Month after month, you look back at your calendar and wonder how time flew by, again, and you still haven’t started your health coaching business—even though you were sure you’d have it going by February.
What’s holding you back?
Is it a lack of confidence and clarity that makes you hesitate?
Do feelings of overwhelm stand in the way of your productivity?
Maybe you’re procrastinating because it’s easier to stall.
Or, you feel stuck because you haven’t defined your niche or solidified your brand, yet.
Here are 34 actionable tips and brainstorming exercises to help you get out of your own way and start your new health coaching business today.
Confidence and Clarity
1. List your qualifying traits
Write down all of the reasons you’ll make a great health coach. Put this list somewhere you’ll see it often.
2. Write a letter to yourself
This letter is to read whenever you get discouraged, or you can even read it nightly before bed.
What to write:
- Describe WHY you’re pursuing this dream
- List the top habits or people that keep you balanced and motivated
- Describe how much you believe in yourself
Get Specific:
- How will your life be different when you succeed?
- How much income will you earn and when?
- Who will you help and how?
3. Ask 10 friends
Send individual emails to 10 friends or family members asking them to tell you:
- What are my unique strengths?
- What types of things do you turn to me for?
You will be amazed by the responses. It’s like a motivational hug.
4. Learn the Alter Ego Effect
Discover the secret behind many successful athletes, entertainers, and business leaders. Define your Alter Ego—or the hero inside of you—and learn to activate it whenever it’s time to perform at your peak. It has the power to transform your life!
5. Create a vision board
Fill a vision or a collage with inspiring images and words that help to capture the goals and lifestyle changes you fantasize about achieving. There are no rules when it comes to a vision board. Dream big and stay positive. You’ll be in awe one day, seeing all that manifests from this.
6. Full circle motivation
Start an Instagram page filled with motivational quote graphics. Start sharing quotes that inspire you or help you take action towards your coaching dreams. Enjoy the full circle experience once you see how your posts impact and attract your ideal coaching clients.
7. Use the 5 Second Rule
Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule helps to intercept your mental chatter and act on an instinct towards a goal…in just 5 seconds. Counting backward from 5 never felt so empowering. It works for millions of people around the world, so why not you?
8. Make a Passion Roadmap
The Passion Roadmap was designed by the creators of The Passion Planner. When you map out your goals in this freeform manner and then choose one to prioritize, you’ll get clear on what’s next and how to get there.
9. Get clear on your why
…because your why is the cause, purpose, or belief that drives you and resonates with your audience.
10. Choose your school wisely
Become a certified holistic health coach from an accredited school, like The Primal Health Coach Institute, that offers unparalleled support and curriculum. It gives you advantages over other holistic health coaches like learning proven strategies and programs for coaching your clients, and how to start and grow a coaching business…not to mention the post-graduate perks.
11. Brain dump and reach out
You’ve got a million questions about becoming a health coach and it’s holding you back. It’s time to brain dump all of your questions and concerns, then book a free call with Laura, our friendly Director of Admissions at The Primal Health Coach Institute. Questions answered (sigh of relief).
Productivity and Prioritization
12. Hire a business coach
Working with someone who has more experience than you, like a business coach or a mentor, can be incredibly motivating and productive. Coaches need coaches, too.
13. Avoid shiny objects
Make a pact with yourself not to start something new until project “X” is done. If you don’t create boundaries to protect your primary goal, you may never achieve it—because you’re too busy being drawn to other shiny objects.
14. Work backward from the goal
When a goal or project seems overwhelmingly huge, you are more likely to suffer from productivity paralysis. Try working backward from the goal:
Imagine you achieved the goal and then answer the following questions in order.
- Which last-minute things did I do on the day prior to achieving my goal?
- What did I have to complete the week leading up to the goal?
- What about the week before that?
- Etc…
Before you know it, you have all of the steps defined so you can baby-step your way to the finish line.
15. Get a focus planner
Day planners that are designed for business goals help you break down annual, 90-day, and short-term goals so that you stay focused on what to do and in what order. Try The Freedom Journal, or Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner, and then carve out a couple hours to explore your new guided planner and get started.
16. Say “No”
Practice saying “No” to others and “Yes” to your dream. It takes practice, but it’s time to put you and your dreams first. You’ll look back and wonder why it took you so long to do this one.
