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Hello and welcome to the Own Your Health Podcast, I'm Cyndi Lynne and I can't wait to help you step into your health power. As we begin to create new health habits, it's critical that we really get the support we need.
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We want to be successful. So today we'll be diving into the three kinds of support that you need and the one type that you absolutely don't when it comes to overcoming obstacles in your health journey.
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So how do you build a really strong support team, a really strong support system to help you experience success as you're changing your habits? A support system is really crucial for the long term success of habit change.
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Now, leadership coach Jennifer Russell talks about support in terms of our own personal ecosystem. And I think that's a really cool way to think about it. So you need to create this ecosystem.
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Now, the members of support system are just that, they support you. They don't do the work for you, they don't critique you. They're there to help you overcome obstacles when needed. So today we're going to talk about those three critical types.
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You need these people to build a strong support system. We like to think that we can do it on our own. And on the other side, we often listen to people that we shouldn't. So we'll start with what you need. First of all, you need direct support.
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Now, these are often people who have a similar goal to yours, but they might have different obstacles. So an example would be a yoga partner. Now, if you're a person who's wanted to make a yoga practice part of your regular health routine, and perhaps you find a partner that you commit to going to yoga with.
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Now you're going to meet once a week. So you have a common goal. Now, you may be overcoming an injury of some type and that's your obstacle. And perhaps the partner that you choose has a very irregular or unpredictable work schedule.
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So you have different obstacles blocking your path. But your goal to get to yoga is the same. So when you get there and you see each other as you walk through the door, you can celebrate that. And sometimes when it comes to yoga, actually getting through the door is the most difficult part.
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Now, the second kind of person, second kind of support you need is an accountability partner. And that's a little bit different than direct support in that an accountability partner may have very different goals.
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They don't have to even be related, but they often have similar obstacles. For example, an author at home with small children may find it very difficult to build the habit of writing regularly every day. Excuse me.
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Now, a health conscious individual may have the goal of making her meals at home from scratch. So these are very, very different goals, but the accountability partners have the same obstacles.
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It's making these things that you want a habit, making the changes and making them last. So for accountability, it can be simply a matter of quick follow up. It's not a lot of extra work and we don't want to make it a lot of extra effort.
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But a quick text at the end of the day saying how many pages the author wrote, or a quick snapshot of the meals that were prepared from scratch for the day allows that accountability. Someone is checking in with you and they're actually going to ask you if you've accomplished what you've wanted towards your habit goals on this day.
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And that can be very, very powerful support when making change and forming new habits. Now, the third kind of person that you need is an informational support person. And this is often a professional.
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So it's someone that you can hire so you can embark on something new. You can recognize that it's a habit that you don't really have, and you don't have enough information to create that habit or to make that change and sustain it.
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You can hire professional support to get that information. Now, this person typically has made their own journey, they've met their own goals, and they continue to have their own goals. And they may or may not have the same obstacles you have, but they have the information you need or the experience you need to draw from in a variety of success, meeting goals, overcoming obstacles, and they're able to extrapolate that experience to make it useful in helping you on your journey.
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Now, one of the best ways to get long term support and long term success is to enroll in a program or hire a coach or a trainer. But notice I'm mentioning this in the category of informational support.
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So for example, if you're hiring a trainer, a very good reason to hire one would be learning how to lift weights properly, or learning how to use equipment correctly so that you don't injure yourself, or learning how to monitor your heart rate or your body's functioning.
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Now these are fabulous reasons to hire a trainer, but remember to create the changes and build the habits you want that needs to come from an internal perspective so those other support groups are helpful. It's the same with hiring a coach.
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You can join a program, hire a coach, develop the skills, and ideally you'll develop a package of skills that you can take with you to apply to the many future goals and obstacles that no doubt will come up within your life. Now, as a coach, it's always been my goal to make my clients independent, to have them learn so they can move forward on their own.
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Now, who's the one person we absolutely do not want or need when it comes to making positive changes in our habits? That is the naysayer, the saboteur, the critic. Now, these individuals often are disguised as very well meaning friends or relatives.
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You may hear that they have the expert that always knows better, or they love to tell stories of someone who failed at what you're attempting to do. Now, you can have to take a breath and just politely decline that support.
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Now, as an aside, there's really no point in trying to convert or convince these people to your point of view or your goals, or even to recognizing your obstacles. Because you know what? They each have their own path.
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They each have their own obstacles and they are on their own journey. We wish them well and we're going to let them. As always, if you're looking for support, let's talk. Grab a time on my calendar. There's a link in the show notes below and I will see you next week to talk about two specific obstacles.
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Not enough time and not enough money. Until then, let's go out and own it.
