I remember that even as I was on the phone enrolling at IIN back in 2004, I was questioning my sanity. �Me�a Health Coach? Really? I already have my Masters in Education and I actually love teaching. This is crazy.�
But I also remember the buzz I felt inside every time I read about IIN�s Health Coach Training Program � the guest teachers, the curriculum�the way graduates were so passionate about helping other people.
When I tuned into my gut, it was a no-brainer. Sign-up. Don�t overthink it. Because when I started to think too much about whether I could actually be a REAL Health Coach, the self-doubt didn�t just creep in. It jumped in and took over.
�Can I really help people?� (Even though I was already doing that for free.)
�Can I keep up with all the learning when I have three kids under five?� (Even though I was already squeezing in hours a week of reading about nutrition and health on my own already.)
�Can I handle what my friends and family are going to think about me becoming a Health Coach?� (Even though they already thought I was a health nut.)
And the very practical question�
�Can I afford to do this, not to mention make money doing it?�
It�s been almost eight years since I decided to listen to my gut and go with that little buzz I felt when I imagined myself becoming a Health Coach. So what�s happened since? That one door has opened up and I�ve created opportunities and experiences I never imagined (or would have felt confident enough to pursue) when I enrolled at IIN. I�ve coached and taught thousands of parents and children; I partnered with a physician and created an online business; I co-founded a national non-profit and launched it with the actress Selma Blair; I�ve connected with leaders in the field like Dr. Mercola, Sally Fallon-Morrell and Dr. Josh Axe.
And you know what? In the midst of all these accomplishments, some days I feel like a game show host with perfect hair and a smooth voice is going to walk in and ask, �Will the real Health Coach please stand up?� And, for a minute or two I will be looking around to see who she is�only to realize she is me.
Every time I�ve talked with another Health Coach about not having the confidence to do this work, they describe feeling that same self-doubt. It�s normal, and actually a bit healthy. This little bit of �I�m not sure I can really do this� helps keep us grounded and authentic.
What I�ve learned is that the confidence and certainty you want to feel about being a Health Coach, whether you�re just thinking about enrolling at IIN or you�ve been coaching for years, doesn�t just fall into your lap. You can�t wait for the day you have total confidence before you step into this path. You don�t find confidence and no one gives it to you. You create confidence. One. Manageable. Step. At. A. Time.
This past month I launched my first virtual program. Talk about having some self-doubt. Despite all the coaching experience and the knowledge I have, I almost didn�t push the �go� button on this project. I almost let self-doubt stop me. But the Universe gifted me with 70 people who signed up. Seventy people who trusted me � the real Health Coach.
Talk about nervous. But, one manageable step at a time, sometimes barely feeling like I was a step ahead of where I needed to be, I rolled out the program. And, with every action I took in this new adventure, I created more confidence. The feedback from the moms has been so positive. And they are asking me for more coaching support.
I wish there were a magic smoothie recipe I could give you and you would have the confidence to step into your dreams as a Health Coach. Instead, what I want to tell you is that you just have to take the first step�and then the second step�and one step at a time you create that confidence you so want to feel. With each person you coach into living a healthier happier life, you realize this decision was the best decision you could have ever made for yourself.