The Power of Coaching – Part 2

In my earlier post, The Power of Coaching Part 1, I talked about some of the benefits of coaching.

Today I wanted to discuss to dig a little deeper into the power of coaching and what a great coach can do for you.

Let’s go.

They support you

I had always wanted to enter my writing in short story competitions, yet I kept putting it off year after year.

When I started coaching, my coach encouraged me to enter my first competition. She offered to read my short story.

I was completely terrified. It meant someone (other than me) would actually read it. That was when I hit my first major stumbling block and my first breakthrough.

I wanted to be a writer yet I was scared of anyone reading my writing. Clearly these two statements were not compatible!

In no time, my coach had me over that particular fear.

Related post – How to Conquer Your Fear

They remind you how far you have come

Make changes to your life can sometimes seem overwhelming. At times it feels like two steps forward and one step back, which makes you feel you are not progressing at all.

As our own worst critics sometimes we become too focused on the mountain of tasks and actions still to be completed without giving ourselves any credit for what we have already achieved.

This is where your coach steps in to remind you how far you have come. To remind you how much you have already accomplished which in turn builds confidence and keeps you moving forward.

They offer a different prospective

Say I am having a problem. My coach will talk through the problem with me and get my thoughts and input.  She will ask questions to get to the core of the problem. Then she will offer advice and her own input towards a solution.

Once we have openly discussed the issue, the way forward will often become clear.

Other times it may not.  That’s usually when my coach will suggest a different prospective or angle to overcoming or dealing with the problem that I would never have thought of.

This is the beauty and power of coaching.

Having someone suggest new ways of thinking and problem solving is invaluable. What it also does is strengthen my own problem solving muscles.

When you are looking for solutions, it helps to have a coach who is optimistic and positive without being unrealistic.

Related post – How to Have More Self-Discipline

They go the extra mile

I can’t say this for all coaches but I can definitely say this for mine. Linda goes the extra mile for me. She has read through many of my short stories, editing them before I submit them to competitions.

When I am having a tough day or an great day for that matter, I often send her a quick email to let her know what’s happening. It’s common for her to respond quickly despite her busy workload.

Working from home, those emails provided a life line. On the tough days, receiving an encouraging email can be enough to revitalize my productivity.

The other unique thing about Linda is her business has a personal touch. She makes you feel special and valued.  A rare gem that has been overlooked by many small and large businesses.

One thing not to do with your coach

One of my former managers started working with a business coach. Their first couple of sessions consisted of him complaining about what was going on in the office, telling the coach everything that was going wrong.

As far as I know that was all several of their coaching sessions consisted of.  The manager complaining about all of the stuff he had to deal with.

Needless to say he didn’t get what he needed out of his coaching experience.  Though venting your problems can help relieve stress to a certain point, unless you have a two way conversation and come up with some solutions to your problems, you are not going to make any improvements.

Coaching has been by far the best thing I have ever done.  I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to make improvements in their life.

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