Leadership Tips & Training Summertime Slump - We Have An App For That!

Do you feel that leading your First Place 4 Health class in the summertime is like trying to pull a wagon load of sleeping babies across a mountain?    Every leader can relate to the following two words: summer slump. What we usually see is a decrease in attendance and, as a result, a decrease in momentum. 

There are some things you can do as the fearless leader to help boost them on through the summer.  Managing your own personal productivity as a leader, as well as keeping the class motivated through the summer, is a tough challenge.  I think I have done just about everything from prizes to standing on my head!  With summer here it’s hard to shake off the slows.  We don’t need to turn off our learning power just because our schedules have relaxed a little.   Our summer classes do not have to be “ho hum.”   Summer is definitely not the time to relax our leading techniques.   This idea by far seems to be the most productive:

Introduce something new.  Something new always gets me excited – whether it’s a new pair of shoes or just a new way of looking at something.  Newness is refreshing.  I suggest you give them something new to study and something new to eat!

Something new to study.  First Place 4 Health has two new products that might be just the app you need.  The first is My Food Plan.  This is a new product that is to be used to enhance the Member’s Guide.   The My Food Plan booklet includes a two-week quick start plan with menus and shopping lists to help new members jumpstart their pursuit of a balanced diet. It brings healthy food choices within reach of anyone who is ready to change.   It also has a list of calories and tracker information per serving in most of the commonly eaten foods in each of the food groups.  That will be a great help to those who really need to know how many calories are in a serving.   In addition, it has the Top Ten ways to kick start your weight loss if you have hit a plateau.  Most everyone I know in the program has hit a plateau at some time or another.

The second new product is the new devotional Book called Better Together.  I received an email this past week from a young man sharing with me his journey and I could not say it better.  He shared, After 40 years of “ups and downs” (I’ve won every weight loss contest I ever entered) thru y’all it’s coming off. Down 50 with 50 to go. Y’all, me and Jesus are going to do it this time!  Y’all, me and Jesus is exactly what the new devotional book is all about!  Better Together is a collection of 240 inspirational readings and twelve encouraging testimonies from First Place 4 Health members around the world.  Your class members will find encouragement to nurture healthy, lasting relationships that bring glory to God and satisfy their deepest needs for fellowship. Each month of devotional readings is based around one theme central to enrich community--Love, Service, Patience, Fellowship, Compassion, Encouragement, Harmony, Forgiveness, Honor, Godliness, Prayerfulness and Obedience.  These two new resources may be just the applications you need to bust through that weight loss slump and also to revive that sense of community in your FP4H class.  Click here to order your copy now. 

Something new to eat.  I challenged my class to try one healthy new food they had been curious about and bring it to class and see if the rest of us would like it.  We had lots of new foods including cocoa dusted almonds (yum)  and a new smoothie (double yum), but hands down our favorite new food – unsweetened almond milk.   It has only 40 calories for one cup serving and twice the calcium of regular dairy milk.   – By far the winner!  Even my “picky” member loved it.    See what your class can come up with and post your new favorite healthy foods on our FB page.  I hope these ideas help get you through the remaining days of summer.  Continue to be faithful and positive as you soar through the summer – no slumping!

Be blessed,

Vicki Heath