There's one reason why coaching won't work for you.
Coaching isn’t for everyone and from those who do jump into the coaching journey, only a handful will reap its full benefits. There’s a simple reason for this:
If you can’t see yourself making the necessary changes FOREVER, it probably won’t work for you for very long.
How many people do you know that have invested in coaching programs, events and self-help books for a range of topics from weight loss, relationships, career growth and self development? A lot. You might be one of those serial coaching program consumers. Many people join these programs hoping that the changes they may feel and see along the way will motivate them to commit to the program! It’s the typical ‘try and then buy’ kind of mindset. Unfortunately, this won’t work for you for the long term. The weight loss never sticks. The relationship goes back to its crappy status and your new job honeymoon period ends leaving you with the familiar sensation of dread. Why is that?
It’s because you were never committed to the long term changes you are going to have to make, in your mindset and behaviours, for this life change you are seeking to come to fruition. Read that again.
Coaching is only about helping you make the necessary shifts in your thinking and your actions which will bring you changes in your life. There’s no magic to it. Success will depend highly on the union of a skilled coach and a committed you. That’s it!
So, before you jump into another coaching or change program of any kind (new year resolutions are coming fast), do your homework first. Make sure you are ready for this investment of time and money by asking yourself these 3 questions:
How much do I want this change in my life on a scale of 0 to 5 (0 being not at all and 5 being I’m all in)? If your response is anything below a 5, you’re not ready to invest yet.
If you rated yourself 3 to 4, then ask yourself - what is holding me back from being all in? (e.g. Finances, time, effort, kids, emotions such as fear or anxiety, lack of information about the program…etc)?
From your responses to number 2, now ask yourself - what do I have to do to ensure I deal with the above first so that I can commit to this change program completely? A great way to do this is to list all your responses to number 2 and next to each, write down what needs to change for this to be taken care of.
E.g. Time - I need to find 3 hours on Saturday morning to attend the class
Your very next step is to take care of your responses to number 3. This might require you to make some adjustments to your schedule or it might require you to reach out for some assistance with those specific tasks, such as asking for help from a family member or seeking out professional help. If you don’t attend to these first, the change program you are about to commit to will encounter these same obstacles. There is a high chance these obstacles will then delay or derail your progress in the program.
What happens if your score was below 3 on the scale? It’s a good indication that there are a few other more important items for you to focus on before this program. So I suggest you park it for now until it becomes a little clearer for you.
Investing into any change program to improve the quality of your life, is a worthwhile investment. For you to reap its benefits completely, take the investment in yourself seriously. Make sure you prepare yourself and your environment for the shifts you are about to make. You will find that by preparing in this way, your outcomes will meet, or even, surpass, your expectations.
