Sounds funny but we may have reached a state in our lives that we need coaches for many things. It is not far away that a Wedding Planner will include ‘pre-wedding’ arrangements like doing a medical test for the bridal couple, arrange for a session by a financial planner – on how to manage your joint finances, how to be a good parent, etc.

So a health / fitness coach can be complemented by a financial coach. Let us look at the similarities.

A fitness coach will expect you to maintain a food log (google gives you many online versions), an exercise log, and a weight log. Obviously your integrity in maintaining the logs will decide on the quality of output that you get.

A financial planner will ask you for all the details of your financial assets (where you are), your financial goals (where you want to go) so that he can choose the route (financial plan).

Imagine you go to a health coach and he decides to be with you all day. Let us see one typical conversation:

Health coach: Your goals of reducing 10 kgs in one year is very good and do able.

Client: Thank you sir, that is what I wanted to hear…

HC: You will have to maintain a few logs

Client: That sounds fine as long as i enter once a month

HC: no sir – 4-5 times a day for the food log, once for the exercise log and once for the weight log

Client: Too much work to do…i guess

HC: Sir before you eat anything you should assume that I am around…and u are asking me.

Client: that sounds ok..not an issue.

Client: Please have some gulab jamuns….my wife just bought them from Jama’s at Chembur Camp…

HC: This is theproblem sir – where does this G Jamun fit into the plan? Towards which goal are you ‘eating’ this GJ?

Client: Oh..this tough

HC: yes sir. I found it difficult trying to stop clients from buying ulips, F n O accounts, 5 credit cards, traditional pension plans, etc. I could not get them to maintain proper accounts of what they were doing, so i turned to Health Coaching. Now i guess I will have to deal with gulab jamuns, chocolates, frito lays, coke, pepsi, chocolates, etc. apart from asking them to go to the gym regularly, drink a lot of water,…etc.

Client: Do you think this will be easier?

H C: well I am an optimist…so i will hope

Client: Do you think I should call you evertime something is offerred?

H C: Sir there is a Suzie Orman show called ‘Can I afford it’ …similarly you should call me

Client: What will you need to know?

HC: what are you eating, what it will do, how many calories, towards which goal is it helping…

Client: Stop! this is painful…

HC: Hmmmm what can i do …I only know financial coaching / health coaching..

Client: Ha ha ha…and you have stopped selling garbage, I believe!!