Let’s Stretch Ourselves…

I stressed pretty much all of the month before my first time to have a table at the health fair.

Why, in the world??

All you need to is look decent, have a decent door prize, and let people know you’re there, right??  Just sit at the table and greet people, let them know what you do, how you can help them, and let them sign up for your door prize, right?

Oh, yes.  Put like that, it sounds so simple…

I had no idea what to actually expect. 

●       How big will my table be? Or how small? Will my table runner fit?

●       What door prize would be “perfect” (lol)?

●       How many sign-up forms will be enough?

●       How many little trifold brochures will I need to make?

●       What pictures to put on the trifold?

●       (I hope they’ll have something healthy to eat there…)

●       Will the traffic at the door be so crowded, unloading everything, that I’ll be overwhelmed?

●       I hope it will be ok to bring my little thermos of my protein coffee…

●       And …I didn’t sleep good…I need to look my best… my eyes…

●       Oh, and on that morning, leaving home, driving through the cattle standing right in the road through the field (they could not understand why they hadn’t been fed yet), I drove right through some fresh “cow paddy”…Oh no! With the crowd of cars unloading…everyone would smell it!!

●       And finally…you know, I’m not known at all as being a part of the major health community.  I’ll feel totally out of place…

Well, I made it very successfully through the health fair!  My husband came with me to help unload and load, and to just be there for me too I think.

The table was huge, and round.  On the end, so people coming from any direction (I had to turn my give-away flowers around from time to time).

I couldn’t help but “compare” my table with others…which were totally covered in exciting, colorful stuff-and give-away’s!  My goal had been to have a “simple” message.  My table was simple, alright.  Nice, pretty flower arrangement, my trifold brochures, my business cards.  Oh, I did have a double frame that said “Health Coach” on one side, and had sample blog titles with pictures on the other side.  I spread everything out as much as I could, and just enjoyed the people.  Not perfect, for sure, but I learned a lot!

How did it go?  It was a great experience.  We talked to people.  I let them know who I was, and what I did.  We got people to sign up.

How did it really go?  We finally got the hang of just handing them a trifold (because they didn’t know they actually wanted one! lol)  I didn’t visit other tables much.  But I visited a doctor’s table to give him my information and let him know I was available to help any of his patients that might have a hard time following his protocol.  I think he was under-impressed, but he was nice enough, and the main thing was, I took the courage, and put myself out there.

(We don’t always just automatically have the courage to do what we want to do…we just have to do it anyway.)

(By the way, I have now, after the fact, asked Google how to have a successful health fair booth, and I have learned even more!)

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So, my main goal was to help people.

They don’t know what a health coach does.

They don’t know what Functional Medicine is.

They think I sell something, or promote some product.

So I’m working on simplifying my message.

I mean, I even got told by the nicest little lady, that my husband was “more famous” than I was.  (He loved that so much!!)

But my take-away from the health fair experience, was that: OK, it wasn’t perfect.  But:

1.     I did it.

2.     It wasn’t half bad…

3.     I let people who did care, know that I’m available.

4.     I educated people on the importance of this thing they did not even know existed (coaching)

5.     I learned so much about how to become better on my messaging.

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Since I’ve improved my health several years ago, and learned to eat healthy, my little devil on my shoulder has been whispering to me that I can fudge now and then and “get by”.  And so I have. 

I mean, you know how it goes.  And even though I’ve continued to feel good, some weight has crept on, and my Oura ring tells me I’m not resting as good as I should at night.

So I decided I needed to get a handle on my eating habits again.  After all, a health coach should actually look like a health coach, right?  Not just feel like one.

I’ve been working out at the gym 3-4 days a week for the past month or so.  My main goal is now, either work out every weekday, or if I plan on not coming to town one of those days, to walk 1-2 miles at home.  Yet I am allowing myself one day’s grace in case I don’t do either of them.  So, a minimum of 4 days a week of good exercise/activity—with the main emphasis being on the gym.

I began my new food and movement plan on Sunday.  I got out my old really healthy recipes from when I started on this journey, so I would be ready to actually plan my evening meals.  I set my gym clothes and shoes out so I’d be ready for that.

I usually fast through breakfast, and end the fast later in the morning with coffee that I’ve added protein powder, MCT oil and collagen to.  I plan to continue this breakfast routine, with an occasional “real” but healthy (late—after my walk or workout) breakfast added in occasionally. 

How did the first day go (Monday)?

Well, “not perfect”. 

I forgot to plan my lunch and water, so that took extra time in the morning, and I ended up being late to the gym, so I cut my workout short.  So that could’ve been better.  But I did get there, and worked out.

Also, I still have a refrigerator full of left-overs, so my lunch was left-overs, which made it easy to have lunch, but not the best quality, since it contained some wheat.  Not perfect, but better than “buying ready-made”.

For dinner, cooked and ready-to-eat purple-hull peas from our garden, and salad.  Possibly a sweet potato to go with that.  Good food, and healthy.

From Saturday, Sunday, Monday and beyond, I have not done perfectly according to my “perfect” plan.  But I have done well.  Without my new commitment, it would have been much different, because it would have been easier and quicker to just live life as usual, sliding by with random “not real” food.

And as I stay committed, my plans will become better, and making it work will come more easily, and my time will be more apt to work smoother.

My message today is that I have stretched my courage, and you can, too!

I showed up like a Pro the best that I knew how, at the health fair.

I’ve stretched (and renewed) my dedication to my health and my eating.

I’ve stretched my dedication to less screen time (closing my electronics at 7 p.m. to allow my sleep to be more sound and restful.

And I’m better, for all of it.

If you have a health goal of any kind, take courage.  Make the commitment.  Dedicate yourself to it.

And if I can help you in any way to change your habits, or any other kind of help, please reach out to me.

Let’s make this life fun and energetic!

Thanks for reading!

Sharon