I had no idea how I was going to help this person. She had just told me one of her biggest challenges in her life. Well, at least a big one at this moment.
Oh, boy, where do I go with this? How do I make sure I don’t just leave her hanging without a way forward?
And who was I to be the one to be in a position to help her?
I mean, I joined the Army at 17. Mom had to sign the paperwork to get me in. I ended up making it a 20-year career. Ha, career number one. It was three days after ‘retirement’ when I started my second career, consulting. Easy landing. I went right back to the same office, one cubicle over from where I was sitting the previous week. This time, wearing a suit and tie instead of the Battle Dress Uniform.
Life was good. I was able to use my strengths. Organization, project management, and implementing solutions using systems design to help my clients achieve their objectives.
But 15 years in, I unexpectedly woke up. It shouldn’t have been so unexpected. But it was.
I was at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. My son, Carter, was stationed there, his second year as a Marine. In case you’re wondering, yes, I tried hard to get him to join the Army instead, but, well, I digress.
He was going in for an eye procedure and Dear Old Dad got to go help take care of him. The procedure went well, and he was resting. Time to go get a workout in.
Now, understand, even though I wasn’t in the Army anymore, I still loved taking care of myself and staying fit, healthy, and well. This has been very important to me. For decades. From my days in high school when I was in track and wrestling (Thank you, Coach Miller and Coach Brickell…). The Army just gave me new tools, and I kept building up my health and wellness knowledge while working as a consultant.
So, it’s October 2022. I’m at the Wallace Creek Fitness Center in the middle of the day. Very rare for me to be able to work out at that time of day. And as I work out, Marines are filing in. Stripping off cammie tops and getting their pump on (yes, they had their t-shirts on). As I continued my workout, I started to feel a sense of consternation. I knew they would be back the next day, the next week. Doing the same thing. Because fitness was part of their life. Taking care of themselves, being healthy. Knowing the work they were doing would pay dividends down the road. Their futures.
My future. Back to the desk. Back to the cube. In just a few days.
It immediately felt maddening just thinking about that. So, in literally a week, I had begun to chart a new path. But this path wasn’t just so I could make going to the gym a bigger part of my life. I wanted to be able to help other people who wanted the same thing. The research on how I was going to do this began.
Research turned to action. Talking to people. Mapping out options. Identifying my knowledge gaps (soooo many…) Over time, I got my Certificate in Nutrition Science from Stanford. I got my Certified Personal Trainer certificate from NASM. I attended Saybrook University for my certificate in Integrative Wellness Coaching. Then I earned my National Board Certified – Health and Wellness Coach certification from the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching. And, because it’s a big deal and such an important topic, my Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist certification. Next up, an M.S. in Strength and Human Performance.
How will these pieces fit together? That’s part of building my new path. The path that brought me to talking to someone who had just told me one of her biggest challenges going on in her life at the moment. I was coaching her and was struggling with what she had shared. She was stuck and looking to me to be her partner to help her understand what was going on and work with her to create action steps to help her meet her goal. None of my questions were helping to get us to the root of the issue, which was related to healthier eating and nutrition. As I asked questions, I gave her space to explore and talk through what was going on for her. Finally, she discovered the core issue. No, really, that’s exactly what she said, “That’s probably the core of it.” Her insight caught me by surprise. It turns out, to her, cooking was ‘wasting time’.
With that realization, we had a place to go. I felt triumphant. A breakthrough. From there, she came up with her action plan and a way to hold herself accountable to sticking to it.
Success.
While it’s still a very windy path, I’m 100% committed to it. I’m still consulting. Gotta pay the bills. But over time, I intend to figure out how to achieve my goal. My goal of being able to help other people who want the same thing. Fitness. Health. Wellbeing.
These three goals exist for different purposes for different people. Some want to live longer, healthier lives. Some want to be present for their families in a healthier way. Some want inner peace through wellness. Some want the confidence of being able to do what they want and revisit long-lost passions. And some just want to look good naked. These are just some of the reasons people I’ve worked with have shared with me.
While I won’t limit my eventual services to health and wellness coaching, that has been a major part of my journey so far. So, in my first newsletter series coming up, I’ll talk about that. What is coaching, how it works, and why it works. I’ll also share an approach I’ve created that builds on the coaching principles I’ve learned, enabling you to implement sustainable lifestyle changes for improved health and wellness with greater confidence, even in the face of obstacles. I hope you’ll stay tuned.
For now, my humble ask is that you share this with anyone you think might get some use out of these thoughts. If you or someone you know wants to contact me directly, email me at chris@methodfitwell.com
