The cost of growing a thriving coaching business is high.
It requires that you give up your need to:
- look good
- please others
- politely avoid the truth
- constantly be nice
And, it requires that you give up your natural inclination to spend too much time focused on yourself, concerned about:
- not looking perfect
- not being good enough
- not knowing how . . .
The cost of growing a thriving coaching business: consistently choosing real courage even when you:
- feel self-conscious
- think you aren't good enough
- fear you don't know what you're doing
The cost of growing a thriving coaching business: giving up the idea of unattainable perfection and replacing it with:
- walking your talk
- consistently doing your own inner work
- telling the truth to yourself and to your clients, even when it's uncomfortable
- hiring your own coach
If you haven't been consistently doing your own inner work, walking your talk or working your own coach, and yet you still know to the depth of your being that you are here to serve by coaching, then commit in this moment to doing what it takes to choose courage.
That choice and commitment makes you the kind of person that others would like to learn from, be supported by . . .
If you can't or won't walk your own talk, do your own inner work or hire your own coach right now, then be compassionate with yourself.
But don't lie to yourself.
Tell yourself the truth. Kindly and firmly. And, then choose to do something else right now.
The cost of being a thriving coach is high.
It involves real courage.
Every day.
Choosing and committing again and again . . .
What can you do in this very moment to choose and commit and then take action?
* * * *
If you'd like to do something with me:
One-on-One Coaching Opportunity
I will have an opening in September to begin coaching, mentoring, consulting one-on-one with a new client.
Small Group Immersion Coaching, Mentoring, Consulting
I am also starting to have conversations with a few coaches who would like to receive intensive coaching, mentoring, consulting with me for 9 months in a small group of 3 to 5 coaches.
Both of these opportunities require your commitment to courage. Daily.
Even though the cost is high, the fulfillment is beyond anything you can imagine right now. Truly.
I am here to teach you how to serve clients so fully and so deeply that you offer them a life-changing experience of themselves that they have never had before. Serving clients in this way naturally grows your coaching business.
I can tell you from my own personal experience that serving in this way is more than worth the high cost of courage.
If either of these opportunities call to you, let's talk. Call me on my direct line at 303.399.8737.
Here's to thriving - the willingness to be courageous, even when it's scary!
Lots of love to you!
Ann
P.S. Even if you're not sure you'd like to coach with me or join a small coaching group right now, if you feel called to explore Living more courageously, let's talk. Call me during my open office hour Fridays, 10 - 11 am MT . . .
I highly recommend using this review and planning tool, created in part by Paul Schadler, MD. This is the ninth year I’ve used it, and it helps me keep my focus on all that is most meaningful to me. Give yourself several hours over two or three days to work with it. Give yourself the gift of being very present, without rushing through it.
The Best of 2009Go wild! Acknowledge all your goodness and greatness.
One guideline: no criticism, only positives.
- What did I accomplish that I am most proud of?
- What experiences touched me the most? Were the most intimate?
- When did I have the most fun?
- What experiences were the most powerful?
- Most sacred?
- What difficult challenges did I meet successfully?
- In meeting the challenges, what did I do best?
- What lessons did I learn?
- Describe my power in those situations.
Creating 2010
Think big! Be bold! Have fun!
- What dominant intention do I have for 2010?
- For my mind/body/spirit?
- My relationships?
- My home environment?
- My work/service?
- My finances?
- My growth/development?
- My fun, adventure, expression?
- In which areas of my life do I plan to move forward in 2010?
- What challenges do I intend to overcome?
- What specific goals do I intend to achieve in 2010?
- Who do I want to be? What do I choose to live/express more?
Consciously choosing is one of my core values. So is loving kindness. Yet, in some situations, I’d like to respond to someone with loving kindness and I instead hear myself defending my ego or reacting from programmed conditioning. In these moments, I realize how automatically and ready are my ego and my conditioning.
To go beyond these ingrained habits, I use one or all of my “Choosing” tools:
- As often as I remember, I affirm, “not my will, rather Thy will.” This reminds me to choose from God/good consciousness.
- In tough situations, before I speak, I take a breath. This gives me a moment to actually choose a response rather than habitually and automatically reacting.
