Are You an Awesome Coach Feeling Stuck?
Are You an Awesome Coach Feeling Stuck? 4 Principles to go from Stuck to Superstar Coach
When you think back to the days when you decided to become a coach, did you have a clear picture of who you wanted to work with, and dreams of transformations for them and the impact you would make in their lives?
Oftentimes we’re caught up in our own dreams, including what hours we’d work, how much fun we could have and even how our lives would change (“Oh, hello, Oprah, of course I’d love to speak at your event!”)
After years of mentoring coaches just like you, I have seen enough similar struggles amongst coaches of all different backgrounds and modalities that I’d love to help you leap over with ease!
I believe know that you have the knowledge and the passion to create the business you’ve always dreamed of. But what if that isn’t your reality just yet?
You might be dreaming of changing the lives of more people than you thought possible, all while earning more income doing work that you love. So whether you’re living the dream and reaching into the future, or struggling to see it all come to fruition, I have four principles that will propel you forward to truly make an impact as you serve your clients and community.
Before we dive in, I want to send you some encouragement. I’ve been in practice for over a decade and have had the honor of helping over a thousand practitioners boost their practices, and I STILL need these reminders myself, all the time! Even simple advice isn’t always easy to follow, and I wish I had heard these 4 principles when I was first starting my own practice because it would have made everything a lot easier for me!
It’s natural to think, “Can I really do this? Do I know enough to call myself a coach?” The first thing you need to know is:
Principle # 1 : Trust your training.
You invested all that money, time and energy learning so much about coaching to make the biggest impact with your clients. But what I often see is that we can get in our own way sometimes and we convince ourselves, “I don’t know enough.” Or, “I haven’t been working with people that long.” But you do know enough. You have to trust that.
I have been there and done that. Believe me. I know “imposter syndrome” is real. And the only way to move past this is to actually get out there and do the work.
Let me ask you: Can you help your clients take action? To do one small thing? Stay accountable?
The truth is, you only need to know a little more about a subject than someone to be able to help them. But guess what? You actually know a lot! The more you work with clients, you will see this and it really does just keep getting easier.
The second point I want to share is something that’s incredibly important but it’s something that we don’t talk about very much, and it can make or break how your clients respond when they work with you… It’s this:
How you talk about what you know matters. Or in other words…
Principle #2 : Deliver the Goods with Confidence!
One thing I’ve learned, and have really refined over the years, is to make sure I give clients information in a way that’s easy for them to understand. Sometimes we forget that the people we’re working with don’t have the depth of knowledge and expertise that we do. We have to meet our clients where they are so that they can keep moving forward.
If you’ve ever seen that “deer in the headlights” look in your clients’ eyes you know what I’m talking about.
You don’t want to lose them by talking too much or going too deep into any one topic. There’s a really big difference between seeing that lightbulb go on over their heads versus seeing the deer in the headlights look. This can be a really hard thing to do, but it is definitely doable. And, as with everything, it takes practice.
Principle #3 : Surround yourself with like-minded people.
Being a coach can feel like a solitary act, but walking the path really can’t be.
Often we start out by working with individual clients, and that can feel a little lonely, and can leave you wondering, “Am I on the right track?” “Am I doing this ‘right?’”
We feel like we have to figure everything out on our own, and somehow have all the answers, so I just want to suggest that it’s important to have a community of like-minded people for yourself, where you can share your successes and struggles and fears. Where you can ask questions and bounce ideas off of each other. Don’t isolate yourself. You don’t have to do this alone.
And finally,
Principle #4 : Just start!
This is something that we tell our clients all the time, and we know it can feel really scary – until you do it. (This is where having that community surrounding you and supporting you can make this a whole lot easier.)
Maybe you’ve wanted to shout (lovingly!) to your own clients for them to “just start” because you know that taking a simple step in the right direction can start a powerful momentum.
It’s not necessarily easy because, just like our clients, we’re human and we feel the same fears and insecurities as they do. It can feel scary when you’re trying to make significant changes because they’re so important. We don’t want to mess up. But fear can actually stop us before we start. Don’t let this happen to you. People need you too much.
How do you get going when you’re scared? Well, I’ve found the best way to do that is to shift your focus away from yourself, and onto the people that you’re serving. There’s a great saying I like to say when I’m scared:
“When you get nervous, focus on service.”
It reminds me to shift my focus off of myself and onto the people I am here to serve because…
Once you start doing the work and you commit to taking action,
it’s not only empowering. It’s exhilarating!
Say to yourself, “OK, I’m going to step into this. I don’t have to know the answer to every question or solve every problem.” You just have to know that little bit more than the person across from you. Because that little bit could be enough to change their life.
Let me say that again. Even if there is one piece of information that you share that you think is obvious, it’s likely new information to your client, and that one thing could be enough to change their life. I’ve seen this happen over and over again.
One last thing to think about… Your clients are not looking for a “perfect” teacher. They need a helpful guide. Your humanity is what will attract people to you. So just start. Remember it feels impossible until it’s done. You absolutely can do this.
If these four principles sound pretty simple, well, they are, really. The truth is, if you focus daily on these actions, you will find yourself helping others in such a powerful way. And it will only get easier, and, dare I say, more fun, too!
