Unit 4: The Practice of Longevity Coaching¶

Chapter 4.23: Your Longevity Self-Practice¶

[CHONK: 1-minute summary]

What you'll learn in this chapter:
- Why self-practice builds coaching integrity and effectiveness
- How to use the "two hats" approach: your client self vs. your coach self
- How to complete a personal longevity assessment using Deep Health and Big Rocks
- How to design a cadence of accountability for your own health tracking
- How to walk through the 6-step coaching process as your own client
- Common self-coaching pitfalls and how to avoid them

The big idea: The best longevity coaches are the ones who practice what they teach. This chapter guides you through applying everything you've learned to your own life. Whether you're here to coach others, optimize your own health, or both, the path forward starts with you. Think of it as putting on your own oxygen mask first—you can't help others thrive at 70, 80, and 90 if you're not building those foundations yourself.

[CHONK: Why Self-Practice Matters]

Why Self-Practice Matters¶

Remember the "two hats" concept from Chapter 1.1? Throughout this course, we've encouraged you to wear both your coach hat (learning to help others) and your client hat (applying this to yourself). Now it's time to take that seriously.

Self-practice isn't optional. It's foundational to becoming an effective longevity coach. And if you're taking this course primarily for your own health, this chapter is where everything comes together.

Walk the Walk¶

There's an old saying in coaching: "You can't take someone where you haven't been yourself." This isn't about being perfect—it's about being authentic.

When you've personally navigated the challenges of prioritizing sleep over screen time, experimented with protein distribution across meals, or worked through your own resistance to strength training, you bring something irreplaceable to coaching conversations: genuine understanding.

Clients can tell the difference between a coach who's read about behavior change and one who's lived it. Your credibility comes not from having everything figured out, but from being in the arena yourself.

(If you're thinking "But I'm not a coach, I'm just here for myself"—that's perfectly fine. Everything in this chapter applies directly to you. Skip the coaching framing and focus on the personal application.)

Put On Your Own Oxygen Mask First¶

On airplanes, they tell you to secure your own oxygen mask before helping others. The same principle applies to longevity coaching.

If you're coaching clients on sleep while averaging five hours yourself, something's off. If you're recommending strength training but haven't touched a weight in years, your advice rings hollow. If you're talking about stress management while burning out, your clients will sense the disconnect.

This isn't about being a fitness model or biohacking perfectionist. It's about making genuine progress on your own Big Rocks—sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, connection—so you can speak from experience.

The beautiful thing is that working on your own longevity makes you a better coach and living longer, healthier. Two benefits from one practice.

What Clients Experience, You Experience¶

Here's something that might surprise you: the frustrations, resistance, and setbacks you'll encounter in your own longevity journey are exactly what your clients experience.

When you try to change your eating patterns and find yourself reaching for chips at 10pm despite your best intentions, you're not failing—you're learning what it feels like to be human trying to change. When you know you should exercise but find seventeen reasons not to today, you're experiencing the gap between intention and action that every client faces.

These moments aren't obstacles to becoming a good coach. They're the curriculum. Each time you navigate your own resistance, you build a deeper reservoir of empathy and practical strategies you can draw from when helping others.

[CHONK: Your Two Hats]

Your Two Hats¶

Self-coaching requires a kind of mental flexibility—the ability to shift between two different perspectives on yourself. Think of it as wearing two hats, switching back and forth as needed.

Perspective 1: Your "Client Self"¶

Your client self is the part of you that experiences the day-to-day reality of trying to change. This is the part that:

• Feels tired when the alarm goes off for that morning workout
• Experiences the pull of old habits when stress hits
• Gets frustrated when progress feels slow
• Feels overwhelmed by all the things you "should" be doing
• Has a story about why things are hard right now

When you put on your client hat, you allow yourself to feel all of this without judgment. You don't try to fix it immediately. You just notice what's true for you.

This perspective is valuable because it gives you data. What triggers your resistance? What makes change feel hard? What emotional patterns show up when you're trying to do something different?

Perspective 2: Your "Coach Self"¶

Your coach self steps back from the immediate experience and observes with curiosity and compassion. This is the part that:

• Notices patterns without getting caught up in them
• Asks questions like "What's really going on here?"
• Looks for the wisdom in the resistance
• Considers what small experiment might help
• Maintains perspective on the bigger picture

When you put on your coach hat, you bring the same skills you'd use with a client: empathy, curiosity, patience, and a focus on progress over perfection.

