Attention Management

Time Management.  It’s a struggle to many people. To help with time management, the most common technique is to use the calendar system, breaking it up with a monthly, weekly and daily calendar. Then prioritizing activities into your schedule, narrowing it down to most to least urgent. And for many people, this works. It creates a structured way to use their time wisely. 

 When I worked in higher education, I provided this same information to student leaders during student leader training. This was valuable information they could use and this was valuable information that rarely changed. Sometimes I would update the information but nothing that would drastically change the information. 

A few months ago, I decided to look up time management and see if there was anything and interesting that others have successfully tried. This was when I came upon something called “attention management.”

Attention management is a new way at looking at time management. It’s not about managing your time, but rather paying attention to the time you are given. 

I’m sure the one thing that most of us realize when we practice time management, is that we don’t really plan for distractions. 

 Distractions are the enemy of time management. They move us off track and in the process it demotivates us.  

Attention management challenges us to work around that instead of our time. 

Take notice of how long it takes you to work, to concentrate. How long before you end up being distracted? 

This is where you use that time to your advantage. 

Don’t tell yourself that you’re going to write a report in one hour. Without time constraints, write as much as you can at your most optimal performance and when you’re done, stop. That’s how long it takes for you to be most effective with your time. That’s how long it takes before you become distracted. 

 Try it out. See how much you’re able to accomplish in your own time. You might just learn more about your limits.

Following Your Passions

I don't think anyone should have just one passion.  Although I do believe if you decide to have more than one passion that it should be one where you can still put all your energy into the others while still keeping the quality in tact.  

I spent the past year working to create my Life Coaching Practice.  I worked on it until I realized that I wasn't working as hard on it anymore.  I had been working on it for so long that I was losing steam.  In order for me to keep that energy going, I needed to stop and take care of myself and feed my other passion.

This led me back to theater.    

While starting my Life Coaching practice, I was also in the middle of starting a theater company with a few friends.  One of my roles in this company was to work in theater education, providing acting to children from underserved populations.  I spent an entire month at an elementary school teaching theater while also acting as director the kids' first ever theatrical production.  I worked every day for one month with these kids.  It was tiring.  It was stressful.  But I was happy.  After over a year of theater being taken away (thank you, COVID), I needed to feed my soul.  And theater is what my soul was hungry for.   

It's also exciting because after over a year I have finally been cast in a show - a play to be exact.  I haven't been in a play since my sophomore year of high school!  

Which passion should you follow?  

You should follow the passion that makes you happy.  

Yes, it's that simple.  

You do the thing that brings you joy in your life.  It's also very normal for someone to need to take a break from it.  Being passionate about something doesn't really mean you have to love it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Think of it like dinner... sometimes you just don't want to eat the same thing every night.  You switch it up and after a while your palate will be cleansed and then you'll be hungry for more.  

Passions are what drive us and keep us motivated.  They feed our souls.  They are what define us and shape us.  They bring balance into our lives.  

Don't forget your passions.  

 

Wanderlust

 So I've been having a case of the wanderlust lately. 

I'm not sure if it is intensifying as the world starts to get back to normal and people can start traveling again, or if it's because I just need to travel. 

I'm sure it's probably a combination of both, well probably more because I need to travel.  

Actually, let me put it differently.  I want to travel. 

I was talking to someone recently and telling them how much I want to travel.  And I don't mean a vacation - I mean traveling!  

I went on my first real traveling adventure much later in life than I would have hoped.  I went to Europe in my mid-30s.  

That trip changed my life.  I got to see and actually experience the world instead of watching travel programs on television.  I walked in the historical footsteps of a time and era long gone but its remnants still remain.  Being in another country, all by myself, was a truly humbling and overwhelmingly beautiful experience. I learned so much about myself.  While I pushed my boundaries and limits, I learned what I was capable of.   I returned refreshed and happier and had an improved positive outlook on life.  I returned a different person. 

It was that jolt of energy that I needed and was missing from my life. 

I know that traveling isn't such an easy option for many people.  For me to tell you to travel would be a huge disservice.  So I won't.     

But I do want to encourage you to feed that part of your life.  Feed that need to experience new things.  It doesn't have to be done through travelling.  Find local experiences that can feed that desire to open your mind to new possibilities.  Read a book about a country or culture you don't know anything about.  Go to a restaurant that serves food you're not used to.  Learn a new language just for fun.  

Life gives us so many opportunities and experiences that we don't know are there because we sometimes choose to not see them or we forget that it's there.  

