Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

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Identifying Your Top Values

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Deep down in your innermost being, what is important to you? What sort of qualities do you want to nurture in yourself? What do you want to stand for? How do you want to be in your relationships with others?

Values are our heart’s deepest desires for how we want to interact with and relate to the world, other people and ourselves. They are the principles that can guide us and motivate us as we move through life.

Without values, we’re a ship with no sail. We’re lost in the woods without a compass or a map.

“Values are like a compass. A compass gives you direction and keeps you on track when you’re traveling. And our values do the same for the journey of life. We use them to choose the direction in which we want to move and to keep us on track as we go.

So when you act on a value, it’s like heading west. No matter how far west you travel, you never get there, there’s always further to go. But goals are like the things you try to achieve on your journey, they’re like the sights you want to see or the mountains you want to climb while you keep on traveling west.” ~ from Act Made Simple, Dr. Russ Harris

If life feels a bit scattered + frustrating, this post is for you. It’s time to locate your compass and get clear about who you are + what you stand for + where you’re going.

When the things you do and the way you behave align with your values, you feel satisfied + content. Life is good!

When we’re not living according to our values – that’s when life feels kind of off + incoherent. And when life feels incoherent, we often turn to food (or wine or over-shopping) for soothing.

And that’s why taking the time to identify your values is essential. It’s one of the very first exercises I have my new coaching clients complete.

Below are 42 of the most common values. Read through the list and identify the values that are most important to you. Then narrow down your list to your Top 5 Values.

  • Acceptance/self-acceptance: to be accepting of myself, others, life, etc.
  • Adventure: to be adventurous; to actively explore novel or stimulating experiences
  • Assertiveness: to respectfully stand up for my rights and request what I want
  • Authenticity: to be authentic, genuine, and real; to be true to myself
  • Caring/self-care: to be caring toward myself, others, the environment, etc.
  • Challenge: to keep challenging myself to grow, learn improve
  • Compassion/self-compassion: to act kindly toward myself and others in pain
  • Connection: to engage fully in whatever I’m doing and be fully present with others
  • Contribution and generosity: to contribute, give, help, assist, or share
  • Cooperation: to be cooperative and collaborative with others
  • Courage: to be courageous or brave; to persist in the face of fear, threat, or difficulty
  • Creativity: to be creative or innovative
  • Curiosity: to be curious, open minded, and interested; to explore and discover
  • Encouragement: to encourage and reward behavior that I value in myself or others
  • Excitement: to seek, create, and engage in activities that are exciting or stimulating
  • Fairness and justice: to be fair and just to myself and others
  • Fitness: to maintain or improve or look after my physical and mental health
  • Flexibility: to adjust and adapt readily to changing circumstances
  • Freedom and independence: to choose how I live and help others do likewise
  • Friendliness: to be friendly, companionable, or agreeable toward others
  • Forgiveness/self-forgiveness: to be forgiving toward myself and others
  • Fun and humor: to be fun loving; to seek, create, and engage in fun-filled activities
  • Generosity: to be generous, sharing and giving, to myself and others
  • Gratitude: to be grateful for and appreciative of myself, others, and life
  • Honesty: to be honest, truthful, and sincere with myself and others
  • Humility: to be humble or modest; to let my achievements speak for themselves
  • Industry: to be industrious, hardworking, and dedicated
  • Intimacy: to open up, reveal, and share myself, emotionally or physically
  • Kindness and love: to be kind, considerate, nurturing, affectionate or caring toward myself or others
  • Mindfulness: to be open to, engaged in, and curious about the present moment
  • Order: to be orderly and organized
  • Patience: to wait calmly for what I want
  • Persistence: to continue resolutely, despite problems or difficulties
  • Power: to strongly influence or wield authority other others, e.g. taking charge, leading, organizing
  • Respect/self-respect: to treat myself and others with care and consideration
  • Responsibility: to be responsible and accountable for my actions
  • Self-awareness: to be aware of my own thoughts, feelings and actions
  • Self-care: to look after my health and well-being
  • Spirituality: to connect with things bigger than myself
  • Skillfulness: to continually practice and improve my skills and apply myself fully
  • Supportiveness: to be supportive, helpful, and available to myself or others
  • Trust: to be trustworthy; to be loyal, faithful, sincere, and reliable

Be sure the values you’ve chosen aren’t externally motivated or what you think you ought to value.

Do your values make you feel good about yourself? Are you proud of your top values? Would you be comfortable and proud to tell your values to people you respect and admire? Do these values represent things you would support – even if your choice isn’t popular and it puts you in the minority?

Whenever you’re faced with a decision or a challenge, stop and consider your values. I can’t begin to tell you how much easier decision making has become now that I know what my top values are.

Stop worrying about what the latest self-help guru says you need to do to be happy. Access your own wisdom instead. You already have all of the necessary ingredients for creating a fulfilling life. Go ahead and turn those ingredients into something beautiful + delicious.

XO ~Robyn

PS: Stay tuned for the next post (9/29) where I’ll show you how to put this knowledge into action.

Ready to get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life?

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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How Do We Create Happiness?

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We’re all in search of happiness.

We want happiness for ourselves, our children, our spouses, our friends…

But how do we go about creating happiness in our lives?

