Yes coach!
There are two things that can change your life – the books you read and the people you meet.
But if you want a real breakthrough in a particular area of your life, combine the two and getting yourself a coach.
I’ve always invested heavily in my professional and personal development but took the DIY approach for as long as I can remember. I love working on my own – it’s faster, I learn more, and it’s more satisfying to know that I did it all myself.
But sometimes, you can’t do it all by yourself.
Or maybe you can but it will take you 10x as long.
This year I decided to explore the coaching route to save myself some time, and lighten the load a bit.
It started with needing a personal trainer for my cycle-2-physical-challenge after my underwhelming results during cycle 2. It was CLEAR that I needed to change my approach.
Enter Kate. Kate calls me once a week on a Friday to ask me how my week of training went.
That’s all.
She doesn’t write my training program.
She doesn’t shout at me during my workouts.
She doesn’t tell me to eat birdseeds instead of actual food.
She just calls me once a week and asks me how I’m going.
If I’ve had a great week, she’s excited for me. And if I didn’t hit my targets she empathises with me and holds space for me to figure my shit out.
After my great progress with Kate 1, I realised I needed more help.
So I found Kate 2 on google. Kate 2 is classical ballet coach, and honestly, I cannot believe that I get to work with such an exceptionally qualified, talented and accomplished dancer.
Kate 2 and I have had one session so far, and we will probably end up meeting once every fortnight.
Then the fates intervened and gave me an opportunity to work with Rebeca.
Rebeca is helping me with my professional development and I have been wanting to work with her for over 2 years now.
Rebeca and I meet once a month and she checks in with me most weekdays to ask me how I’m going.
The check ins are so valuable to me – a recovering lone wolf whose default state is one of isolation and secrecy. It’s so nice to know that I don’t have to do it all alone.
Rebeca is also an energetic supercharger. Energy is contagious and she helps me recharge and power up after our meetings with renewed focus.
She is also a tiny entity that sits on my shoulder asking me if what I’m doing is really essential to moving forward, or if I’m just spinning my wheels because I don’t want to do the thing I’m supposed to. Can I really not do this thing I’m avoiding? or am I just making excuses?
So, I have 3 coaches now, and I am scouting for one more to help me with cycle-2-physical-challenge.
Yes, I probably could have figured out this stuff on my own if I had an extra 10 years to spend working it out, but why struggle on your own when so much help is available?
Don’t be a martyr. If there is an area of your life you have made zero progress in year after year, it’s time for your ego to admit defeat and ask for help from someone.
“If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together”
Get out of your own way - we’re all waiting for you to get on with it and do your thing.