The key insight is that both perspectives are valuable. Your client self provides the raw experience. Your coach self helps you make sense of it and move forward.

Practice: Switching Hats¶

Let's try this right now. Think of a longevity-related behavior you've been struggling with. Maybe it's:

• Staying up too late despite knowing sleep matters
• Skipping strength training even though you know it's important
• Reaching for ultra-processed foods when stressed
• Not getting enough protein at breakfast
• Avoiding that medical checkup you keep meaning to schedule

Got one? Good.

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Put on your client hat first. Think about this frustrating behavior and just notice what comes up. Don't try to fix it yet.

What emotions do you feel when you think about this behavior? What does your inner voice say about it? ("I should be better at this," "Why can't I just do it," etc.)

What does this behavior give you? What need is it meeting, even imperfectly? (Comfort, escape, control, connection, something else?)

Now put on your coach hat. Step back and observe what you just wrote as if it came from a client.

What do you notice? What patterns do you see? What's actually going on here beneath the surface?

If this were a client, what would you be curious about? What compassionate question might you ask?

Congratulations—you just did your first self-coaching exercise. Notice how shifting perspectives changes what you see and what options become available.

[CHONK: Your Personal Longevity Assessment]

Your Personal Longevity Assessment¶

Before you can make a plan, you need to know where you're starting. In Chapter 1.4, you learned about assessment and biomarkers for clients. Now it's time to turn those same tools on yourself.

Deep Health Self-Audit¶

Remember the six dimensions of Deep Health from Chapter 1.3? Let's assess where you actually are across all of them. This isn't about perfection—it's about honest awareness.

Rate yourself 1-10 on each dimension, where 1 is "really struggling" and 10 is "thriving."

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Complete your Deep Health self-audit using the table above.

Which dimension feels strongest for you right now? What's working well there?

Which dimension feels like the biggest gap? What would improving it change for you?

If you could only improve ONE dimension, and improving it would create a positive ripple effect across the others, which would it be? Why?

Your Big Rocks Inventory¶

Now let's get specific about the Big Rocks—the foundational interventions that deliver 70+ percent of longevity outcomes (as you learned in Chapter 4.22).

Be honest. This inventory is for you.

Sleep
- Average hours per night: ______
- Consistency (same sleep/wake time): Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent
- Sleep quality (how you feel upon waking): Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent
- Sleep environment (dark, cool, quiet): Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent

Nutrition
- Protein adequacy (palm-sized portion at each meal?): Rarely / Sometimes / Usually / Always
- Vegetable intake (6+ servings daily?): Rarely / Sometimes / Usually / Always
- Ultra-processed food consumption: High / Moderate / Low / Minimal
- Alcohol consumption: _____ drinks per week

Movement
- Minutes of physical activity per week: __
- Strength training frequency: times per week
- Cardiovascular exercise frequency: __ times per week
- Daily non-exercise activity (walking, standing, etc.): Low / Moderate / High

Stress & Recovery
- Chronic stress level (1-10, 10 being extreme): ______
- Recovery practices (meditation, time in nature, hobbies, etc.): None / Occasional / Regular
- Work-life boundaries: Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent

Connection
- Meaningful relationships (people you could call in a crisis): ______
- Frequency of social interaction: Isolated / Limited / Moderate / Rich
- Community involvement: None / Some / Active

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Review your Big Rocks inventory.

Where are you solidly "good enough"? (These don't need immediate attention.)

Where are the gaps? Where would improvement have the biggest impact?

Looking at your Deep Health audit and Big Rocks inventory together, what emerges as your #1 priority? Why?

What Does Thriving Look Like for You?¶

One more assessment question—and this one matters a lot.

Close your eyes for a moment. Picture yourself at 70. Then at 80. Then at 90.

What do you want to be doing? What matters to you? What does a "good day" look like at that age?