The question came up while listening to one of my favorite podcasts recently – and interviewee’s response was downright brilliant.

She said…

Happiness is a result of how satisfied we are about the progress we’re making toward our life goals.

Aha – not so elusive anymore.

Want to create more happiness in your life? Start by identifying your goals.

What do you want to create in your life? How do you want to be? What do you want to do?

Write your goals down.

Mine are printed out and posted on my monitor.

We can’t generate feelings of accomplishment or fulfillment if we have no idea what we want to achieve in life.

Get clear.

The good news is, we don’t have to wait for happiness.

We don’t need that promotion or new car or a million bucks in the bank.

We simply need to be making progress toward our goals. And that’s something we can bring about every single day of our lives.

Happiness doesn’t come from the accomplishment. It’s all about the journey.

Happiness is available to you right now. Go and get it.

XO ~Robyn

Ready to get off the yo-yo diet rollercoaster, make peace with food, reach your leanest livable weight and reshape your life?

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, CLICK HERE to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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Letting Go of the All or Nothing Approach to Weight Loss

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I’ve read at least three articles about abstaining from alcohol for the month of January (aka Dry January) – along with countless articles + blogs about detoxes, cleanses and of course – diets. And it’s only January 11th.

Most of my life was spent either on a diet of off a diet. Either being good – or bad. Can you relate?

Those were also the years when I was battling bulimia and hating my body – no matter what the scale said.

We live in a society that is all about extremes…

  • A month-long boot camp to punish ourselves for a sedentary December
  • A juice fast to make up too many Christmas cookies
  • Diet all week – binge all weekend

Restriction tends to have a rebound effect.

Whole 30 = ALL THE SUGAR when the 30 days is over

Dry January = “pour me another” February

Pre-cruise detox = buffet binges for 7 straight days

You get the point.

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When I talk about moderation with my clients they love the idea. But when it comes to putting moderation into practice – that’s where the REAL work begins. It’s a foreign concept to those of us who are recovering yo-yo dieters.

If we embraced moderation – all year long – we wouldn’t be so tempted by fad diets + bootcamps + detoxes.

Moderation isn’t sexy. Moderation doesn’t promise that you’ll lose 20 pounds and two dress sizes in a month. Moderation doesn’t promise flat abs or buns of steel.

What moderation can give you is freedom.

Moderation can teach you to listen to your wise body and let it guide your decisions – rather than relying on a set of external rules.

Moderation is a way out of suffering – and a first class ticket out of Extreme Land.

Your body is so very wise.

If you tune in, it will tell you when to eat and when to stop. It will let you know which foods make it feel great – and which ones don’t. It will say – hey, I’m hurting – how about we take a break from the gym today.

Swinging between extremes is exhausting and ultimately unsustainable.

Dieting is NOT a successful permanent weight loss strategy.

Before you hop on board the train to Fast February or Detox March – stop and ask yourself one simple question…

How has the all or nothing approach been working out so far?

And if you’re ready to try something new, let’s chat Chickadee.

XO ~Robyn

I’m currently accepting new private coaching clients! Weight Loss Coaching is not another fad diet or get thin quick scheme. It’s a pathway to sanity around food, a healthier you – and a more delicious life. No calorie counting required.

I work with determined + smart + courageous women who are ready to get off the diet rollercoaster – for good.

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, click here to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.

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Robyn Spurr is a Once Obese Chick, Eating Disorder Survivor, Certified Weight Loss Coach, Personal Trainer and founder of Chickadee Weight Loss. She help​​s women learn to manage their emotions without food and reach their healthy, natural weight without all the diet craziness.

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Bridging the Gap Between What You Want and What You Have

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If we want to learn a new skill, we need to create space in our lives to do the work required. There’s no way around it.

Want to learn a new language? Become a skilled cooked? Run a half marathon? Lose weight – for good?

Most anything is possible with willingness + time + effort.

My clients are always ready + willing to do what it takes. It’s the time component of the equation that tends to trip them up.

  • I don’t have enough time.
  • This other thing came up.
  • I can’t seem to fit it in.
What we tend to label as a time problem, is more often than not – a priorities problem. There is usually a discrepancy between what we want to do + what we actually do.

Here’s how you solve this problem.

Write down your list of priorities the way they are right now. In other words, what are you spending your time on?

If you’re not sure, keep a time journal for one full day so you can get a snapshot of your life. You might be quite surprised by what you uncover.

Next, write down how you would like your list of priorities to look. What do you want to be spending your time on?

What we think is most important to us and the reality of what we spend our time on doesn’t typically match up. Fascinating, right?

Now don’t skip this final step. Once you gather the information, ask yourself the following questions…

1. Why am I spending my time in this way?

2. Why do I want my priorities to be different?

The fuel that powers change is always a compelling why.

XO ~Robyn

Weight Loss Coaching is not another fad diet or get thin quick scheme. It’s a pathway to sanity around food, a healthier you – and a more delicious life. No calorie counting required.

I work with determined + smart + courageous women who are ready to get off the diet rollercoaster – for good.

To learn more about private Weight Loss Coaching, click here to schedule a free Discovery Session or email me directly at robyn@chickadeeweightloss.com.