Coaching Corner: “Will”-power

I often ask my coaching clients, “What can you do or do differently to get closer to your goal?” Most people are very good at coming up with a laundry list of things that they could, should or would do. They sound like this: “I should eat less candy, drink more water, get more exercise, cook for myself,” etc., etc. Knowing what to do is rarely the issue. It’s “just doing it” that often stumps us.

Then comes the more difficult question, “What will you do today, tomorrow, this week?” That’s when the stuttering and stammering begin. Answers often begin with, “I’ll try… or I hope…” Does this sound familiar? What would it take to eliminate the try and the hope—to make a real commitment to action? You see, there is often an enormous gap in what we can do and what we will do.



Take out a pen and paper and write out three specific actions you are willing to take today that will bring you closer to your healthiest, best self, and start every item with the words “I will.” For example:
• I will walk for 30 minutes after breakfast.
• I will eat two servings of vegetables at dinner.
• I will go to bed at 10 p.m.

Then make sure these three things happen. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It doesn’t matter how simple the actions are. What matters is that you train your brain to do what you say you will do. Healthy habits are formed through repetition—by making a decision and taking the action, one day at a time.

You have everything you need to achieve your goals. You know what you want and what it takes to get it. So, next time you catch yourself saying, “I’ll try,” or “I hope,” own your power and say, “I will.”

Linda Hopkins is a Coach for the H3@Home program. Click here if you'd like to learn more about this at-home, extension of our weight loss program.