And if you ever do have the opportunity to travel, take it!  I leave you with the quote down below.   

The Path Less Traveled Part 2

I was halfway through this blog post when I decided to start all over again.  As I was writing it, the post felt so familiar.  I started to see similarities between what I was writing to my previous post about taking the path less traveled.  

I guess that means I had a lot more to say about the topic than I realized. 

When I started these motivational and life coaching blogs, I knew this wasn't going to be easy for me.  I even mentioned that in my blog about starting these posts!   

In fact, you can say that these blog posts are the path less traveled for me. 

It's been about three weeks since I started these posts and there are days when I struggle to write something.  It feels like I'm on this path but I don't know where I'm going.  The truth is that I am going somewhere.  I just don't know where.  I just know the journey and the adventure of the newness of it all is what drives me through my path.  These blog posts are definitely testing my resilience and my strength but I know that in the end I'll be much better for it. 

The most difficult thing about writing these posts is knowing that there are hundreds of other life coaches out there.  And not only are there life coaches, but there are even hundreds more counselors, therapists, psychiatrists and even social media influencers who are putting out there motivational posts and videos  There is no shortage of people offering their guidance and advice. 

What makes me different?  What should make someone listen to me? 

The answer is clear.  

There is only one me.  

That me is the person that people are drawn to.  It's not just my education that makes me someone worth knowing and listening to, but it's my own experiences.  

It's the stories that I share that make me unique.  

It is my stories that let people know that as a life coach I'm not infallible.  

It is my stories that show others it is possible to move forward in life.  

It is my stories that show that it is ok to be different or to feel different.  

It is my stories that show that as rough or horrible life may seem, there is always hope. 

It is my stories that show that in darkness there is always light. 

I'm not just telling you how to live.  I would never want to tell you how to do so. 

I'm showing you that it is possible to live.

That's the path that I'm on.  

 

Break Me Off a Piece of That Humble Pie

Before I start this blog, here is a link about the original of humble pie. 

https://culinarylore.com/food-history:eating-humble-pie/

It's quite fascinating and definitely unique!

Whenever I talk about leadership, I always go over what qualities make a good leader.  There's always one quality that I always look for in a leader and one that I hold higher than most.  Actually, it's also a quality that I generally look for in people.

Humility

Actually, I have to mention accountability as well.  I don't quite view them as interchangeable but rather complements to each other.  I feel that one can't exist without the other. 

What is it about someone who doesn't lack humility?  For many people it is such a huge turn off.  It takes the ugliest part of a person inside and amplifies it.  It externalizes an internal trait.  I guess this is where narcissism starts to appear. 

We need to transition from narcissism to self-confidence.  There is nothing wrong with self-confidence.  We all need that.  It's the only way that we can increase our resilience and become successful.  But when self-confidence turns into an ego it then starts to turn into no humility.  It's definitely a fine balancing act.  

Self-confidence is having faith and trust in yourself.  It's becoming a stronger person inside while also being empathetic to others around you.  It means having the ability to affect positive growth and change in other people. It's knowing that what you can do for yourself you can also do for other people.  This is the foundation of humility.   

Ego on the other hand is self-centeredness.  There is no thought or consideration of other people.  Unlike self-confidence, the focus is solely on you and what you can do for yourself and what people can do for you.  There is no reciprocation. 

There's a saying that a little humility goes a long way.

I'm gonna have to agree with that. 

The Path Less Traveled

Think about how often you listen to that voice inside your head.  

Now think about a time when life was uncertain.  It can be about anything.  Trying new food.  Visiting a new country.  Asking that person out. 

Now think about what that voice usually tells you to do in times like this.    

Does the voice encourage you and your curiosity?  

Does the voice restrain you from exploring and keep you in your safe bubble? 

Is it keeping you from harm or actually doing more harm to you? 

It's offering you the red or blue pill (purely a Matrix reference!).  Which one are you going to take? 

Many times our voice acts as our lookout.  It's protecting us and that's a good thing... well that is until it becomes an obstacle to our growth.  This is how we sometimes find ourselves in a rut.  Stuck and unable to move.  

How does one get out of that rut? 

Well... you can start by taking the path less traveled.   

What does that really mean exactly? 

Taking the path less traveled is really just about opening your mind to the limitless possibilities of this world.  Allowing yourself to feel a variety emotions and seeing how two opposing emotions can create a sense of adventure.  

