One of the first questions I ask my clients is:
“What’s your ideal day?”
Not because I expect them to say “Wake up in the Maldives and sip margaritas,” but because most people haven’t been asked to think about it. Not realistically, anyway.
After almost a decade of coaching, I’ve noticed something consistent — people don’t just lack systems. They’ve lost the belief that they can be the one designing their life. That their days can be intentional — not just built around obligation.
I recently asked a client this very question, and the conversation stuck with me:
Me: “Okay, describe your ideal day — don’t overthink it. Just what comes to mind.”
Client: “Hmm… I’d wake up naturally. No alarm. Go for a walk or do a workout. Make coffee, sit with it, maybe journal. Work for a few hours. Get a lift in. Cook dinner. Be home by 6.”
Me: “That sounds amazing — and totally doable.”
Client: laughs “Yeah but… that’s not real life.”
Me: “Why not?”
Client: “Well, I’d feel guilty if I was home in the morning and not at the studio or doing something productive.”
Me: “There it is. So it’s not that you can’t have that day… it’s that you won’t let yourself.”
That hit something real for both of us.
She wasn’t saying she didn’t have the time. She was saying she didn’t feel allowed to use her time that way. And that’s what I see over and over again.
People don’t just lose sight of their routines — they lose sight of their power.
They feel like if their day isn’t packed with productivity, they’re failing.
And so the things that really matter — movement, meals, rest, peace — get bumped to the bottom of the to-do list, if they make the list at all.
And I get it. I used to wake up at 4:30am every day just to feel like I was staying ahead.
Now? I still do early mornings… but only two days a week.
The other five? I’ve designed to reflect my ideal rhythm — time to move, time to eat, time to think. Not because I “earned it,” but because it matters.
The difference is, I allowed myself to shift the standard.
And here’s where it connects to training, nutrition, and recovery:
- If you want consistency with your workouts — it won’t happen until you build the time.
- If you want better nutrition — you have to slow down long enough to prepare or plan.
- If you’re running on empty — you need to rest, not just push through.
You don’t need a 6-month plan. You need to reclaim your day.
It’s not about perfection — it’s about non-negotiables.
The ones that make you feel good, functional, and grounded.
And when those go missing, it’s usually not because life is impossible — it’s because you don’t believe you’re allowed to make them a priority.
So when I ask “What’s your ideal day?”
I’m really asking: What would your life look like if you actually gave yourself permission to live it?
If you’re ready to stop operating from guilt, overwhelm, and burnout — and finally start showing up for the life you actually want — that’s where coaching comes in.
Not to give you more to do.
But to help you simplify, strip it back, and finally build a system around you.
You don’t need to change your whole life.
You just need to believe that it’s yours to create.
