By working with so many different clients over the years, I have been able to see firsthand what strategies and approaches work or don’t work when it comes to someone achieving long-term health benefits.

 

The four main things I look for in someone, to see if they have what it takes to succeed, are the following:

 

 

1. Do They Value It Enough? 

 

The clients who have achieved the best long-term results are the clients who have placed the greatest value on what it is they want to achieve.

 

To really achieve a high level of health and fitness, the actions required must become a priority. That also means certain exercise, nutrition, lifestyle and behavioural habits need to change.

 

If the value of what you want to achieve is great enough, then stopping those habits that are holding you back will be easier and more positive habits to be formed.

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2. Do They Have The Skills To Succeed? 

 

Like with anything you want to get better at, you first must learn and practice the skills required.

 

It is the same when it comes to improving your health and fitness. Placing enough value on wanting to achieve something is good, but do you have the skills to achieve it.

 

Improving your health and fitness through exercise, nutrition, lifestyle and behaviour is a complex procedure. It’s even developed into its own science.

 

Just because something works for someone else, it doesn’t mean it will work for you.

 

Learning the skills that work for you and developing them to fit in with you is paramount to achieving any long-lasting results.

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3. Do They Consistently Perform The Actions Required? 

 

So you now value making the changes needed and you have practised and developed the skills required, but can you now consistently perform the actions that need to be implemented day after day, week after week and year after year to achieve lifelong health benefits?

 

It has been shown that up to 95% of people who do achieve initial health benefits from exercising more and eating better, only end up maintaining these benefits for up to a year.

 

Actions need to be something you can realistically do over and over again, so they become a habit and behaviour, and therefore a part of your life. Only then will you not become part of the 95% who keep failing.

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4. Do They Have The Support To Succeed? 

 

No one who has been successful has succeeded on their own.

 

Just because you want to achieve something of great value, doesn’t mean everyone else places the same value on it.

 

There are going to be people who will make achieving what you want difficult (not intentionally), and undermine your ability to perform the actions required.

 

Getting someone who can act as a mentor, buddy, coach or supporter to help, will increase your compliance with the actions you have set yourself.

 

Having a coach, for example, will help you develop the skills needed to succeed and help keep you accountable when it comes to implementing those actions.

 

My role as a health coach has been to educate and guide clients through these four main areas.

 

So before you go and hire a health coach, ask yourself the following:

 

“Do I value improving my health enough, to make the changes needed?”

 

“Do I need to learn the skills needed to succeed?”

 

“Am I able to implement the actions required on a consistent basis?”

 

“Do I have enough of the right support to achieve long-term results?”

 

Your answers will determine your decision in hiring a health coach.