What Would happen if you…changed?
by Wendy Bright-Fallon
As health counselors, one of our jobs is to ask questions that challenge the way things are. The two main reasons most people come to us is because what they’re doing isn’t working OR they need fresh perspective on how to improve what they are already doing well. A change needs to happen.
Questions to Ask:
These two questions set in motion a curiosity mindset that has helped hundreds of our clients move forward.
- What would happen if you stopped______________.
- What would happen if you added_______________.
These simple questions have a lot of juicy nuggets to uncover about our thought process, our habits and our readiness to make something happen.
Beth initially refused to discuss her daily diet coke with lunch, yet every afternoon her ten-year headache sank into her eyeballs. “Don’t make me give that up!” she had told me at our first session with a mixture of demand and fear all mixed together. After months of making other progress, she finally decided to consider: What would happen if she stopped…?
And then there is Sonya who starts her morning (before she gets out of bed) with a Facebook Fix. “How is that working for you?” I asked. After her initial somewhat defensive response, there was a very long pause. She said not only does it make her late for work almost every day, but it’s also depressing to see her friends traveling all over the place while she stays stuck. Plus the political turmoil has her stewing for hours. What would happen if she stopped…?
Susan and Peter want to medal this summer – a mission they both longed for before they met at the pool during winter break. One of the things they love about each other is their competitive drive yet both felt exhausted, run down and their recovery from practice was taking longer and longer. What would happen if they added…?
We have countless other stories from clients who needed to ask these hard but liberating questions. Beth let go of diet soda’s and her headaches were gone in three days. Sonya started writing every morning instead of doing her social media. Her manager noticed a difference in her attitude and performance and she got a raise. Susan and Peter added pre and post recovery fuel to their days plus an extra hour of sleep every night – their times in the pool are getting better and better.
Experiment:
It’s your turn now. What would happen if you started or stopped something? How would your health, life, relationship, body, work, sport or social life be different?
We’re happy to support you on this page – leave your comments so we can cheer you on. And if you need a little more, we’re happy to help you discover what and how to stop and to add.
