A More Perfect Q & A with Paul Fishman @paulfishman: Self Love Guru and Coach

With the new year quickly approaching and the idea of new year’s resolutions sneaking up on us, we decided who better to talk to than our friend Paul Fishman? Paul of @paulfishman, is a self-love guru & coach and has a whole method around creating attainable goals for yourself that fit perfectly into this coming season. Follow along as Paul takes over our Instagram account for our A More Perfect Series and shares his P.A.U.L. method to make this next year your very best (and loving) yet!

In the meantime, we go to sit down with Paul and learn a little bit about the man behind the ‘gram.

Let’s start with your own health story – what has it been like?

My health and wellness story started back in 2012 when I finally decided to make myself a priority. Before that, I was the epitome of a people pleaser with a toxic relationship with food and fancy shoes. I sacrificed my truth to make others happy and it didn’t work out for anyone. At rock bottom, I was 75 pounds overweight, closeted, in financial crisis and working a job that didn’t serve me.

Fast forward almost 7 years and I’ve lost the weight, I’m living my dream life and most importantly have the opportunity to inspire so many others to do the same!

What has been the biggest challenge turned lesson you’ve learned along the way?

I kind of touched on this already, but my biggest challenge was realizing that I was truly worth the life of my dreams. I was so resistant to my own happiness and had conditioned myself to be comfortable in my own misery. The reality of the matter is that the moment I decided to honor me, ask for what I wanted from myself and believe that I was truly worth it was the moment everything changed. I learned that through pain we can find purpose and that lesson has been the most valuable one I’ve learned in my life so far.

As a self-love guru, tell us, what is your favorite thing about yourself?

I love my innate ability to create a safe space for people. I really value the warm and welcoming demeanor that I possess. That warmth makes people genuinely feel honored, heard and valued.

What is your number one piece of advice for setting attainable goals for yourself?

Drop the expectations. Goals are amazing tools to help drive success, however, when we get lost in the expectation that it has to happen a certain way, manifest in a set time period or look a certain way we end up creating more harm than good.

In other words, give yourself permission to be on the journey. You can literally have anything you want, it just might not happen the way you planned, and that is ok!

What is your must-do self-care practice that helps you stay balanced with your busy schedule?

No cell phone for at least the first 15 minutes of my day. If I don’t follow this rule I am a  hot anxious mess.

And finally, what is your favorite Perfect Bar?

Chocolate Walnut Brownie FTW yasssss!