Is Your Wellness Program Asking Powerful Questions?
“A friend” wants to lose some weight, kick the late night snack habit, stop over spending or quit smoking…the next part of the conversation typically plays out something like this: “There’s a great program for you” and likely there will be an App as a companion resource.
Historically, the pattern in health-focused organizations has been: there’s a problem, here’s a program. What we’ve learned in the past twenty plus years is that programs have start and stop points by design. It’s not bad, it just is. Programs aren’t by nature designed to be sustained over a lifetime. It’s not a surprise then that a large majority of people seeking to adapt a behavior and enter a program will start a new habit but then stop after a period of time solely due to the design of programs.
There are however “programs” that seem to be more successful in not only inspiring a behavior change but equipping the participants to sustain the change over a long period of time. What sets them apart and increases the likelihood that positive health changes are sustained? They encourage the participant to:
Set the vision: What do they want their life to look and feel like? Why are those things important to them?
Consider what they want more of: What do they want more of in their life (energy, good sleep, ability to breathe deeply, healthy relationships, etc.) and what actions/attitudes they are in control of make that more likely to increase?
Capitalize on their resources: What assets do they already have or have access to (skills, equipment, time, information, etc.) that can help the vision they set take shape? Remember, we typically have more resources than we realize at first…challenge yourself to name out the resources you have in your life. It’s a good lesson on gratitude!
It’s bigger than a program; it’s questions grounded in engaging, equipping and empowering individuals. Programs are tools that can assist in getting us on track but it’s the powerful questions that fuel us when we want to sustain our desired change.
Here’s to powerful questions that create a changed future,
Sandy
