Take me back five years and I would have asked this very question. Not being one, I never really got it. For me coaches were the same as trainers who came into your company to hand out print outs and force you to do role plays. Even worse I had this idea of being high fived, patronised and being given a line of quotes to send me on my way.
Now, my view is very different. Having thousands of coaching hours under my belt and having spent an eye watering amount on coaches myself, I truly understand what is it.
Coaching is an opportunity to help unstick the stuck, to cut free the not needed and to be challenged about what you are really capable of. To be asked skilled questions and set challenging exercises designed to make you think. Questions that make you think “I never really thought about it like that” or “actually why the hell have I believed that to be true all this time.” To get to the core of who you really are [that buzzy bit in you that gets lost somewhere between parenthood, financial responsibilities and building a career.) It gets you back to who you really are and what you really want and then gives you the tools to go and own it. Unapologetically and with full gusto. Plus with someone holding you accountable and who you know really cares.
Most importantly it is about the act that bringing on a coach shows you and the Universe. Its says “I am serious about change”. It’s an exchange that shows you are fully committed to your growth no matter what it takes.
As a coach, you will not be surprised to hear me say that I think everyone should have one. In fact I have two. This is not a sales pitch but a call to action for each and everyone of you. I want you to start looking at where you need help and encouraging others to do the same, to think about getting someone with proven results to help you work through the blocks you may have become so closely committed to that you didn’t even realise they were there. Is it uncomfortable getting coached? Do it right and it is. It’s like going to a gym for the mind, it’s about being called out on your own bullsh*t and it is about true transformation outside the world you have created for yourself. It’s about coming out the other side totally transformed and having a skillset you can use for the rest of your life.
I have coached all sorts of people - skeptics, people whose other halves have forced them to do it, companies who have cajoled their employees to do it, sports professionals who have seen sports psychologists and still had blocks, those who have come from a place of intrigue and hopeful optimism and those who despite years of counselling felt they had no choice. Whatever the reason it doesn’t matter - I am always proud of them that they did it. I know it’s not comfortable but coaching is a call to action, a call for change, a raising of your consciousness and it works. So whether you find your coach in a book, in person, or online - give it a go. The results might just amaze you.
My tops 5 tips when looking for a coach:
Pick someone you feel a connection with - someone who you feel you get on with but would give you a motivational boot if you needed it [in a loving way of course!]
Pick someone who has done what you want to do - someone who has taken the path you want to take and can share their do’s and do nots that they have learnt along the way
Read their testimonials - what do people say about them? What are their success stories? Do you want to be like the people you read about?
Have a discovery call - speak to someone before you work with them. Ask them lots of questions and make sure they are interested in you
Don’t pick your coach based on price - pick on fit and what they can offer you. Good coaches are expensive for a reason so go with your gut about how you feel they can help you
Finally, these are some of my favourite coaching reads to get you on your way:
Jen Sincero - You are a Badass and You are a Badass about money [funny, truthful and very insightful about how dropping £85k on her first coach transformed her life]
Carrie Green - here how she became a 7 figure entrepreneur and her top tips for transforming the way you view your mindset and business
Harv Eker - Secrets of the Millionaire Mind [honest, insightful and motivating based on his experience of becoming and working with successful business men and women]
Dean Graziosi - Millionaire Success habits - moving, life affirming and full of some wonderful exercises