It means allowing yourself to understand that with the risk of fear, comes the excitement of the wonder of new possibilities.  

It means letting go of the irrational beliefs that we sometimes hold to be true and finally realize that those irrational beliefs are exactly that - irrational.  And that sometimes we force untruths on ourselves in order to keep our status quo and feel safe.  

So I challenge you to take that leap of faith in yourself.  Listen to that voice that encourages curiosity and wonder.  Travel down that exciting road that you've never taken before. 

You just might see the world in a whole new light! 

It's Pronounced Bur-tah-nog

I thought I would do something a bit different for this blog post. 

If any of you are on social media, then I suggest looking up #LeavingLASA. 

I won’t go into the entire detail, I highly suggest you read about this hashtag and the movement it started in the Los Angeles Theatre Community. 

 To make a long story very short, it involves an Asian actor who was nominated for an acting award in Los Angeles. Her name was mispronounced and to make matter worse, it wasn’t her picture that was displayed. It was that of her other Asian co-star. 

If any of you are reading this blog post in April of 2021, then you’ll know there has been a rise of attacks on Asians over the past few weeks, especially on the elderly. Hate crimes against Asians didn’t just start happening over night. They’ve been around for years, it’s just that it’s now more visible and prevalent than ever. 

With this mis-pronunciation of an Asian name, its just another reminder of how our culture is sometimes disrespected and set to the side and reminds me of the experiences with my last name.  

I have always felt that my last name is not difficult to pronounce. Yet more times than not, it’s usually mispronounced. Annoyance and anger are generally the first emotions I feel. I’m annoyed they couldn’t pronounce it but I’m also mad at their level of reading skills because it’s so simple to sound out the letters of my name. Surely they know how to sound out letters and words. It's not hard.  Then there’s the people who try to pronounce my name with an accent, like having an accent would make you say it any better. It’s pretty insulting. 

Over the years it’s gotten better. Some people ask how it’s pronounced before even attempting it. Others just straight up butcher it and I’m upset because there wasn’t a single attempt at trying to get it right and even when I correct them there is no apology. At one point my parents refused to talk to people who couldn’t say our last name correctly because they found it disrespectful. 

We are going to meet so many people in our lives and first impressions mean everything – I’m sure all of you have been told that. I can’t tell you how surprised and impressed I am when people say my last name correctly. Or how I feel respected when someone attempts and asks for a correction. That says a lot about a person. I see someone who is respectful of other cultures. I see someone who is willing to learn something new. I see acceptance. I don’t see ignorance. 

It’s amazing how a simple pronunciation of a word can change how you view a person. We are always going to run into a difficult name to pronounce, but we shouldn’t approach it with fear. Fear of insult or disrespect. Just approach it with a curiosity to broaden your horizons. It’s amazing how far that can take you.

Treat Yo Self

 If you watch Parks and Recreation then you know what the title of this blog means. Ever since the episode aired, the instantly quotable “treat yo self” has been made into numerous memes and for many people this literally became an integral part of their lives. It’s not hard to see why this statement has become so important to so many.

For many people, treating oneself could be a luxury that they just can’t afford. For others it could mean that you are selfish and that it’s nothing more than a quick fix to your problems. If you’ve seen some of my previous blogs then you know that I want you to challenge yourself and to re-frame this thought into something more positive. As I’ve mentioned before, change your narrative. Don’t consider this some type of instant gratification. Think of this more as a celebration of you!

When I work with clients and kids, I always remind them to celebrate their accomplishments. They need to recognize and celebrate who they are. They need to celebrate the value they bring. But in order for treating yourself to really work, there also needs to be purpose. There needs intent because treating yourself is all about motivation. It’s a way to recognize the work that you do and to encourage you to never stop succeeding.

Several blogs posts I wrote about setting goals and achieving them. Most people have goals but never achieve them. But if you break up your goals into smaller more achievable tasks than you will be more motivated to take the next steps to complete that goal. And while the actual accomplishment of a goal is the reward, it doesn’t hurt treat yourself to something nice for all the work that you do.

Because the reality is… achieving goals can be arduous and tiresome and we need to recognize when we’ve done what we’ve set out to do. As I mentioned earlier, you are celebrating you and your accomplishments.

So what have you done lately that deserves a treat yo self?

