What’s a cross between a psychologist and a mom, is less expensive than a shrink but without the guilt?

A personal coach!!

In the past, most people would think of a sports coach when they heard the term “coach”, but “personal coaching” has really taken hold recently. Why? Because it’s probably your best tool in moving you forward and getting you from where you are currently to where you want to be. If you played sports in your youth (or still do) then you know that your coach doesn’t necessarily have to play the sport as well as you do. Their job is to watch you and get you to be your best. The same applies to a business or life coach. They look at the details of your life and your business with another set of eyes, describing it to you in a way you hadn’t seen it before because you were stuck in the middle.

Hiring a good coach may be one of the best investments you’ll ever make in yourself. And I should know because I’ve invested in 3 of my own this year. So forgive me as I get personal now…..

I hired Rhonda Hess earlier this year because I was looking to make a significant jump professionally as well as financially. Rhonda excels as a coach’s coach. My purpose in hiring her was to get some “systems” in place. As a result of working with Rhonda, I “re-branded” (which included new logo, photo, website etc). I also launched a couple of new programs for clients, created landing pages, and started blogging consistently. Some of these projects were BIG and felt overwhelming most of the time. It took Rhonda’s coaching to help me break these projects down into bite-sized pieces and then plug away at them until they were done. Without her, I may have given up in the middle. A coach is valuable in helping you get past “overwhelm” and stick to things until they get accomplished!  I will forever be grateful to her for helping me take my business to a new level.

Greg Blackbourn was another coach I hired this year. Greg’s specialty is in the finance industry. But the benefits I received went well beyond just knowing what my assets & liabilities were. As part of his Freedom Fast Track Coaching (which I’ll blog about as a Resource in a few weeks) he coached me on implementing a system to build up my cash reserve for a rainy day (and because it rained a few times, it sure came in handy!) along with insurance strategies & kicking my butt to get my Trust set up and funded. Yes, all of this was very valuable, but the real value I’ve received from Greg was shifting my paradigm & mindset. Because he is a value creator, he held me to his own standard and because of his example, how I view “relationship capital” will never be the same. As a mentor, he knows my goals and assigns me to “report in” frequently on the progress I have made.  A coach like that is priceless because they not only affect outcomes and results, but also have a powerful impact on the inner core of who you are as well. Greg has been that coach for me.

Kirk Duncan, a new coach I hired just this week has already made a huge impact on my life both professionally & spiritually. We are both confident that our work (coaching) together will help me become completely congruent in presenting my message. I look forward to achieving transformational results with him as well!

So a few years ago, I was in the mindset that either I didn’t need a coach or couldn’t afford a coach. Now I continually find myself thinking: I couldn’t have done this without one. No wonder my productivity and personal development has skyrocked! Never again will I go without having 1-2 coaches/mentors in my life. My coaches have challenged me in every way. They’ve pushed me until I’ve wanted to cry (ok…I’ll be honest…until I DID cry!) They held a mirror up so I could see areas of potential growth as well as the powerful person I already was. I’ve used them continually to be honest with me, to push me, to inspire me, to challenge me & sometimes just to validate me!

What if you really can’t afford a coach? Well, you’ve probably already been coached by someone during the course of your life. Coaches seem to take on many forms: friends, clergy, parents, teachers or co-workers. What they have in common is they touched you in a way that transformed your life. A coach is someone whose task  is to make a difference in your life!

Have you ever hired a coach?  What difference has it made in your life?

I would love to hear your comments.

For more information about my services as a LifeVision Coach please go here.