I am a coach so you may be thinking, “of course you would say this”. There is more to this than that and if you stick with me, I think you will get it.
A coach does many things but the main thing she does is meet people where they are at, not where they have been or where they want to go. This means that there is an honest assessment about what’s actually going on right now and what action steps need to be taken to go to the next level.
The main part of what a coach does is the actual plan. This doesn’t matter if you are a health coach, relationship coach or financial coach a plan needs to be created for the client to get where they want to go.
I think there are many things that a coach does but it comes down to 3 main parts for me:
- Defining what the client wants to accomplish
- The Plan
- Accountability and adjustments
Obviously, there is much more that a coach does as everyone is different and there are many moving parts with each client. I would also argue that depending on where the client is in their pursuit of their goals is going to direct where the coaches focus will go.
The first one starts with goals. Most people never take the time to even figure out what it is they want to accomplish with their life. Even weight loss isn’t as simple as saying I want to lose weight. There needs to be specific reasons around why you want to do something. If someone has never done this before having someone help or guide them in this can be the difference between hitting their goal or never starting at all.
The plan is self-explanatory. We have all heard the “fail to plan, plan to fail” quote. It may be cliché but it’s true. Once you define where you want to go you need an actual roadmap to get there. You wouldn’t take a road trip without a map to get you where you want to go and with your goals it’s no different.
The last one to me is the most important, accountability. Having someone help you to make adjustments when you need to is crucial to success but more than that, having to be accountable to someone is the easiest way to stay on track. When you know you have to check in with someone there is more leverage on yourself to follow through. Not only is it good to follow through but when you are struggling that coach is able to help you gain perspective on your progress or lack of. Many people think of coaches as hard asses who will yell and scream when you are not on track but many times it’s the exact opposite. People can be too hard on themselves and not give themselves the necessary pat on the back they deserve for all the hard work they put in.
I have said this a thousand times you don’t need a coach to be successful but it without question can speed the process up and make the journey more enjoyable.