17. Watch CrusherTV
Beat procrastination and overwhelm with the help of CrusherTV, an online video platform filled with fun hacks and strategies to ‘unleash the power of your brain,’ with Productivity Coach Alan Brown.
18. Plan the transition
Come up with a concrete plan to transition from your old job to your new dream job. Use this article to guide you.
19. Plan a staycation or getaway
This trip is to work only on your business. Alone. Changing your environment and dedicating a strict time and location for your business goals can help you produce your best work yet.
20. “Done is better than perfect”
If you re-read your blog post twenty times or change the shade of blue in your logo thirteen times, you’re just wasting time on details that no one else will notice or care about. Done is better than perfect, so get it done and move on to the next!
Niche and Branding
21. Sell your story
Don’t try to be an expert at something you need to learn more about. Instead, simply use your own story to launch your business with a niche that comes naturally to you…and sells itself.
22. Forget the business name
Many coaches get stuck in the beginning because they don’t know what to name their coaching business. One idea is to forget the business name and use YOUR name. After all, you are the business, aren’t you? If you just can’t take that leap, use this article to help you choose the perfect business name.
23. Create your StoryBrand
Turn to Michael Hyatt and his team of experts to craft the perfect messaging for your brand’s voice and marketing. From the book to the podcast to the online BrandScript tool, you’ll learn Michael’s proven formulas and create captivating business messaging that is uniquely you.
24. Niche a Facebook group
Start a group with a specific interest and audience as the group’s name (don’t worry, you can change it later). This is a great way to test your niche and see if it resonates with your ideal client.
25. Try a Facebook marketing challenge
Test your niche and grow your subscriber list with free Facebook marketing. Karen Pattock, a business coach for health coaches, has a Free Facebook Challenge to guide you through the whole process.
26. Blog to build authority
Start building your reputation as an authority by committing to one or two blog posts a week. Here are 38 kinds of blog posts you should be writing as a health coach today.
27. Choose a business-minded school
Most health coaching schools teach you about nutrition and fitness, but they drop you off in the real world without any business advice. Enroll in a certification program that primes you with business-building advice and ongoing support after you graduate.
28. Leverage a done-for-you program
Start coaching right away when you leverage a turn-key program, like Primal Health Coach’s 12-Week Coaching Program, that provides graduates with tactical steps and a program flow calendar to take a client through 90 days of holistic lifestyle change. Find this program in the PHC Business Resource Center; it’s available to all graduates, and is continuously expanded with further and valuable resources.
Procrastination
29. Recruit an accountability partner
Find another health coach on social media who will be your accountability partner. You can chat together, perhaps once a week, about your weekly focus. The goal is to provide feedback and keep each other accountable.
30. Skip the fancy website for now
Many coaches don’t start their business yet because they don’t have a website ready to rock. Skip the site for now, and start with a Facebook business page. This is a great opportunity to put yourself out there and practice sharing value-packed posts and snippets about your new services. You’ll be glad you waited, because you’ll be more clear-headed when it’s time to launch your website.
31. Make work attractive and satisfying
Get serious about your new business by making work more attractive and satisfying. Here’s how:
Declare your new office space—such as a new spot in your home or at your favorite coffee shop. Make it attractive and satisfying by using essential oils every time, or make a deal with yourself like “I can drink my favorite latte only while I’m here,” or “I’ll play my favorite music only while I’m here.” You might also get a new planner or other fun office supplies dedicated to the new job.
You get the idea. Make it special.
32. Make your first client a win-win
Sometimes it’s just getting that first client that makes us procrastinate. Make a list of people in your life who you would like to coach as practice, and send two people an email today inviting them for this win-win commitment.
33. Squash first-time jitters with this checklist
You may hesitate to take your first client because you feel disorganized or unprepared. Use this checklist to be extra prepared for that first client.
34. Go public with your launch date
Deadlines are a powerful strategy to counter procrastination, and they work even better when others are expecting you to deliver. Try this: announce a future launch date and let the social media world hold you accountable.
Where will you start?
Print this article and circle 1-3 tips in each category that resonate with you.
Put a star next to the one you’re motivated to do right now and…well…DO IT!