Maybe it's:
- Playing actively with grandchildren
- Traveling without physical limitations
- Maintaining independence—no assisted living
- Staying mentally sharp, still learning and creating
- Enjoying meals with people you love
- Moving your body without pain
- Feeling present and grateful, not just surviving

There's no right answer. But getting clear on your vision of thriving—not just "not dying"—is essential. It transforms longevity from an abstract goal into something personal and motivating.

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

What does thriving at 70, 80, and 90 look like for you?

Be specific. What do you want to be doing? With whom? What capabilities do you want to maintain?

[CHONK: Building Your Cadence of Accountability]

Building Your Cadence of Accountability¶

You've assessed where you are. You've identified priorities. Now you need a system for checking in with yourself regularly—not obsessively, but consistently.

This is what we call a cadence of accountability: a planned, regular pattern of checking in with yourself about your progress.

Why Cadence Matters¶

Without regular check-ins, good intentions fade. Life gets busy. The urgent crowds out the important. And before you know it, months have passed without meaningful progress on the things you said mattered most.

A cadence of accountability doesn't require perfectionism. It requires intention. You're simply booking time to notice: What's working? What isn't? What do I want to adjust?

Sample Cadences¶

You don't need all of these. Start with what feels sustainable. A weekly 10-minute check-in is far better than an elaborate system you abandon after two weeks.

Designing Your Cadence¶

Consider:
- When? What day/time works best? (Sunday evening? Monday morning? A recurring calendar event?)
- How? Journal? App? Simple mental checklist?
- What specifically will you review? (Be concrete—"How did I do on sleep?" rather than "How am I doing generally?")

The goal is making check-ins so simple and routine that they happen automatically. Tie them to existing habits if possible. Review your week every Sunday night before you plan the week ahead. Do a monthly check-in on the first of each month when you pay bills.

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Design your personal cadence of accountability.

What frequency feels right for you to start? (Daily, weekly, monthly, or some combination?)

When specifically will you do your check-ins? What will you review?

How will you make it stick? What existing habit can you attach it to?

[CHONK: Applying the 6-Step Process to Yourself]

Applying the 6-Step Process to Yourself¶

In Chapter 1.6, you learned the PN 6-step coaching process. Now let's walk through it with you as the client.

This isn't just an exercise—it's a real plan you can implement.

Step 1: Assess¶

You've already done this. Look back at your Deep Health audit, Big Rocks inventory, and vision of thriving. That's your assessment data.

Key question: What does the data tell you? Where are the gaps between where you are and where you want to be?

Step 2: Understand¶

This step is about exploring who you are—your values, your "why," your context.

Key questions:
- Why does longevity matter to you? (Not why it should matter, but why it actually does, personally.)
- What's your story about aging? What have you seen in your family or community?
- What constraints do you face? (Time, money, energy, circumstances?)
- What's worked for you before when making health changes? What hasn't?

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Explore your "why."

Why does longevity matter to you personally? What's at stake?

What's your story about aging? How has watching others age shaped your perspective?

Step 3: Strategize¶

Based on your assessment and understanding, what's the highest-impact change you could make? Remember the Hierarchy of Longevity Needs from Chapter 4.22: Tier 1 (Foundation) first, then Tier 2, and so on.

Don't try to fix everything at once. Pick ONE area to focus on.

Key question: If you could only improve one thing over the next month, and it had to be from Tier 1 (sleep, movement, nutrition, not smoking), what would move the needle most for you?

Step 4: Test¶

Now choose ONE specific, small action you can test for the next two weeks. Not a complete overhaul—just an experiment.

Good experiments are:
- Specific: "Add 20g protein to breakfast" not "eat more protein"
- Small: Something you're 90% confident you can do
- Measurable: You'll know if you did it or not
- Time-bound: Two weeks, then evaluate

Examples:
- "I will be in bed by 10:30pm on weeknights for the next two weeks."
- "I will eat eggs or Greek yogurt at breakfast every day for the next two weeks."
- "I will do a 20-minute walk after lunch three times per week for the next two weeks."

Write your Learner's Manual.¶

Design your experiment.

What's your ONE small action for the next two weeks? (Be specific.)

On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you can do this? (If it's below 8, make it smaller.)

What might get in the way? How will you handle it?

Step 5: Observe¶

For the next two weeks, simply notice what happens. Don't judge—just observe.

