Have you ever felt like you could use a little extra push to reach a goal? Or how about a little guidance to help you construct a plan to reach that goal? We all have. In fact, as children we were always looking to teachers, parents, and friends for help, coaching, and guidance. Now that we’re adults, we seem to have given up that practice. If you look at people who are the best at what they do, whether it’s athletes, artists, or business people, they all get coaching in one form or another. People like Tony Robbins have helped create an entire industry of coaching and yet many people still think he’s a charlatan.
I’m here to tell you that whether you choose Tony Robbins, a therapist (definitely a form of inner coaching), or your personal trainer, coaching is absolutely a way to help you improve your well-being.
I’ve done a fair bit of coaching myself and guided people through conquering their fear of handstands, ultra marathons, 100+ mile mountain bike races, and just plain old living better lives through mindfulness. While I didn’t think of myself as a coach until recently, I wanted to share a few things for you to begin coaching yourself to your next level. If you’re self motivated, it’s a great place to start. If you notice stagnation or want to continue to push the limits, then you know it’s time to hire a coach.
A great article from the New Yorker back in 2010 entitled, Personal Best, Atul Gawande writes about coaching for surgeons and how it’s such a rare thing, but should absolutely be a regular practice. It also refers to coaches as “outside eyes and ears.” Regardless of what you want, there are a ton of tools on the internet to get started. Here are just a few recommendations.
Decide
Choose what it is you want coaching on. These days people will help you with just about anything. My niche is fitness and mindfulness in life and at work. My wife is healthy eating and cooking coach. Other folks are financial coaches, business coaches, and tennis coaches. The list is endless. The first thing you must do is decide what you want coaching on.
Choose a Goal
The next step is choosing a goal that you want to move toward. In the beginning, don’t worry so much about whether or not you think it’s possible. Climbing Kilimanjaro may not seem possible, but if you get it down on paper and begin crafting your plan, it will happen. It does take focus and work, but most goals are accomplished with proper planning and coaching.
Create a Plan
I’ve watch so many people flail around their lives without direction, yet they complain about what they don’t have. If they would simply increase their focus and commitment, I’m sure they would begin to achieve a much better quality of living. This is where the plan comes in. A plan helps you breakdown all the little things that go into accomplishing your bigger goal. Back to the Kilimanjaro climb or any mountain you decide to go up, if you don’t pack properly, train well, and take care of your health, you probably won’t make it to the top.
Execute
Remember, people at the height of their careers, in sports, music, art, business, politics, and so many other areas hire coaches. Don’t you think you’re worth hiring a coach to help you reach that most awesome version of yourself? If you need help, I’m happy to point you in the right direction or work with you if we’re the right fit for each other. Good luck on your journey!
Photo credit unsplash.com
Originally published on the author’s website.
