We read stories every day where someone with absolutely no experience learns how to build a complete house – structure, plumbing, electrical, everything – using only YouTube tutorials. Or a rank amateur learns how to strip a 1952 car engine and rebuild it using what they learned from a car restoration program on TV.
It seems logical and certainly possible therefore that we could also learn how to coach ourselves, doesn’t it?
The essence of all coaching is in the ability, desire, and appropriate action required to create positive change, and we have all made some fantastic changes in our life without a coach, haven’t we?
Advantages of Self-Coaching
We should be able to take any circumstance, event, situation, or idea and be able to think it through with enough depth and perception to move it from thought into action, and then to reality, without needing to involve anyone else, shouldn’t we? We’ve done it before many times, right?
Logic says that by coaching ourselves, we have the advantage of really knowing what makes us tick, what our history is, and what our likes and dislikes really are. Nobody is better than us when it comes to knowing all about us and how we feel about us, right?
Consider these other advantages of self-coaching:
1. No time or location constraints. We always know where we are and what we are doing, so we can engage in the coaching process pretty much anytime, anywhere. We can choose the issue or the idea and start right now if we want.
2. We can choose our own process. We can choose a free-flowing approach to tackling the issue or a more structured methodology.
● We can sit our imaginary other self in a chair and engage verbally.
● We can use the written word. We can make notes.
● We can ride our bike or hike up a mountain.
● We can even record our self-to-self exchange on our phone.
3. We don’t have to conform. We don’t have to conform to someone else’s ideals or methods.
4. No need for a coach’s approval. We don’t need anyone else’s approval to take the actions we determine to be most appropriate.
Advantages of Hiring a Coach
On the other hand, how are we going to be able to challenge our own perceptions, beliefs, or old patterns of behavior? Will we ever be able to ask ourselves challenging-enough questions to influence our thoughts and processes to determine the effectiveness or efficiency of our strategies?
Then, there is the all-important action element. Are we more likely to take action on our own determinations and ideas than we are when faced with the accountability of our Coach?
And all the while, we have Albert Einstein whispering to us so succinctly ” “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
Further Thoughts…
Self-analysis and self-understanding are critical. It’s important to take sufficient time and engage with sufficient energy to review your personal situation and circumstances.
Doing this once a month to find out what’s working and what’s not and doing your best to determine what changes need to be made and where are extremely beneficial.
But if you really want change, if you really want positive outcomes, and you want them ASAP, by far your best strategy is to avail yourself of a coach. You can send your notes to your coach and ask if they can help you work through these issues as a matter of priority.
An effective coaching process is much more a cooperative, collaborative experience than a one-sided Leader/Follower arrangement.
You will get so much more out of your coaching if you can share your well-thought-through insights with your Coach. Then, they’ll be much better positioned to steer you directly and precisely towards the outcome you really want.
Self-help is truly beneficial. However, rapid, permanent, positive change is even better! If you want to get the very best out of yourself, if you want things to improve in all aspects of your life, it’s best to choose the most effective strategy and run with it.
Working with a coach that’s a good fit for you is that strategy.