• Did you do the action? (Yes/No/Partially)
• What made it easier?
• What made it harder?
• How did it feel?
• What did you notice about yourself in the process?

This is data collection, not pass/fail.

Step 6: Analyze¶

After two weeks, evaluate honestly:

• What worked? What will you keep doing?
• What didn't? What needs to change?
• What's next? Do you continue this experiment, modify it, or try something different?

Then cycle back to Step 1—reassess with new information—and keep iterating.

This process isn't linear; it's a spiral. Each cycle teaches you more about yourself and moves you closer to sustainable change.

[CHONK: Coaching in Practice - Your Own Resistance]

Coaching in Practice: Meeting Your Own Resistance¶

Let's apply the two-hats concept to a real scenario you might encounter in your own self-practice.

The Scenario¶

You've decided that improving sleep is your highest priority. The research is clear: sleep affects everything, from energy to mood to metabolic health to cognitive function. You know this.

You also know you need to be in bed by 10:30pm to get adequate sleep.

And yet, here you are again at 11:15pm, scrolling your phone, telling yourself "just five more minutes" for the fourth time.

Sound familiar?

Put On Your Client Hat¶

Allow yourself to feel what's actually happening in this moment.

Maybe there's a sense of "this is my time"—the quiet after a long day when no one needs anything from you. Maybe there's resistance to the discipline of a bedtime, a rebellion against one more rule. Maybe there's a fear of missing out on... something. Or maybe it's just habit, the automatic reach for the phone that happens before you even think about it.

The late-night scrolling isn't random. It's meeting some need, even if imperfectly.

Questions from the client perspective:
- What does this behavior give me that I don't want to give up?
- What am I avoiding by staying up?
- What feels hard about going to bed "on time"?

Put On Your Coach Hat¶

Now step back. Look at this pattern with curiosity and compassion.

What do you notice?

The late-night phone use might be about decompression—a need for mental space that isn't being met elsewhere in the day. It might be about autonomy—a reaction against feeling overcontrolled. It might be about avoiding something—thoughts or feelings that surface when things get quiet.

Questions from the coach perspective:
- What need is the scrolling meeting? Is there another way to meet that need?
- What's the smallest change that might help?
- What would it take to make the desired behavior easier and the undesired behavior harder?

The Key Insight¶

The goal isn't to beat yourself into submission. It's to understand the wisdom in the resistance and find a path forward that honors both your need for rest and whatever else is at play.

Maybe the answer is creating a wind-down ritual that meets the decompression need. Maybe it's putting the phone in another room at 9:30pm. Maybe it's acknowledging that you need more personal time earlier in the evening so you're not grasping for it at 11pm.

Be as kind to yourself as you would be to a client. You wouldn't shame a client for struggling with this. Don't shame yourself either.

[CHONK: Common Self-Coaching Pitfalls]

Common Self-Coaching Pitfalls¶

As you embark on your longevity self-practice, watch out for these common traps. (If you fall into them, you're in good company. We all do.)

The Perfectionism Trap¶

What it looks like: You've learned so much in this course that any deviation from "optimal" feels like failure. You skip one workout and spiral into "what's the point?" You eat one less-than-ideal meal and mentally give up on the whole day.

The truth: Knowledge creates pressure. The more you know about what's "right," the more opportunities you have to feel like you're falling short. But perfectionism is the enemy of progress. No one does this perfectly. The goal is consistency over time, not flawless execution.

The antidote: Aim for B+ work, consistently. An 80% adherence rate to a good protocol beats 40% adherence to a perfect one. Progress, not perfection.

The "I Should Know Better" Trap¶

What it looks like: You're a coach (or training to be one). You've read the research. You understand behavior change. So why can't you just... do the thing?

The truth: Knowledge doesn't equal behavior change. If knowing what to do was enough, everyone who's read a diet book would be at their ideal weight. The gap between knowing and doing is where the real work happens—and it's hard for everyone, including coaches.

The antidote: Be as patient with yourself as you'd be with a client. Would you expect a client to have everything figured out immediately? Then why expect that of yourself?

The Comparison Trap¶

What it looks like: You follow longevity influencers who seem to have 4-hour morning routines, perfect biomarkers, and unlimited time for optimization. You feel like you're failing because you can't match their protocols.

