Hey ,
I'm writing to you after watching my son's
last soccer game of the season. Long story short, they lost.
But the experience offered an unexpected lesson about
the long game of the way you attend to your wellbeing.
First, we've got to start with the referee.
He must have been in his early 70's
and donned a florescent pink jersey
that draped gently over the kyphotic curve of
his spine.
The shocking color gave him just enough
authority to match the placement of his glasses,
which were perched ever-so-precariously
on the tip of his nose as if to let us all know
just how close he was to losing his temper and
"turning this game around" or something...
At one point in the game, one of the signals he gave was
for a "direct kick," which is ultimately a chance to kick
the ball into the goal from someplace on the field.
My son was called up and made a picture-perfect
shot. We cheered, and then suddenly, my friend
uttered the words "Wait - WHUT?"
Apparently the ref's signal had been unclear. The kick
was supposed to be an indirect kick, where the
ball is supposed to be passed before the shot towards
the goal. Soccer is so flipping complicated, you all...
One kick - successful as ever, yet without merit in the
grand scheme of the game. One unclear signal, one
communication glitch and a triumph turned into just another
moment in the game. For many, this would have been a
breakdown moment as the physical skill, timing,
and sheer luck of making that shot is a once in a lifetime
event. But as I was trying to process the grief of the sudden
let down, I realized the kids had already moved on with the game.
And it hit me: what a perfect metaphor for the work I do
each day with my coaching clients. We might have a
'perfect shot' one day—a flawless day of eating well,
an incredible night of sleep—only for an 'unclear signal' or
an unforeseen glitch to seemingly negate it.
Yet, the real victory isn't in that single perfect moment,
but in our ability to shrug it off and keep playing
the game of life, day after day.
One of the most challenging (and rewarding) aspects
of coaching is helping people move through
resistance to take action towards change.
Often, the biggest resistance to taking
action is that people feel like they have to
get everything in their life - schedule,
clothes, meal plans, job, etc - perfectly organized
in order to take a step towards living in a way that
supports their health. And friends, it just doesn't
ever work that way.
What's that thing they say about life happening
while you're making plans?
The most success and even more importantly, the most
fulfillment I've ever seen clients have is when they decide
to start even though things may not be perfectly ready for
them to do so. Like with the irritable ref, the directions might not be
clear, but by taking action, they prove to themselves that
they have what it takes to do something for themselves.
My role as a coach is to help you determine which steps
move you forward in a way that is motivating, meaningful
and realistic. Sometimes, it's going to look like a picture-perfect
direct kick. Other times, it's just another day in your life. But
regardless, we keep building the consistency to play the
long game of your well-being.
If you've read this far, I'm guessing you're curious about what it might be like to work together. Or, you just like my writing style. Either way, I'm grateful and have a favor to ask:
1️⃣ If you fall into the curious category, click on this link and do some (free) "work" with me. Get a quick win that can help you make a small move forward in the area of Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, or Joy. It's totally free and you can absolutely choose more than one :).
2️⃣ If you just like my writing, hit reply and send me a 🏆 emoji. Yeah...it's a totally gratuitous ask for attention, but we all get one of those every once in a while, right?
Don't forget to scroll down for upcoming events and I hope to see some of you next week at Millennium Park!
Living Well With You, Not At You,
Coach JZ (Jenna)
Save The Dates:
Breakfast Club Reformer Class - 6/21/25
Join me for the June installment of Breakfast Club Reformer Class. Designed for the over 40 crew, in June we tackle the MAGIC CIRCLE + reformer for a fantastic partnership your legs won't soon forget! Join for a single class or for the year at a premium!
Group Pilates & Fitness Classes at It's Lit Studio:
June Schedule:
Mondays - 12pm: Pilates Matwork - all levels
6pm: Sweat and Shine
Wednesdays - 6pm: Step and Stretch (step aerobics)
Thursdays - 6pm: Pilates For Real People ( a mobility-based, inclusive class with lots of variations)
Millennium Park Workouts 
Join me for Pilates on the Great Lawn at Millennium Park in Chicago on June 14th, 2025. Class starts at 8am. Bring your own mat and water. Stay for yoga. I'll be accompanied by live music and sunshine ☀️. Please come up and say hi - I love seeing your faces!
NEW DATE - FREE Special Event: Gathering Glimmers, How To Stay Connected To Joy Through Challenging Times.
Save the date: June 18th, 2pm CST (LIVE & REPLAY Available)
During times of intense stress, seeking joy can feel like betraying the cause or a futile move altogether. But the act of gathering these moments of reprieve each day is as important to our mental health as the values and causes we support. Join me for a timely and powerful session on how we can simply play an active role in procuring joy in our day to day lives. Register Below
Weighted Vest Walk - Register Interest!
So many people have been asking me about getting started with their weighted vests that I wanted to check in with you to see if you'd be interested in doing a lakefront walk to get acclimated? We'd go early in the morning to avoid the heat in July. Hit reply to share your interest and let me know if you'd be down to walk - vest is always optional.
Get A Quick Win!
I know that sometimes you just need a little boost in the right direction. visit the link below to get a quick win in the area of nutrition, exercise, sleep or joy from me and set your holiday weekend off on the right foot! Have a great one and thanks for being here!
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