My Health Journey: “Baby-Steps”

Years ago my family tricked me into watching “What About Bob?” starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. It was a hard sell. Why? Because I run hot-and-cold on Murray: Loved him in “Groundhog Day”—not so much in “Stripes.”

(They also made me watch “The Waterboy” with Adam Sandler, but that’s another story.)

Turns out “What About Bob?” is laugh-out-loud funny. Goofy. Silly. Witty. Yet sprinkled with poignant moments.

Here’s the seed of the story: An egotistical psychotherapist (Leo M. Marvin, M.D., Ph.D) is looking forward to his appearance on “Good Morning America.” One of his patients, Bob Wiley, inserts himself into the doctor’s big moment. Hilarity ensues.

My favorite visual in the movie is the fish-in-a-mason-jar that hangs around Bob’s neck. Love it. My second favorite is when Bob is tied to the mast of a boat, and yells, “I’m sailing!”—definitely a precursor to Leonardo DiCaprio's “I'm the king of the world” in the movie “Titanic.”

What does any of this have to do with my health? Everything. Why? “Baby Steps.”

“Baby Steps—A guide to living, one step at a time…” is a book written by Dr. Marvin, the character played by Richard Dreyfuss. Here’s what the fictitious doctor says about his “baby-step” psychotherapy approach:

“It means setting small, reasonable goals for yourself, one step at a time, one day at a time.”

While Dr. Marvin may be a made-up guy, the idea of “baby-steps” rings true. It’s what I’ve been going since December—and it works.

“How?” you ask.

Great question.

Here’s the short version: The program I’m on is based on a proven process that utilizes health coaches, a supportive community of like-minded individuals, and a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide. In addition, the program specifies lean-and-green meals supplemented by fortified fuelings that meet people’s nutritional needs.

In my opinion, coaching is the key. That’s certainly been true for me. My coach, Jennifer Barna Crouch, challenges me when necessary, encourages me when I need it, pokes me if I start to drift—in other words, she keeps me accountable.

Jennifer is one of the reasons I decided to become a health coach. She convinced me I should “pay it forward.” When I told her I was retired and not looking for a new career, here’s basically what she said:

“If you help just 10 people, and those 10 people help 10 people imagine the impact you’ll have on all those lives going forward.”

“Wow,” I thought.

So here I am. Sharing my health journey—thinking about how I can encourage 10 other people to start their own journey and wondering how many more lives might be affected by that decision in the future.

Until next time, take care and God bless.