The truth: What you see online is curated highlight reels, not reality. Many prominent "biohackers" have made longevity their full-time job—they don't have your constraints. Your path will look different, and that's not just okay; it's necessary.

The antidote: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to someone with a completely different life. What matters is your progress, your context, your trajectory.

The Overwhelm Trap¶

What it looks like: You've identified fifteen things you want to improve. You try to tackle them all at once. Within two weeks, you're exhausted and have abandoned everything.

The truth: Trying to change everything at once changes nothing. Willpower is finite. Attention is finite. The fantasy of wholesale transformation usually ends in wholesale collapse.

The antidote: One thing at a time. Pick your highest-impact change, focus on it until it's solid, then add the next thing. Slow and steady actually wins this race.

The "I'll Start Monday" Trap¶

What it looks like: You're going to overhaul your life... just not today. You're waiting for the perfect moment—after the holidays, after this project, after things calm down.

The truth: The perfect moment doesn't exist. There will always be something. If you're waiting until conditions are ideal, you'll wait forever.

The antidote: Start imperfect. Start small. Start now. A 10-minute walk today is infinitely better than the perfect workout plan you'll start "someday."

[CHONK: Putting It All Together]

Putting It All Together¶

Let's recap what you've learned and built in this chapter:

1. Why self-practice matters: It builds integrity, provides empathy, and improves your own health—whether you're coaching others or not.

2. Your two hats: The client self (experiencing) and coach self (observing) give you two perspectives on your own journey.

3. Your personal assessment: Deep Health audit, Big Rocks inventory, and vision of thriving—you know where you stand.

4. Your cadence of accountability: A regular pattern of checking in with yourself to stay on track.

5. Your first experiment: A specific, small action you're testing for the next two weeks.

6. The pitfalls to avoid: Perfectionism, comparison, overwhelm, and waiting for "someday."

What Comes Next¶

In the chapters ahead, you'll see these principles in action through case studies of real coaching scenarios. As you read them, notice how the same challenges you might face in self-practice show up in coaching relationships.

And remember: your own longevity journey isn't separate from your development as a coach. They reinforce each other. Every insight you gain from your own practice makes you better at helping others. Every skill you develop in coaching can be applied to yourself.

This is lifelong work. You won't figure it all out this week, this month, or this year. But you can start today. You can take one small step. And you can trust that the compound interest of consistent practice will add up to something meaningful over decades.

That's the real game we're playing here: not perfection, but progress. Not optimization, but sustainability. Not biohacking, but living well.

You've got this.

[CHONK: Study Guide Questions]

Study Guide Questions¶

Here are some questions that can help you think through the material and prepare for the chapter exam. They're optional, but we recommend you try answering at least a few as part of your active learning process.

1. Why does self-practice build coaching integrity? How might your own experience with longevity challenges make you a more effective coach?

2. Explain the "two hats" concept. How does switching between client self and coach self help with self-coaching?

3. What are the six dimensions of Deep Health? Why is it important to assess all of them, not just physical health?

4. What is a "cadence of accountability" and why does it matter for long-term behavior change?

5. Describe the 6-step coaching process and how you would apply each step to yourself.

6. What are three common self-coaching pitfalls? Which one do you think you're most susceptible to, and how will you guard against it?

7. What's your personal vision of thriving at 70, 80, and 90? How does having this vision change your motivation for longevity practices?

References¶

1. Huffman DM, Schafer MJ, LeBrasseur NK. Energetic interventions for healthspan and resiliency with aging. Experimental Gerontology. 2016;86:73-83. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2016.05.012

2. Grant AM, Cavanagh MJ, Kemp T. Evidence-based coaching: Flourishing or languishing? Australian Psychologist. 2005;40(2):86-94.

3. Neff KD, Germer CK. A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2013;69(1):28-44. doi:10.1002/jclp.21923

4. Clear J. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Avery; 2018.

5. Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2010;40(6):998-1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674

6. Oettingen G, Gollwitzer PM. Strategies of setting and implementing goals: Mental contrasting and implementation intentions. In: Social Psychological Foundations of Clinical Psychology. Guilford Press; 2010:114-135.

Chapter 4.23 complete. Proceed to Chapter 4.24: Case Study — The "Young" Senior.