Rewrite Your Story

One of my favorite musicals is Martin Guerre. The musical takes place during the Holy Wars in France and tells the story of Martin Guerre. At a young age, Martin is forced to marry a woman he barely knows.  He feels the pressure from the entire village as they want him to conceive a child.  He is ridiculed and physically abused by the villagers.  Martin has had enough and decides to leave the village only to return several years later.  But is he really Martin Guerre? Who is this man? Is he an impostor?

As with most musicals, Martin gets one big solo number for Martin Guerre - the title song!  The song is all about Martin's desire to escape from the life he has.  He is tired of the insults and feels he needs to become the man he always wanted to be.  He doesn't like the story that has been written for him, so he decides to write his own story.  He declares that one day he will return as the man they will all respect, love and admire.  He will do this on his own terms, not theirs.  

Martin was able to hold onto himself. Even with all that pain and suffering, he kept his strength, courage and resilience.  

Strength.  Courage.  Resilience.  

This is the cornerstone of our self-worth.  These three attributes are the reasons why some people are able to move forward in life instead of backwards.  When we are faced with negative emotions such as pain, suffering, and fear, we lose touch with our inner coach, that inner voice that encourages us.  Instead we listen and become our worst inner critic.  From an early age we can become conditioned to believe negative traits about us.  We believe in our own failings as people and feel we can't overcome them.  We start to catastrophize the outcomes our lives.  We start to write that story.  This leads us to failure and stops us from being successful.  We believe these stories even though we know them to be true.  

And so to build our resilience back, to reclaim our courage and our strength, we must once again become the narrators to our own stories.  We must re-write the narrative that was told to us all these years.  We know ourselves better than anyone else, and we if have the ability to be negative then we also have the ability to be positive!  We can't forget that this has always been and will always be in our control.  

What story are you going to tell? 

 

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with this nursery rhyme.  It's so short and has a very simple melody.  

When you think of Humpty Dumpty, do you automatically picture a person that looks like an egg?  Take a closer look a the nursery rhyme.  Where does it say that Humpty Dumpty is an egg?  

It doesn't... and yet for all our lives we assumed Humpty Dumpty was an egg.  Who told us he was an egg?  I don't recall my teachers or my parents saying he was an egg (or a male for that matter).  I honestly don't think anyone told me he was an egg.  I think I just saw a picture of Humpty Dumpty and it portrayed him as an egg.  So I just naturally assumed he was one. 

So where do assumptions come from?  Why is it so easy for us to make assumptions about other people?

Maybe our assumptions come from our denial of knowing the truth or accepting the truth.  Maybe it's easier to assume because it's more interesting or scandalous or favorable than the truth.  

And let's not forget that no only do we make assumptions about other people, but we also tend to make assumptions about ourselves.  This causes us to lose our self-confidence, or to have catastrophic thinking that derails us from accomplishing or even attempting our goals and aspirations.  

How can we stop making assumptions?  I honestly don't think it's as simple as saying, "I'm going to stop."  But we can make the effort to stop by challenging them.  Challenge its validity until you're able to know the truth yourself.  Challenge a negative assumption by making it a positive one.  

As Albert Einstein once said - "Assumptions are made and most assumptions are wrong." 

Oh and blame Lewis Carroll for why we assume that Humpty is an egg! 

The Importance of Small Actions

 I'm sure many of us have nick names.  They are given to us by our parents, siblings or our friends.  They usually just happen and then the nick name sticks and we use it for the rest our lives.  

Did you know that I once had the nick name, Gus?

Yes... Gus. 

No one calls me Gus.  I don't think any of my closest friends know that I once had the nick name Gus.  In fact, I don't think I've been referred to as Gus in over 30 years!  

Gus... it's so random.  

Yet I always remember that nick name and the guys that gave it to me,   

I was maybe 12 years old and our class went to a high school for some educational field trip.  During this field trip we took a tour of the high school.  For some reason I ended up meeting some Seniors.  They had their letterman jackets and just exuded coolness.    

When you're 12 years old and 17 year olds take notice of you, it almost feels like you are the coolest person alive.  Being my normal 12 year old self I just acted goofy and was sarcastic to them.  So yes, even at the age of 12 I was a sarcastic little brat!  haha.  Despite my goofiness they still thought I was a hilarious kid. 

Even still, I gave them a hard time and refused to give them my name and so they called me Gus.  They spent the most of the day talking to me.  Me, a 12 year old little fat kid who never saw himself as particularly cool. 

Giving some kid they didn't know a nick name was such a small action.  What they didn't know was the larger impact it had on my life.  

How large of an impact?  Well I'm telling this story 30 years later!  

