I’m not perfect.
Just like you, I have my issues and idiosyncrasies.
I have certain exercises that make me groan when I remember I put them in my workout. Lunges or burpees for example. I would never, however, ask a client to do an exercise that I wouldn’t. So I do them.
I don’t like the yolk in hard-boiled eggs. It has nothing to do with nutrition; I just don’t like the taste. So when I make hard-boiled eggs, down the disposal they go.
Running is very hard for me, both physically and mentally. I envy those who can go long distances. I want to improve my 5K time, but have a hard time ever seeing myself going farther than that.
I love cheese. I’ve made myself sick eating too much cheese. Not recently of course, but I also make it a point to stay away from places where cheese is free and abundant. I rarely go to open houses or wine tastings anymore for this very reason.
We are all human. I don’t expect perfection from my clients. Again I don’t ask anything of them that I am not willing or able to do myself. Since I’m not perfect, I don’t expect them to be either. What I do expect is progress.
It doesn’t have to be quick but it does have to be consistent. I expect them to take the tools I give them and work with them. I expect them to look honestly at themselves and be honest about their issues and idiosyncrasies too.
Once you own your “flaws” then you can deal with them, just like I deal with mine. I make a conscious decision not to eat a lot of cheese. I still eat cheese, just in moderation. I don’t enjoy burpees but I know how effective they are as an exercise so I make a conscious choice to do them because I enjoy the benefits after. By being aware, we can take control.
No one is perfect, not you or me. But we can know ourselves well enough to take control and move forward. It’s a journey, a process, and you have to keep moving forward one step at a time.
