Can You Tell Me What to Do?

“Can You Tell Me What to Do?” 

It's a question that comes up often in my coaching sessions, and one I can relate to myself.

What exercise regimen should I follow to get fitter? 

What habits can I learn from highly productive people?

Sometimes the goal is related to exercise or nutrition. Other times it’s about stress, sleep, consistency, feeling stuck, or trying to take better care of health in the middle of a busy life.

There are definitely situations where advice is helpful, especially when you’re learning something new or trying to get quick results. But when it comes to making lifestyle changes that last, advice alone doesn’t always lead to sustainable change. 

We have access to a lot of information today through books, social media, podcasts, and conversations. But having access to information, or even knowing what to do, doesn’t necessarily mean it applies easily to your own life.

Knowing vs Doing

That’s where health coaching takes a different approach.

It’s not about providing information on what worked for me or someone else. A ready-made plan might look good on paper, but it often runs into friction once real life gets in the way. The challenge is often not just knowing what to do, but closing the gap between knowing and doing.

That usually starts with paying attention and creating awareness, understanding what works for you and, just as importantly, what doesn’t, in the context of your schedule, priorities, interests, and everyday life.

From there, the focus shifts to identifying small actions that feel realistic and repeatable. Real change tends to happen when those small actions are practiced consistently over time.

And those steps are rarely the same for two people.

Advice vs Lasting Change

So when someone asks me, “Can you tell me what to do?”, I have to be careful not to default into advice-giving mode.

Because lasting change usually doesn’t come from being told what to do. It comes from figuring out what will actually work for you, and building from there.