If you are a health coach, I’m sure you are well aware that there is a lot to do, and it can be overwhelming at times. You aren’t just a new health coach, but BAM! – You are also now a business owner.

You probably decided to become a health coach because you love helping people, and you are passionate about healthy living. Once you finished your training program, you realized there is a lot more to being a health coach than you realized.

I know how it is because I experienced the same thing. I loved the health coach training program I went through, but there were a few things I wish I had known that would have made things easier for me along the way. Today, I’m sharing some of those secrets with you so you can learn from some of my lessons.

I hope you find this post helpful. Be sure to leave a comment to let me know which tip resonates with you the most. 🙂

1.   Everyone Starts Out as a Beginner

We all have to start at the beginning, so don’t be so hard on yourself, and stop comparing yourself to coaches that have been at this for a while.

It’s okay (and totally normal) if you feel a little uncertain and a bit intimidated. You’ll continue to learn new strategies and concepts, and by taking the time to expand your knowledge, you’ll be able to figure out what works best for you. The key is not to give up and continue to move forward.

Don’t worry about being perfect. Your clients don’t want a coach who is perfect. When you show your true self, people will connect with you so much more.  Your clients want someone who understands their struggles and can provide meaningful advice, support, and understanding.

It’s okay to not know all the answers.  Tip: NO one knows all the answers.  When I didn’t have an answer, I told my client “That’s a great question. Let me research the most current information about that, and I will let you know what I find out.”

Experience is the best teacher, so don’t be afraid to get started.

2.   You Can’t Do It All, and You Shouldn’t Try To

You became a health coach to change lives, but there’s a lot more to the job than just coaching.

It can be tempting to take on all of the aspects of your business yourself but before you know it, you are buried in a pile of tasks that prevent you from using that time for actions that will bring you clients.

Make a list of the tasks you don’t like to do and don’t know how to do, for starters. Delegate more tasks as can. For great tips on outsourcing, check out this blog post to help you figure out where to start. 

This might mean hiring a bookkeeper, outsourcing some of your content creation, social media management, posting your blog content, sending newsletters, setting up your email marketing service, and graphic design, etc.

When you start to delegate the tasks that are bogging you down, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. This will free you up to do more of the things that directly result in earning income.

You can free up some of your time with this FREE done-for-you eCoaching series – 30 Days to a New You.

Remember, the goal is to do less work in your business so you can do more work on your business.

3.   Find Mentors

We all need good mentors to inspire us, guide us and provide valuable advice and insights. A mentor can be a single individual or it can be a group of people. If you don’t already have a mentor, ask your colleagues for a recommendation or join a couple of Facebook Groups that are a good fit.  I have a Health Coach Peer Support Facebook group HERE that’s perfect for this (for certified health and fitness professionals only). If you are a certified health or fitness professional, feel free to request to join.

You may also benefit from working with an experienced business coach. Be sure to check references, and ask your colleagues for recommendations.

As health coaches, we can feel isolated sometimes, so it’s important to connect with others. When you have someone you can talk to about different aspects of your business, you’ll identify new strategies that you can implement to get you where you want to go.   You can even start your own mastermind group, and meet on a regular basis (in person or via Skype).  I have been a part of a weekly mastermind group for the past year, and it has made a tremendous difference in my business.

4. Write Down Your Goals

This is one secret I cannot stress enough. Writing down your goals is such a powerful step towards achieving success. The action of physically writing down your goals puts the ideas in your head in a way that typing simply does not do.

A great way to write down your goals is to use a goal journal. Get yourself a beautiful journal and a set of pens that you love. Use one page for each goal and write it out. You can use the rest of the page to expand on the goal, what it means to you and why you are going to achieve it.

If you feel the need to transfer the journal to a digital means, be sure to print out the typed goals and put them in a place where you can see them every single day.

5. Take Action

Taking action is often the most difficult part, but it’s the most important part.  Without action, you will never achieve the level of success you envision.

You may have set your goals, and mapped out a plan, but actually DOING what you have set out to do is another story.

I love this quote by Harry S. Truman:  “Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.”  So very true!

Don’t let the illusion of perfection hold you back from getting started.

Look at what may be holding you back, and be honest. Is it time constraints, lack of confidence, fear of rejection, or not feeling like you have enough experience?  Maybe it’s more than one of these things.

These are all thoughts and feelings that can pop up for anyone that is new in a particular field.  The best way to overcome these feelings is to set a date for when you are going to do certain things, and put it on your calendar.  You know the saying “Face the fear and do it anyway” right?

Also, if your first few attempts at something don’t work out, evaluate what may have gone wrong, and change gears if needed.

Decide on one action you can take this week that will move you closer to your goals.

6. Free Only Gets You so Far

There is a lot of free information available, but at some point, you will need to start investing in your business. Free resources may be fine to start with, but as you transition from your business being a hobby to a way to earn a steady income, you’ll need to invest money.

It’s important to look at the potential your investment can mean for you in terms of time saved, income generated, and other opportunities for growth.

One example is signing up for a free version of an email marketing service (like Mailchimp). While you won’t pay anything, you also won’t get some of the features that can automate more of the process for you.  Is $15 – $30 a month worth it for this? I would say most definitely.

If you know someone that can help you shorten your learning curve, and accelerate your growth, or you know of great tools that will make your life easier (and more profitable in the long run) just remember that it’s worth investing in the things that will help you build your business. 

7. Put Your Blinders On When Needed

There are hundreds of shiny objects vying for your attention every single day. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, podcasts, webinars, Periscope, YouTube, and every other method of social media marketing can be quite distracting. It’s also tempting to try to make each of these marketing platforms work for you.

You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. Find what works for YOU, and stay focused on your goals and your vision.

Focus on one or two methods of social media marketing that you can do consistently, and evaluate how they are doing before you hop on the newest trend.  If you keep jumping from one thing to the next, you won’t be able to figure out what is working for you.  Just because many people seem to be jumping on the latest bandwagon, doesn’t mean you have to right now.

You don’t need to be everywhere!

BONUS TIP:

Take Care of Yourself

Self-care is an important aspect that often gets overlooked. We are continually making ourselves available to help others, but do we take the time to care for ourselves?

It helps to schedule your down time or else it might not happen.  Decide which day(s) of the week is your non-work day, and map out your weeks off for the year.

Set aside a bit of time every day to relax and disconnect from the rest of the world for a bit – even if it’s just 20 minutes. You deserve it, and you need it so you don’t get burned out.

Do something that allows you to spend some time on yourself most days.  Maybe it’s making sure you fit in some exercise, meditate, do a little journaling or fit in some reading.   What do you love to do, or know you need to do on a regular basis to feel balanced?  Whatever that is, be sure to keep that as a top priority.

Are there any secrets you’ve learned along the way that you can share? Let me know in the comments.

If you know anyone that can benefit from these tips, be sure to share this with them.