Weâve all been there. It's a common feeling that arises. You feel like youâre doing all the right things, but the number on the scale isnât going down or youâre just not seeing the results you hoped for đ. When youâre coaching a client who just isnât seeing the changes they want to see it can be frustrating for them and hard for you to watch! đ„ș
As coaches, we know that one of our jobs is to find the right motivator for our clients. If our clients are struggling to make progress toward their goals - we agreed to help them reach - our approach to help must be intentional. đ€ We must keep encouraging our clients to continue moving forward on their journey and we must do so in a gentle way that doesn't make them give up and back away. âŁïž
Maybe you have a client who has done several programs and is stuck on losing those last 10 pounds. đ Maybe you have a client who has gone halfway through their program and is now stuck on not able to finish it. đ Maybe you have a client who is just stuck in their head with a lot of negative limiting beliefs. đ§ Maybe you have a client who is stuck in their nutrition and can't seem to get over their late night cravings. đ Maybe you have a client who is simply stuck on even just getting started. đŠ
Or maybe you're a new coach that is wondering what happens if you have a client who gets stuck, what will you do to be able to help them. đ
Whatever it might be, it's very typical for both parties to feel frustrated and discouraged. As coaches, we might start questioning if we're doing a good job coaching. We might feel that we are ineffective and may blame ourselves for their lack of results. It starts to feel hopeless and is disheartening! đââïž We know what this feels like and have been there many times!
đ Here are some things you can do to help motivate your client who is struggling:
âAsk about their specific struggles and address what might be holding them back. Let them know you are a safe person to talk to and that you get it. They may be feeling some embarrassment if they are skipping a workout here and there or the trips through the drive-thru that added up. Reassure your clients that they can be comfortable exploring with you what is preventing them from taking the right steps.
đ Inspire them to think larger and see the bigger picture! Help them beyond the scale and encourage them to take ALL kinds of measurements. Including writing down how they FEEL - energy level, strength, digestion, mood, aches and pains, etc. Whole person wellness - physical, mental, emotional & spiritual - is where it's at!
đ Remind them of their original intention and help them to revisit or reset their short & long term goals. It's easy to forget our desire for change when we don't have the right goals in place. Maybe they set too big of a goal which has overwhelmed them into a place of paralyzing fear. Can they go back to see if that goal is right and does it need to be broken down further? Is there still passion around that goal? Is there still interest in working towards that goal? It's also easy to lose the excitement and commitment when we aren't reminded of the big picture of WHY we want to reach those goals. The motivation gets lost and no motivation = not moving forward which = being stuck. Revisit ALL the things to reignite that fire within them!
đââïž Along the same lines as above, go back together and explore their ideal scenario. Where is it that they want to go? Where do they want to be at? What does their future look like for their health & wellbeing? What does making these lifestyle changes look like? What does it feel like? What will it bring into their life? The benefits? Asking these type of questions can get their mind moving back to their original intentions and goals.
đ€·ââïž Ask them to do some honest reflecting of their journey and then discuss whatâs working/whatâs not. Every body is different and sometimes it'll take longer to test things out to see what works BETTER for them. Talk with them about trying different programs and other nutrition plans to find one that best fits their current situation.
âïž Focus on the process over the results and celebrate the strides they have made so far. Identify what they have been doing and what they are capable of doing. Acknowledge any and all accomplishments. Review their past milestones with them. This will help them to see that they CAN do this and CAN keep going!
đ Support them with some tracking tools if you haven't already! Tracking is a big part of being able to create new healthy habits and behavioral lifestyle changes. When your client tracks they will be able to see progress and notice changes along the way. Tracking helps with accountability and awareness. Maybe they keep a food diary or track their exercise each week. Maybe they want to track their meditation sessions or how much water they're drinking. There are lots of things to track and many different ways to track. Explore the options with them and find a tool that works best for them and their goals. It's very important to track and can help them go back and review their progress when they feel stuck.
âïž Ask them if there is something new that will motivate them to move forward. Even from the start, it's a good idea to ask your clients what their main motivator is. Ask them about specific sticky situations that may happen and how they'd like you to help them. Take note of that and learn this information up front. Keep your conversations on file so that you will be able to support them how they need and have asked to be supported!
đ If you're a faith-based coach with Christian clients, ask them to consider spending more time in prayer talking to God about their wellness goals. We know that God loves for us and wants to see us take care of our bodies. God may speak to them in ways that we cannot and only He can convict them and allow to them to overcome the hardest battles. With Him anything is possible! Depending on the place they're in, they may even consider doing a one day fast or a week of the Daniel Fast diet to help listen for God's voice and wisdom.
đ Explore past experiences with them. What did they do when they encountered obstacles previously? What did they do when they felt stuck before? When else have they been stuck and how did they move through it? What did they use to get through those tough times? What strengths and characteristics can they draw upon? How can they look back and bring tools from their past experiences into today with their health & fitness? It can be eye-opening for them to see all they have already accomplished and show them that they already have the resources to get unstuck.
đ Here's something that may not seem like a big deal but it can have a huge effect on us! How's their environment? Is there anything around that is hindering them? Are there people, places and things that are getting in their way? Family members who are not supportive of their journey and making it hard to move forward? Is their kitchen set up to help them prepare healthier meals? Do they have a dedicated workout space and equipment? Are their co-workers pressuring them to eat out for lunch everyday? Things to think about!
â° Learn how they're spending their time. One of the most common excuses coaches hear is... "I don't have enough time!" Is your client always saying that? Then it could be a time management issue. If they are too busy to put in the work and are not moving forward, then we know that they are making a conscious choice to choose something else over their wellness. It has not become one of their highest priorities. They probably are not scheduling in their workouts and time blocking for meal planning. See if they'd be willing to track how they spend their time for a week then work together on how they could free up some wasted time and rearrange their priorities!
đŁ Last but not least, clearly communicate with them the expectations for them to put in the work. Let them know that this is a two-way relationship and process. They must be willing to show up and do their best so that you'll be able to cheer them on and coach them forward.
đ Once you have these tips in your coaching toolbox, we hope that it will help to alleviate some of the stress and worry that you're not doing enough as a coach. We know you absolutely love and adore your clients. đ„° You want them to succeed. You want them to reach that vision they have for their future. However, we cannot take it personally when they don't. We cannot take responsibility for their actions. All we can do is provide tips, techniques, cheer them on and empower them to embrace this journey. We can never force a client to go through the action steps and behavioral lifestyle changes if they are not ready. đ
đ€ What do you do to encourage your frustrated clients and challengers?? What other tips might we be missing? We'd love to hear from you. Drop us a line at đ coachcontentcollaboration@gmail.com or visit us over at our Instagram page here!
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