When I mention that I am a health coach, people often start apologizing or justifying how they eat or how much exercise they do or don’t do.
To be blunt, I am not your mother. I am not here to watch what you eat or do.
It’s not that I don’t care. Of course I care. I would not choose to do what I do if I didn’t care. And if you are my client, then I will talk extensively about food choices.
However, in a social situation, I just want to be social. I am not looking at what people eat and I don’t want to make people uncomfortable.
Part if it is because I don’t think anybody should be monitoring or judging what another person eats, not matter how well intentioned. But mostly its because I am not perfect. I don’t ever want to give the impression that somehow I have a perfect diet and that I have the perfect routine of yoga and exercise everyday.
As we begin the New Year, we often make resolutions about improving our health. Then the first time we have a bad day (or week) and go off the rails, we think we have failed. This is wrong.
To expect that we are going to do things perfect everyday in a world of long office hours, deadlines, travel and children is not realistic. Moving towards better health is not about achieving perfection; it’s about not giving up. Every day, make your best effort to make the best choices.
