Coaching is now part of my monthly budget, in perpetuity. Beyond the expenses related to basic needs (food, water, shelter), it’s the most important recurring purchase I make, and it’s not close. Calling it a purchase isn’t accurate—it’s an investment; an investment in myself. And given the impact it has had on my life, it’s the most sensible, as well.
Here’s why I work with a coach and will continue to in perpetuity:
Identifying my blind spots
My coach helps me to take a step back and see things I can’t on my own. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details of our own lives and the stories we make up in our heads.
We make so many judgments and derive so many habits and beliefs from our upbringing and the environments in which we grew up in that we never question because it’s all we’ve known. So, we might not consider whether it’s truly what we believe, what we want, or whether it serves us. A coach brings awareness to this and lets you question those beliefs and habits.
Things I thought were just “who I was,” I learned were more a function of how I was raised and the experiences I had, and as a result, realized they could be changed. That piece, alone, opened doors for me that I didn’t even know were there.
A clear focus on what I want and how to get there
Through coaching, I clarify what’s most important to me, personally and professionally, and turn it into daily, weekly, and/or monthly actions or intentions. I’m certain this is something I could not and would not do on my own.
· I wouldn’t block off the time.
· I wouldn’t follow through with it.
· I wouldn’t keep asking myself open-ended questions to peel back the layers until we get to the root of the issue as my coach does.
Coaching gives me a clear focus. Beyond all of the awareness it evokes and the deep work we do, it provides me with guardrails as I navigate things, always keeping me on track. I know what I want, and the actions I want to take to make it a reality.
A unique relationship
With a coach, you can speak openly and honestly and are free from any judgment. You can be vulnerable. You can fully express yourself and be heard. My coach doesn’t have an agenda, so he’s not giving advice or providing me with a set plan based on what he thinks is right. He offers up insights and observations, but if they don’t resonate with me, I always have the opportunity to say that and move on.
The best part is after you’ve fully expressed yourself openly and honestly, you don’t stop there. You then take the incredible realizations and “AHA” moments and put them into action in your life.
A growth mindset without the burnout
Working with a coach helps keep me with a growth mindset, but at the pace I choose, so I can avoid the burnout of pushing too hard. Further, I decide the actions I want to take and the things I want to focus on, so it’s always something that I find meaningful and want to do. I build a “want-to” list, as opposed to adding to a “to-do” list that’s already too long. As a result, there’s effort involved, but it’s exciting and doesn’t feel like “work.”
Having something to work towards that I choose, no matter how small, brings an added level of excitement to each week. I look forward to sharing my progress with my coach, even when I stumble or things didn’t go as planned.
Having a partner in the process
With a coach, I have someone who is “in it” with me. I have a genuine partner who cares as much about what matters to me as I do. He supports me with encouragement and accountability, and we anticipate what might “get in the way” and address it.
Simply put, for me, working with a coach is so much more effective and enjoyable than if I were to do it on my own.
Enjoying the moment: Acknowledging and celebrating successes
My coach and I celebrate my progress, growth, and accomplishments. It adds excitement to each week, knowing, that no matter how small it was, I was working towards something important to me.
It’s easy to gloss over this part, but I’ve come to realize this plays a big part in enjoying life. It creates greater awareness and appreciation for your accomplishments and the accomplishments of those around you (the bigger ones and the everyday type). You then take the time to acknowledge, celebrate, and enjoy them, which not only impacts you but all of the people around you, as well, creating a beautiful cycle.
In closing, if I only had one sentence to explain why I work with a coach it would be as follows:
If I step back and think about the approach that gives me the best opportunity to be the best version of myself—the version I want to be, it involves me working with a coach.
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