Their small action had such huge importance, and they never knew it.  

They didn't know that they made me feel wanted and noticed when I never felt that way.  

They didn't know the happiness they gave me when I truly needed it at that time.  

They didn't know the kindness they showed gave me hope when I was on the verge of losing it.  

They didn't know they showed me that there are people out there who could appreciate and accept someone for who they are.  

They didn't know how important they made me feel in that moment in time.  

They didn't know they shaped a large part of what I do and how I work with clients.

So try not to spend too much time thinking and worrying about how much impact your small actions can have.  Just know that your actions matter and have more power and importance than you may realize. 

Life is Better When You're Laughing

Several years ago my father passed away.  Like most people who lose a loved one, life becomes different and you don't think it will ever go back to the way it was.   You lose a part of yourself and all the optimism you once had about life turns into pessimism.   

This leads me to this blog post.  How do you maintain optimism when there is so much in this world to be pessimistic about?  How can the glass be half full when you clearly see it to be half empty? 

What if I told you that none of that matters if you're laughing.  You can be laughing for 30 seconds or 5 minutes, and that's all that matters in the world.  And this is where you can find optimism in your life.  It's that brief moment in which the only thing that exists is you and the laughter and the joy it brings you in that moment in time. 

 Go ahead... think of a joke... think of a funny story that a friend told you... think of a scene from a tv show that made you laugh (mine would be anything from The Office)... and laugh... laugh for however long you want to,.. I'll wait...

So what happened?  What were you thinking about?  I'm sure whatever troubles you had briefly disappeared.  

This is the power of laughter.  It made life better if only for that moment.  Wouldn't that be amazing if that could be all the time?  It actually can and all you need to do is just laugh.  

Going back to my father... after he had passed away I didn't laugh.  I didn't smile.  I felt like I couldn't.  I felt like life couldn't get better and I nothing could make me feel better.  But then something happened.  I allowed myself to laugh and smile again.  And all that sadness left me for that moment and life was full and bright again.  I could see light in the darkness.  

And so I realized that no matter how dark things can get, no matter how much pessimism you can see... you can change all that with a small dose of laughter. 

Now go laugh!

Keep Yourself Motivated through Setting Goals

One of the main reasons that people go into life coaching is they are looking for a way to find direction in their life.  Looking back at all the people that I've worked with as a life coach, counselor and educator, there was usually a common trait that all of them possessed (or didn't possess) - they didn't have a goal.  Most people have ideas. 

It's first important to understand that having a goal and having an idea aren't the same thing.   They are excited with all the possibilities that can come from them but then nothing ever happens.  What went wrong?  Well what went wrong was that idea never materialized into anything more than an idea.  

Turning your idea into a goal gives you direction, purpose and motivation.  But it's important that when you set a goal they should be in alignment with your life.  This can be done through creating goals that are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.  

If you set goals that fall into these five categories then you have taken the first step towards your success! 

#lifecoaching #lifecoach #coaching #motivation #coach #mindset #inspiration #mindfulness #selflove #personaldevelopment #selfcare #love #mentalhealth #life #success #lifecoachingforwomen #lifecoachingformen #meditation #personalgrowth #lifecoachforwomen #lifecoachformen #lifestyle #lifecoachingtips #happiness #lifecoaches #leadership #lifecoachinghappiness #goals #loveyourself #healing #selfdevelopment #bhfyp 

I Don’t See Race Or Color...

I've been recently thinking about this statement.  I'm sure we have been in diversity conversations with people who use this statement.  I'm sure most of us started hearing this more commonly in recent months.

And the more I keep hearing it, the more I don't like this statement.  

It's pretty apparent that the topic of diversity is a pretty difficult subject for many people.  It can cause a lot of conflict and confrontation, and it can put a strain on our relationships.  

But a statement like this doesn't open up the conversation - it ends it.  It doesn't continue dialogue about race and inclusion that is still desperately needed right now.   

In most ways, it's a cop-out.  It's a way of taking a serious and personal conversation and simplifying it into something trivial.  It's also avoidance and privilege.  

To tell a friend you don't see color or race, you're basically denying a major part of who they are.  You are denying a large part of their identity.  What they hear is that you are choosing not to see your friend.

Diversity is always going to be uncomfortable, and we have to understand that we must try to get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.  You will learn more about other people, but more importantly, you may learn more about yourself. 

#lifecoach #lifecoaching #motivation #diversity #education 

Life Coaching vs. Therapy

 Wait, so there's a difference? 

