If you are like most people, there are one or two things that you put on your list of goals every year and every year you fall short.

I have spent much of the past two or three years studying what separates those who succeed from those that don’t.  I have come to the conclusion that it comes down to not what they are trying to do, but why they are trying to doing it.

Back to my opening statement.  For me, that lingering item has been my health.  I have never been able to figure it out.  My wife Michelle sets a great example for me.  She eats good, sleeps 8+ hours a night and runs five days a week.  Beyond that, I want to be in good health.  Even though I am 48, I feel like I am younger than that but at the same time, feel time catching up – if you know what I mean!

A couple of friends of mine, Chemae and Eric, are Take Shape For Life coaches and after years of listening to stories about success they have been having with their clients, I decided to put some of the health principles that they teach to the test.

About six months ago, I started eating smaller meals and cut way back on sugar and carbs.  Boom!  Instant results.  By early November I had hit my first benchmark.  I had dropped twenty pounds and thought I had this health thing all figured out.  After all, I am a professional coach.  Should be easy, right?  Maybe not.

A month later and no more progress.  So I did what I should have done to begin with. Reached back to Eric and Chemae and said “Help!”  Three words made a huge difference.  Here they are and why they are so important.

STOP

When things are not going the way you want.  When you just aren’t getting the results you are looking for – STOP!  I didn’t say quit, I said stop.  I know you have heard the saying “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.”  So if this is the case – stop and take a minute to figure out why things are not working out.  How do you do this?  Simple …

CHALLENGE

If you are not getting the results you were looking for, challenge the thought process that you have been using to get them.  Challenge your why.  Most of all, challenge what you know about what you want and why you want it.  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn) Knowledge is power and sometimes even when our why is the right one – we don’t understand it enough to make it strong enough to provide the strength to succeed.  OK, then what?

CHOOSE

Now you are a little bit smarter.  Now choose a new path.  The destination might still be the same but now you can make the needed course corrections and get back after it. Life is about choices and usually, the better informed we are, the better choices we make.  Clarity also makes the decision making process much easier.  Eliminate the things that didn’t or won’t work and then you have less to choose from.

So does this work?  Well, one week into following the Take Shape For Life program and I was down 5 more pounds and getting more sleep.  In reality, the process impressed me so much that it struck me that this would be a great addition to be able to provide the same support and resources to my own clients.  Most of them have health related issues on their list anyway so why not add a plan that actually works into the services I provide.

So I have added health coach to my resume.  I joined the Take Shape For Life team earlier this month and am looking forward to sharing a path to Optimal Health with my network of clients and colleagues.  If you are interested in finding out more about the TSFL program I would encourage to visit my TSFL page by clicking here and contact me if you think it makes sense for you and I will help you get started.

There is also a great opportunity that you can sign up for through March 1st.  If you are interested in finding your own path to Optimal Health, join along with thousands of others and sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE (sound familiar) 12 Week Health Transformation.  No cost.  No strings.  Simply an email a day full of great content and tools that can really make a difference for you in your journey to getting healthier.

Just click here and you will be redirected to the Stop Challenge Choose webpage. Click on the I Know / Have a Coach button and put in my name “Barry Smith” and that’s it. Starting on the next Monday, you will receive a daily email full of great value related to improving your health.  If you have any questions along the way, just let me know.

A question today that you may have never asked yourself before – What does Optimal Health look like to you?

You might have already guessed my challenge – Sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 Week Health Transformation and find out what Optimal Health might look like for you. 

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Barry Smith    1/27/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014