Only professionals have Coaches
Years ago someone asked me, “what’s the difference between amateurs and professionals?” The answer: Professionals have coaches. I remember thinking, ‘yeah, that’s true, but they have coaches because they are professionals. But what if it’s the other way around, what if they are professionals because they have coaches? What if having coaches who consistently help them to perform at a higher level is what got them to where they are? Should you hire a coach?
Imagine an area or your life that you want to get better in. Maybe it’s your health, or your job, maybe it’s relationships. Should you hire a coach? Imagine if you had an experienced guide in that area who can listen to you, understand what you are trying to do, help you to take the right actions and help keep you accountable. What benefit could that have for you in your life?
What if I had followed my instinct?
I remember when I started my first business. I had no idea what I was doing, I knew I needed help. My instinct was to hire a business coach, but I had a flurry of emotions that held me back. I actually interviewed 3 business coaches, but didn’t hire any of them. Looking back, I think it was my ego that got in the way. I thought, “what do they know that I don’t know, I can figure this out, they are charging too much”. The truth is I was scared. I know now, that I would have benefitted from having a coach, even a bad coach could have helped me. Yes, you can figure it out on your own, but chances are it will take you longer and you won’t make it as far on your own.
Find a coach with a good B.S. meter
A good coach can help call you out on your B.S., prioritize your actions and keep you accountable. It’s so easy to lie to ourselves, make excuses, say things that sounds nice, but don’t mean anything. Having a coach who can call you out on your B.S. is priceless. We often sabotage ourselves. We think, I want to start a business, but first I need to read all these books and get an MBA.
What we are doing is just procrastinating. You don’t need to know everything about business to start a business. You just need to have a long term vision of what you are getting into and have some faith that it is viable and then you need to know the next step you need to take to realize it and take that step and the next and the next.
Preparation or Procrastination?
Yes, you should read books, go to seminars, take classes to prepare but that shouldn’t stop you from taking action and moving forward. Your coach isn’t going to play the game for you, but they will help prepare you to play, they will help you make better decisions and they will keep you accountable. My instinct in the beginning was to hire a coach, but I questioned it and hesitated. Even if your coach does nothing more than hold you accountable.
Imagine if you just hired someone to write down the things you say you are going to do and then every week they check in with you and say, ‘you said you were going to do this, this and this, did you complete everything? Why or why not, what are you committing to complete by next week?’ even if that person knows nothing about you or your business, having that accountability and knowing that someone is tracking your commitments will help you make progress.
You are worth the Investment
When I told myself that the coach was too expensive, what I was really saying is that I wasn’t worth the investment, ouch. You have so much untapped potential, invest in yourself! Imagine where you would be if you just followed through more on your instincts. A good coach will be able to help you refine and prioritize your plan and connect you with resources that will help propel you forward even faster. If you are wondering if you should hire a coach, then the answer is probably yes.
Should you hire a coach?
I am a big believer in having coaches. Right now, I have a few coaches that I am working with now and they all help me on different projects. I have made so much more progress than I would have made on my own. They have helped me to focus and prioritize and stay accountable to what I’ve committed to. Their expertise and insight is invaluable. If you are serious about building a business or improving any area of your life, I highly recommend you work with a coach.
Where to start
There are so many great coaches available online these days, but it can be difficult to figure out who is right for you. They say that when the student is ready the teacher appears. That is basically how I found my last coach. I was seeking mentors and beginning to develop a list of people who I wanted to follow and learn from. Just as my list was getting out of control my teacher appeared. I stumbled on a video of Jeff Lerner. I started watching more of his videos and found out that he has a great entrepreneurial education series and a great coaching program. You can learn more from the link below.
