Helping clients change habits

How Do Coaches Help Clients Change Habits?

Coaches don’t do the work “for” clients, so how can coaches help clients change their habits? It takes recognition of how habit-formation works, as well as understanding what gets in the way. Most clients know what they should be doing, and it’s old habits that need examination that keep them from actually doing it. Once clients make the connection between the old habit that isn’t aligned with what they truly want, and understand the process of how to create a new habit, it becomes easier with coaching support to make lasting change.

The Reality of Helping Clients Change Habits

But before success comes…if you've coached for more than five minutes, you've probably heard a version of this:
“I know what I should be doing… I just don’t do it.”

In this episode of The Craft of Coaching, we’re diving into the art (and science) of helping clients actually change their habits. Because knowing what you want to change is one thing—but sticking with that change? That’s where most people get stuck.

We’ll explore what gets in the way of habit change and how to support clients in creating sustainable shifts—without relying on willpower or perfectionism. I’ll share practical coaching strategies that help clients understand the why behind their habits, identify what’s keeping them stuck, and design new behaviors that actually fit their lives.

We’ll also talk about how to gently disrupt all-or-nothing thinking, how to work with resistance when it shows up (because it always does), and how to anchor new habits in deeper values and motivations.

This episode is full of real talk and actionable tools you can bring into your sessions right away—so you can support clients in making meaningful, lasting changes that go beyond just checking boxes.

Want some help changing your own habits? Check out The Courage Habit.