Stop for a moment and think about your favorite sports teams.
Picture the best moment you’ve had watching them play. Relive their biggest accomplishment during your fandom.
It might be a championship victory. It might be a miraculous comeback. It might be a decisive win over their bitter rival.
Whatever the moment happens to be, I can confidently say that it probably features at least one key ingredient…
A memorable coach who led your team to that moment of glory.
Now ask yourself—how far would your team have gotten without a coach?
Would they have thrown in the towel after having a couple of bad games? Would they have lost sight of their vision and goal for the season? Would their talent have been squandered in the absence of a steady hand to guide it?
In the overwhelming majority of cases, I think the answer is yes to all of these questions.
The best coaches have experience, can manage the team, and serve as visionaries—they are the glue that holds the team together.
This isn’t unique to sports. If Apple hadn’t brought back Steve Jobs as CEO in 1997, do you think they still would have rallied to become the world’s most valuable company?
We all recognize the value coaches and leaders bring to sports teams and businesses, yet for some reason we tend to totally overlook the value they can bring to the most critical area of all: our own lives.
Without the guidance of a personal coach, you are greatly limiting the results you will get in life.
That’s why society’s highest achievers almost always have coaches. They understand that the right coaching can double your production AND results in every aspect of life, so they take it very seriously.
Sadly, millions of people who could greatly benefit from hiring a coach fail to do so.
Why? Because they trick themselves into believing at least one of three lies about hiring a coach.
The 3 Lies Keeping You from Finding a Coach
1. “It’s not for me.”
Remember when I said that society’s highest achievers almost always have coaches? There are two ways to interpret that statement:
- People hire a coach because they have achieved great success.
- People have achieved great success because they hired a coach.
Which one do you believe?
If you fall into the trap of believing #1, you are likely to believe that you’re not “ready” for a coach. Over and over again, I discover this to be the reason most people considering hiring a coach decide not to.
Which is a shame when you realize that it’s actually #2 that is the most common scenario—people usually make the leap from good to extraordinary due in large part to a coach’s help. Great coaching is much more often the cause of success than the effect of success.
So, since you are a cool person, I want to make sure you have a coach—and want to make sure you are very careful when you pick one out. Regardless of the kind of results you are getting right now, working with a coach will increase those results substantially—maybe even DOUBLE them.
2. “I don’t know what to look for.”
Have you listened to a motivational speaker before? I have and I’m sure you have too.
Their goal is usually to give you something emotional that can fire you up—they tell you that you can do anything you set your mind to and obvious stuff like that.
That isn’t a bad thing, but the best speakers give you something real you can take away that fires you up. They teach you something you can use to measurably improve an aspect of your life.
This is the #1 thing you should look for in a coach—someone who gives you things you can take and actually use in your life, rather than one that simply gives you emotional fuel.
Emotional fuel is abundant and burns quickly. Trust me—you can find it on your own with a little effort.
You don’t want a coach who is always panning for gold—hoping to stumble upon a nugget of useful information that can help you (in the midst of a pep-talk).
Yes, there are other factors that should be considered when picking a coach—relatability, their availability, their price—are still important, but this should be considered above all else.
Finding a coach:
First, I would make a list of the people in your business whom you are already following and admiring. The best way to acquire wisdom is to seek it from those who have successfully done what you want to do. See if they have a coaching page on their website. Send them an email. Ask.
Ask others you know if they’ve had any experiences with a coach. Do Google searches for coaches in your field. I promise they are out there.
Usually, if you are interested in a coach and they are interested in working with you, there will at least be some type of call to feel out the relationship and see if you will work well together. Do several of these until you find the one that clicks.
3. “I can’t afford one.”
Next to thinking, “It’s not for me,” the biggest mistake most people make about coaching is thinking it has to start with a formal relationship.
It doesn’t.
In fact, you don’t even have to start with a person! Some of the best “coaches” I’ve ever hired cost less than $20, never spoke a word, and lived on my nightstand.
Yes, I’m talking about books. 🙂
While it’s true that personalized feedback and guidance from a coach is hard to beat, it’s also true that seeking wisdom in the pages of time-tested books can take you very far.
I’ve also been pleasantly surprised to discover how valuable coaching resource podcasts have become. After recording over 250 episodes of my own, I’ve heard from enough listeners to know that regularly tuning into a helpful podcast really can make a difference in your life. And the best part is there are hundreds of great ones out there you can listen to 100% free.
Use these kinds of resources to give yourself a leg up until you can afford to hire a coach. And take them seriously! Schedule time to read great books (early in the morning is a great time to get this done). Stop listening to the radio and turn on a podcast.
Make a habit of seeking wisdom and you will be surprised at the number of “coaches” you’ll start to notice that are already at your fingertips.
Hire a Coach and Double Your Results
You are limiting yourself if you don’t have a coach. Regardless of where you are in life, you can always learn more.
I have a personal board of directors who guide me through every major decision (and setback)—and I couldn’t live without them.
Do you have a coach? What is the best advice you’ve received from a coach? Let me know in the comments below!
