Many times as coaches, trainers and instructors we give our clients the “how to” instructions on proper exercise technique, and offer positive encouragement to them along the way only to find that they somehow hit a wall and lose motivation for one or many different reasons. When this happens it definitely slows their progression and if not corrected can have many negative effects.
It might be a simple case of how your client is thinking and what they are focused on!
Is your client an “away” from or “towards” type of person? Does your client’s motivation stem from wanting to move away from their current state such as being overweight or wanting to stop smoking so much so that they will change their behavior and the discomfort that they associate with it.
If your client is an “away” type of thinker they generally are seeking to avoid pain and discomfort associated with their issue and they end up focusing on the unwanted behavior which makes it harder to reprogram or override the unconscious mind’s old instruction. The result is that they end up slipping back to their old way of doing things because they are focusing on what they don’t want as a motivator.
This leads to the frustration that trainer, coach and client have with breaking old habits that affect the attainment of reaching certain goals. Many people hold onto their old patterns even when they are not working.
The “towards” type of client are motivated by wanting to move forward towards something better, for example wanting to look and feel better. Their attempts to adopt a new healthier behavior will be more successful as their natural way of doing things is to focus on where they are going and on what they want.
If you can get your client to focus on what they want and move forwards towards that goal instead of focusing on what they don’t want as a motivator you can avoid many pitfalls and negative roadblocks.
In the end it will really be the clients mind and way of thinking that will determine the success of any new coaching or fitness training program.
“Whether you believe that you can or cannot do something…. either way your right”
Stephen Legris is a certified holistic life coach, course instructor, registered health and exercise practioner and has been involved with health and fitness for many years. His focus lies in the power of our thoughts and how they directly impact our lives and results.
Twitter Stephen Legris@StephenLegris
If you’d like more information about coach education and online training with a health and wellness focus, consider enrollment in the Spencer Institute Holistic Life Coach Certification and the Wellness Coach Certification. If you are brand new to coaching, we recommend the Life Strategies Coaching Certification.
