Did you start your year off ready to crush every last resolution on your list?
Did you hit that milestone birthday ready to tackle everything you seemingly failed at doing this past decade?
Maybe all your kids are off to school now and you swore this was time to start taking care of you again?
Now time for review.
Are you there yet? Answer honestly – have you crossed everything off your lists?
Or is the same old, same old – I’ll start next month or year? I have a lot going on, so I’ll wait until I’m 40? Or I’ll wait until the kids get a little further along in school?
If we’re being honest, most of us have stopped along the path of achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves for a variety of reasons.
I’ve been there. I’ve set all kinds of resolutions, reached milestone birthdays, and finished school myself set out to do everything I had ever dreamed of. Finally, when I reached 25 (yes, a milestone birthday), something clicked that most of the things I had set out to do were still undone. I was determined to change my path, so as a coach, I began to dissect the process in which my clients achieved their goals. Such a wide variety of genders, ages, interests, goals, and paths to get there but there was one thing in common – they were being coached. In my most successful seasons of life, I was being coached; therefore, if I was hoping to make 25 different, then I needed to find a coach (or multiple).
STOP.
Before continuing with how much a coach can change your life, I want to address the fact that this is not a sales pitch. You may not need or want me to be your health and fitness coach because you may have goals beyond my practice, health and fitness are not your areas of focus right now, or simply put, we may not compliment each other well.
What this blog is meant to do is to help you recognize how difficult it can be to move through life alone and to recognize the areas of your life where you need coaching because it WILL make a difference.
Currently, I have 7 coaches. Please know I did not wake up the day after my 25th birthday and hire all these people as coaches. I have coaches for sport (powerlifting), nutrition, business, personal finance, business finance, spiritual, and health/recovery.
If I didn’t believe in the value of a coach, I’m stubborn enough where I would do it myself. As a result, here are the biggest reasons I swear by having a coach in your life:
Consistent Accountability
- This kicks the list off because it’s THAT important. Think of all the times you set out to do something, but stopped. That’s because the only person holding you accountable to that goal was yourself, and we all know personal accountability is one of the rarest of gifts
- However, accountability is NOT holding your hand and forcing you through the process.
- A great coach is able to provide accountability through:
- Frequent and real conversations
- Open and honest communication about what is and is not working.
- Continual support so when you feel everyone else is against you, including yourself, there’s someone in your corner.
- Mutual trust in guiding you through.
- The respectful push to keep the fire lit and the belly hungry when needed.
- Better and faster results due to the mutual passion for success in pursuit of this goal.
Outside Perspective for Assessment & Adjustment
- As humans we have times where we view ourselves as the shiniest penny in the bunch yet others where we’re not even fit for currency. Typically, we are unable to appropriately assess and adjust our progress; therefore, we are in need of a coach to view us from the outside without contribution from our inner voice. Coaches are able to identify blind spots and continuously push us outside of our comfort zone for continual growth.
- The respect and trust built through accountability mixed with the recognition of your coach’s confidence and empathy throughout the process in turn helps you better understand and apply the adjustments to see best results.
Confidence & Affirmation
- One of my favorite quotes is “The only one standing in your way is you.”
- Think about all the things you’ve stopped or quit on? Aside from any major life events, why did you quit? Be honest. Because in most cases YOU are the reason. The lack of confidence and doubting of yourself fuel the voice in your head that tells you to quit.
- A coach is able to identify the moments when these limiting beliefs or thoughts begin to permeate our heads and counteract them by serving as a voice of reason. He or she is able to remind you why it is you set out on this journey and how great the end results will be. This is the person who will assist you in staying grounded and searching for more because they know what is truly important to you. A coach is the one who will affirm that this temporary hardship is a small price to pay in pursuit of the final reward.
Simplify But Educate
- More than likely when hiring a coach, you’re looking for someone more knowledgeable in the field. A good coach knows his/her stuff, and will guide you toward success. A great coach has the knowledge, but goes above and beyond to simplify information so to educate clients about why and how to repeat the process in the future. A great coach is able to expand the knowledge base of clients, by opening clients up to education and improving compliance because they understand WHY they are doing it.
Empathy & Go Giver
- Results come from more than a beautifully written program. Real, meaningful, long-term results come from a well-written program provided by a coach who will do anything to help because he or she has actually been in your position.
- They understand the humility it takes to ask for help when overwhelmed with lack of confidence and feelings of self-consciousness.
- They understand every high and low in the journey because personally they have worked through their own similar highs and lows.
Identify the area of your life where you need the most coaching, and talk with family, friends, and peers to begin the process of finding the best coach for you. If you are hoping to accomplish the goals and resolutions you’ve set for yourself, then start the search process. Find someone who fits your style and is an expert in your field. Most importantly, find someone who can help you perform at your best in life.