- If I do react, I apologize and ask for a re-do. This allows me to consciously respond even after I’ve reacted.
- I actively listen for inspiration and guidance. And, I follow it, even if I don’t fully and logically understand it. This accesses the inspired path, rather than the habitual one, because I already know where it leads!
- I remind myself to allow grace and miracles. This chooses for me far greater outcomes than I ever could have imagined.
If we don’t consciously use choosing tools, we react as we’ve always reacted and get what we’ve always gotten! Feel free to use my tools liberally and I would love to learn and try your tools, too . . .
Imagine the difference in the quality of your life in this same scenario, played out two different ways. First, the way we tend to to do and second with a clear intention for the outcome we desire. You’ve had a powerful initial conversation with a potential client and she told you she’ll get back to you by Tuesday to get started. Tuesday comes and goes and you don’t hear from her.
The “Why” life:
“Why hasn’t she called?” “Why didn’t I set a specific time with her?” “Why didn’t I tell her about ________ (you fill in the blank)?”
The “Why” life leads to making things up, taking things personally, making assumptions, second-guessing ourselves and a whole lotta needless misery.
The “What and How” life:
“Okay, she hasn’t called. What would I like? I’d like to get started working with her if that’s what she still would like to do. Okay, how would I like to proceed? It feels good to me to give her a couple of days and if I don’t hear from her by Friday, I will call her to check in and let her know I’d like to get started working with her if that’s what she still would like to do.”
The “What and How” life empowers you in knowing what you’d like and in taking action toward bringing that about! No making things up, taking things personally, making assumptions, second-guessing or needless misery.
Would you like to play with it for a week and see how it shifts your life? I’d love to hear your experience if you decide to play . . .
After I wrote about bringing attentiveness, clarity, generosity, strength and love to situations and interactions last week, I quickly got to experience falling short! Ah, to be human . . .
I go to the same coffee bar almost every day and have playful interaction with most of the baristas. A few days ago, I took it too far. I was in line behind an older gentleman who got confused several times while ordering his drink and cookie. At one point he even asked if he’d ordered a cookie that sat right in front of him. The barista patiently and kindly answered all his questions, and then exchanged a frustrated glance with me.
I then ordered my coffee and chatted with the barista about our weekends. While walking out the door, I asked him as a joke, my coffee in hand, “did I order a drink?”
As soon as I said it and saw him glance out to the patio, I felt bad. The man with the cookie was sitting on the patio, probably didn’t hear me, but what if he had?
I reflected on why I had made a joke at someone else’s expense. I like being a regular. I like having a personal relationships with the baristas. And, ick, I wanted to feel superior. To someone who was having a tough time in the moment. Ouch. Okay, no wonder I felt bad.
So, while driving home, I fully felt feeling bad. Then I offered compassion to all of us – the man, the barista and me. Then I forgave myself and let it go with a strong resolve to bring more attention to a situation before I react from my ego. Ah, the practice . . .
Knowing My Solid Foundation
After I wrote about embracing change last week, it didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to consciously be aware that my life has a solid, unchanging foundation. That makes embracing change a whole lot easier!
I cannot control everything that happens. Heck, some days I have a sense of how very little I control! What I CAN control involves what I bring to any situation, any interaction. I choose attentiveness, clarity, generosity, strength and love. In the moments that I fall short of bringing any of those qualities to the table, I then choose compassion, detachment and forgiveness!
I have been using this affirmative prayer to remind me of and connect me to my solid foundation. It helps me stay on or get back on course. Perhaps it can support you as well . . .
In the Eye of the Storm
With so much chaos in our world,
I have found it more important than ever
to deliberately choose my way of being.
I don’t know what will happen later today or tomorrow,
but I do know that I choose to bring my
attentiveness, clarity, generosity, strength and love
to whatever it is.
I do know that I choose to connect
more frequently and deeply
with those I love.
Reaction is no longer something I choose to indulge.
Instead I choose to be present with whatever is,
allowing it to move around and through me,
without attachment or resistance.
And, once again I choose to bring my
attentiveness, clarity, generosity, strength and love
to whatever it is.
To create your own solid foundation, join us for the Thriving in 90 Days! program starting Sept 24th.
