Straight Talkin'

When’s the last time you sat down and had a straight talk with yourself?

I’ve been having talks with myself since last year about re-calibrating and re-starting my health and fitness routine. These talks routinely occur in the shower, early in the morning. I am alone, no distractions, and the voice in my head wants to get going, while the rest of me is still half asleep and not quite up to the task. In those moments I am merely tolerating myself — knowing that the moment my feet hit the warm tile I am off to the next thing—usually something that is motivating and that I am good at. Exercise is not one of those things. I prefer generating ideas, solving problems, looking for solutions over sit-ups and kettle bells.

Those shower talks, are not straight talks.

However, this week, I began to pay attention a bit more intently to that voice in the shower. And instead of just listening, I began to talk back — to ask questions, to affirm her reasoning, and to think more about my thinking and how it is preventing me from moving forward on my health goals. In the conversation I recognized a few things — that I know what I must do, I know how to do it, and I’ve been successful before —so that’s covered. What I don’t do is create the opportunity, nor do I hold myself accountable. Two necessary and absolute conditions for success.

In order to achieve a goal we first must define the right goal, and to make a conscious choice to act on it. Narrowing in on the two barriers to my goal has helped me to identify the path forward — what I must do to be successful. First, I must create and seize the opportunities whenever and wherever I can. This is a big flip for me — seeing space and time on my calendar as an opportunity to exercise! But, it worked. (This past weekend I clocked 3 miles a day at the local forest preserve.). Second, I must find a way to be accountable that works for me. This feels a bit more tricky because I need to find the right trainer/coach. However, I am on the hunt for her, and will find the person who can hold my feet to the fire and also spur me on to accelerate progress.

Next time you hear that voice in the shower, or in the car, or as you drift off to sleep — don’t just listen.
Talk back! Having a straight talk with yourself just might yield some new actionable insight!

Mary McGuinness, M.Ed., PCC is a career transition and shift-it coach based in Chicago, IL USA.
Mary uses visual coaching and design-thinking techniques and practices to accompany her clients on a journey of self-discovery that results in creative solutions, faster results, and happier, more fulfilling careers. 

Photo Credit: Kenzie Kraft on Unsplash