When I meet a new person and they ask what I do – I can see it in their expression – “Why would I need a COACH?” Yes, I am a Business AND Life coach. According to the National Post: “Coaching is the second-fastest growing profession in the world, rivaled only by information technology.” What that doesn’t highlight is that both business and life coaching have been helping people succeed for decades.
No one wakes up in the morning saying to themselves – “Yep – I need a coach!”. What it might look like instead is that someone needs help:
• Even knowing what their dream is,
• Improve the quality of their life,
• Find the love of their life,
• Reaching their goal – finally,
• Finish something – cross that finish line that you just can’t seem to,
• Have someone to support their transition and transformation
• Have a clear, proven process that can apply to any BIG goal they have,
• Decide to play Full out,
• Accountability,
• Lose the weight,
• Learn to start trusting themselves again and build a powerful self image
I could keep going, but you get the point. As a coach, I help people move away from their limiting beliefs that they have been telling themselves for a long time, and to realize that they can have and create the life that they want. The person sitting next to you did NOT get a secret to life that you didn’t. But they probably have a high sense of self-esteem, purpose and belief system.
SO how does a coach show up in your life? We can see the bigger picture of who you are, what is possible for you – and believe and see that you have already made it. People, in general, do not have the ability to see the next level or have any idea how to get there. I believe that my clients CAN do it, in fact it is an expectation that they reach their potential. How would you feel to have someone treat you as if you are already there? I often encourage clients that if they can’t believe it yet – believe in my belief.
IF you want to make something happen but have not been able to; consider a coach. In school we did not learn the skills that we need to succeed in business. It is understanding how to hold a vision and the responsibility model that will help you get there. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of motivational videos out there – and all have the same core understanding that YOU can have the life of your dreams. I find that alone can frustrate someone – because they don’t know HOW. DO you see others succeeding and wonder why you aren’t? That is the person that NEEDS a coach (but doesn’t know that).
Coaches are accountability holders. Accountability is both positive and negative. Accountability is explaining what you did (the action). For example, if you are wanting to be healthier, going to the gym is important. If the expectation is that you go to the gym – you are accountable for that – it is your responsibility to do the thing that you need to do and go every day.
Coaches are also there to help you transform and transition your life. How do you get to that next level? Not a step in the right direction – but that quantum leap (10x your income versus a small raise).
Sports is a great example of the benefit of coaching. Have you ever looked at the number of coaches for any sport? Let’s look at football – we all know there’s the head coach, but the average for a team is 15 assistant coaches. While the head coach oversees all of the coaches, there are specific roles (special teams, quarterback, defense, offense, strength & conditioning). Does that surprise you? Maybe you’re thinking why would that player, who earns millions of dollars – need a coach? Imagine if the players were left to their own training – can you picture that? Not everyone is going to know what to do – because it is not TAUGHT to them in school. Do you think they woke up one day and became a great player? You hear the stories about the commitment to practice each and every day to become better. Maybe YOU should make that commitment.
Warren Buffett, who has built his long-term wealth to over $80 Billion lives by a set of values to make life decisions. He is a HUGE proponent of investing in yourself. Consider these famous quotes of his:
“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”
“In the world of business, the people who are most successful are those who are doing what they love.”
“You know… you keep doing the same things and you keep getting the same result over and over again.”
“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”
“I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business.”
Maybe YOU will wake up tomorrow and decide – “You know what – I DO need a coach!”