You’ve read all the books. Watched tons of videos and downloaded every free how-to-make-it offer you can get.
And you know you’re smart. Surely, if you just keep at it, work harder maybe, perhaps give up (yet another) hour of sleep, you’ll figure this stuff out.
You’ll unlock the magic door.
But it hasn’t worked. Your business is stagnant. You’re spinning your wheels. Clients and income aren’t coming in the way they should be. The opportunities to share your gifts, shine your light, and bring your brilliance to the world just aren’t happening the way you expected.
Or maybe they are.
Maybe, they’re coming in so fast you can barely keep up, and you’re working 24/7 just to keep your head above water.
It’s tough either way.
And no one around you gets it.
If you tell your friends that you’re having trouble figuring out your ideal client, they look at you, like, ‘Huh?”
If you say you have more business than you can manage, they say you’re lucky. If you say you don’t have enough, they think you should quit.
And your mom just wants you to go get a real job with a “real” paycheck.
But that’s just not who you are, is it?
You have a vision for the kind of lifestyle you want to create, for the way you want to show up in the world, the way you want to serve. And you already know you won’t find it in a 9 to 5 cubicle.
So, maybe it’s time to hire a coach.
Maybe.
Or maybe not.
Because hiring a coach is a big step, one that – done well – can make an HUGE difference in your business (and your life!).
But it also involves a significant investment of your time, money and energy.
Next week, I’ll teach you how to choose a coach that’s right for you. But before you go there, make sure you’re ready to take this journey at all.
Really ready.
Here are five things to ask yourself before you take that step.
1. Am I ready and willing to make the changes I need to make, to move my business forward?
Growth means change, evolution. It means developing new systems, trying new strategies, and even changing the way you think. For some, that change can be really exciting. For others, it’s super uncomfortable.
Scary even.
But your coach can’t help if you’re not honest about your struggles. And you won’t grow if you can’t accept her honest feedback in return.
Which is more uncomfortable for you: the fear of change? Or the fear of staying right where you are for yet another year?
2. Am I willing to commit the time and energy it takes to do this work?
It does no good to pay someone for guidance if you’re not going to listen to what they say, or do the work they suggest you do.
This isn’t grad school. It doesn’t mean hours at the library slaving away on a thesis. But it DOES mean steady, weekly work on short term, doable actions.
It does mean setting specific goals, and allowing yourself to be held accountable to those goals.
The good news is that consistent action brings consistent results. The bad news is that no one’s coming to your rescue.
Your coach is there to support, teach, guide and mentor – but it’s up to you to do the work. Are you up for that?
3. Am I willing to be the leader in my business?
A good coach will be way more than a cheerleader. She’ll challenge you to see where you’re getting in your own way. She’ll call you out when you’re playing small. She won’t buy in to the stories you’ve told yourself for years about what you can and can’t do.
And that can make you a little squirmy sometime. :)
It’s so much easier to blame things around us when our business isn’t working.
But when we give up the complaining, and claim our response-ability, (that is, our ability to respond to the circumstances around us), we step up as leaders. We become “at cause” in our lives and our business; and that’s a great place to be.
If that scares you just a little, that’s okay.
If it scares you too much – or if you’re arguing with me in your head – you may not be ready for the success (and challenge) that a coach will bring.
4. Am I willing to invest in my own growth and development?
I’ve worked with one coach or another since 2005, and every single time I’ve made a decision to hire, the financial commitment alone was terrifying.
Today, I pay thousands each year for high-level coaching, and I don’t hesitate at the cost. I’ve learned first hand the incredible value of that investment in my business – and in my Self.
When you make a significant financial investment in your own growth and development, you will make sure you get what you paid for.
And you will do the work. :)
But this is one of those areas where you get what you pay for – and you won’t find what you need on Groupon.
5. What do I want to accomplish by partnering with a coach?
Do you have an idea for your business, but just need help knowing where to start? Do you already know where you want to go, if you could just figure out how?
Or are you already established and on your way, but find yourself wandering off course, getting distracted and getting stuck at roadblocks?
A coach functions like a cross between a laser-focused accountability partner, and a super-creative brainstorming partner. She’ll listen while you ‘think out loud’, and she’ll help you separate what matters from what’s getting in the way.
But she isn’t the one who chooses the destination. That’s your job.
So if you just want someone to tell you what to do, you may not be ready for this. But if you know what you want, and you’re eager to roll up your sleeves and get to work…
You are.
And THAT is a really exciting place to be.
Photo Credit: Agustin Ruiz on Flickr