YES!  There is most definitely a difference, but there is definitely a fine line between the two. 

I have always believed that therapy is focused on the present by healing your past.  

Life coaching is focused on the future by helping you live in the present.  

One is not better than the other, but one can be more beneficial to person.  I would even say that having both can be more effective. 

The decision is ultimately up to you but my hope is that if you need help, then please don't hesitate to reach out to a therapist or a life coach (or even a friend or family member).  

#lifecoaching #lifecoach #motivation #counseling 

 

5 Reasons You Should Hire a Life Coach

Being a life coach is not easy.  I knew that going into this profession.  

Actually, practicing life coaching and working with clients is very easy for me.  I love forming rapport with a client and helping motivate them through their struggles.  It's the process of finding clients and marketing myself that is difficult and challenging.  I'm not a salesperson by any means nor am I good at marketing.  This is all very new to me.  

In doing some research on how to market myself better, I came upon a blog post from Coach the Life Coach by Tim Brownson that discussed five reasons people don't hire a life coach. 

Well I only thought it fitting that I do a blog that addresses those five reasons and challenges them.  Hopefully this helps you decide why you should hire a life coach and to refer my services to those you think may benefit from it. 

1)   Not All Life Coaches are Expensive

Seeing a life coach offer services for several hundreds or thousands of dollars probably gives you the sense that this person has a lot to offer you.  Higher prices usually. means you are getting the best. 

But what happens if you see a life coach whose services are considerably less?  Would you think that person couldn't possibly help you?  

Don't feel that you are getting short changed on a life coach who doesn't offer higher prices as others do.

I have always felt that coaching, much like counseling, should be available to everyone.  It's a service that helps a person have a healthier mindset.  There are plenty of coaches who are affordable and who can work with individuals so they can benefit from coaching.  It doesn't hurt to ask if they are willing to work with you.

So although I believe that price is equal to the value of what you are getting, I also believe that you should be valued more than money and I will work with you to make sure you are treated that way - and that you are getting the best service no matter the cost. 

2) You Do Have the Time

You may not have the time to meet with someone to talk to regarding your concerns, but you do have time to meet with someone who can bring value into your life.  The key word being: 

VALUE 

There are plenty of coaches who are affordable and who can work with individuals.  But your time is valuable and so you need a life coach adds value to that time, they don't take away or detract from it.

If you've found the perfect match of client and coach, then you'll realize that you have the time and are willing to make the time! 

3) Coaching Does Work

The reason coaching doesn't work for many people is that they are not open for it to work  

The reason that couples counseling/coaching doesn't work?  It's because only one partner is invested in the process. 

Coaching only works if you understand and allow the process of coaching to work.  

Coaching requires you put in the time to do the homework and to be accountable for your actions.  

Coaching takes vulnerability. 

If you really want to know how well coaching has worked for someone, read the testimonials of a coach or speak to someone you trust who has seen a coach.  

All you need is an open mind and a willingness and the motivation to change and improve your life. 

4) You Can Coach Yourself

Coaching yourself isn't the problem.  We coach ourselves every day.  We know and can find times to be motivated and productive.  

But how truly effective are you at it?  Are you able to look at yourself subjectively and ask the right questions?  

A life coach looks at the whole picture without judgement and bias.  We can see things you're not able to see.  It is a partnership between coach and client.  

5) You're Not Sure You Can Trust Them 

Several years ago I decided to go into therapy.  

Deciding to seek therapy wasn't difficult, it was finding the right therapist.  

I had done my research and had certain requirements that I needed in order for me to find the right one.  

Long story short, after all the research, I found one and it was the best decision I ever made.  I felt lucky that we had gotten along with so well; we formed a good rapport. 

This is what is key in finding a coach you can trust.  Not only do you need to do your research on the person you want, you have to meet them and see if you're a match. 

You may not find the perfect coach on your first try.  You might find a good one but it probably takes a couple of sessions to feel comfortable, but at least you're finding someone that you can trust and that can add value in your life. 

As a coach, it is my responsibility to earn your trust but to also make sure that we are a match.  As I mentioned before, this is a partnership.  

I hope I was able to assuage some of your concerns about seeing a life coach.  I hope that if you have the willingness to want to change your life and to live the life you wanted that you consider a life coach.  They will strive to motivate and challenge you into becoming the best version of yourself.  

What are your thoughts on this?  Let me know in the comments below!