When I first became a Mom I thought my job was to put my kids in a bubble of safety and protect them from any and all struggle. But what I’ve learned is that my job is not as much about protecting them from all the struggle, but about empowering them with all the tools they need to navigate the tough stuff and come out the other side stronger and more resilient.
As a mom I don’t want my kids to have their lives curated so they don’t face struggle or disappointment. I want them to experience all of life’s ups and downs and develop resilience, strength and perseverance as a result of their struggles. Do I enjoy watching them struggle? Heck no! Seriously, it hurts my #momheart But I know they’re better having experienced it. My job is to be the gentle hand of guidance and support as they navigate their own way through it.
The interesting thing is that as I’ve grown as a Mom I’ve also grown as a coach and realized the same lessons are true.
This quote speaks to this so poignantly. And it doesn’t just apply as a parent. It rings true for me as a coach.
As a health and fitness coach my job isn’t to map out every detail of the plan and then completely clear the path of all the obstacles so it is “easy” and seamless to navigate their way to health and fitness. My goal is to educate and empower my clients to feel confident that they know the best path for them and to give them the necessary tools to travel it. But even more importantly my job is to give them the foundation of knowledge they need to help them guide their choices along the way. And to know the alternate routes should they face an obstacle (or two, or twenty). Because….#reallife
The prepared path may seem easier…eat this, don’t eat that, do these workouts, follow this. But what I’ve found after 20 years in the industry is that the perfectly curated plan is often fruitless. because let’s be honest – completely clear paths…they don’t exist in real life!
You need to know how to navigate the road for yourself.
So when you’re facing the bumps in the road – just know, you’r exactly where you need to be. You’re developing resilience and flexing your perseverance. And while the road may be bumpy…. it leads to much more sustainable long term success and in my opinion the greatest rewards.
When you look back on the road you’ve travelled I hope you can see all the valleys and summits and know with confidence that you reached your current vista because YOU did the work to get there. And be PROUD.