a plan for the next time they feel like they are in a similar situation.
We sabotage ourselves when we believe we are already going downhill. I don’t want someone to feel like they can’t gain control of a situation that is truly in their control.
Today, I screened my first potential client for my trial. My heart was pounding before I called her. Yep, phone or Skype or FaceTime. We all communicate differently, but I believe that kind of communication can be very helpful for some, especially when email seems like a book. I took notes during our talk so she could understand what I wanted to accomplish during the trial and so I could better understand her goals and why she believes she needs help.
Today I feel like the rest of my life is starting.
Today I feel like my sense of purpose is pouring back in.
Today I feel like I can make a difference in someone else’s life by helping them learn to take control and create a plan.
Today I will have passion in one more area of my life, and if there’s passion then what do I have to lose?
<3 Cristina
I’m excited for our Skype call later! I hope this project goes well for you!
I am too! Thanks!