Why Do I Need A Coach?

I am writing this article for busy lawyers, entrepreneurs and professionals so I don’t want to waste time beating around the bush; this article will be short and sweet. In one word the answer to why you need a coach is “ACCOUNTABILITY”. It is the one thing 99% of professionals can’t do on their own, and with good reason.  It is nearly impossible to stop your own brain from fooling you and coming up with excuses. It’s like seeing yourself objectively in the mirror: you can’t. Your brain blocks your bad parts and your eyes focus on the “not so bad”.  It’s why you don’t change your diet, lose weight, spend time on tedious but necessary tasks, etc. You cannot hold yourself accountable. You are too good at fooling yourself.

Only another person can hold you accountable, especially someone whom you have hired specifically to help you reach your goals.  Have you ever noticed how you behave when people you respect or want to impress are around? You dress differently, make yourself up differently, talk differently, even clean your house differently.  Just being around those people has you holding yourself to a higher standard.

A coach is the second best means of making you accountable.  The best way is to have a boss or better yet, a military commanding officer, if you are in the military.   In those examples, the goals of the employee or soldier may not align with the person holding them accountable, but there is no doubt that the boss’s wants and goals will be met.

It is easy to set goals and commit yourself to reaching them.  That’s why hundreds of millions of people set amazing, lofty goals with the help of gurus who tell them to “shoot for the moon” and that “anything is possible if they just imagine it.”  Why do 99.99% of the people who do this never even come close to reaching their goals? The main reason is accountability. It’s the difference between doing what you say you are committed to doing and letting your feelings and moods talk you into waiting one more day — and then another.

A good coach should hold you to your commitments.  It’s a process and a ‘muscle’ must be built. It takes time to get you to the point where following through on your commitments is easier than not doing so.  It’s fun, maybe one of the funnest things you can do. You can wake up in the most horrible mood with the most hopeless feelings and an hour later, having accomplished several things you are committed to, feel like you can conquer the world.  

Accountability to your commitments is why most people need a coach.  Having a coach puts at your disposal a person who is 100% committed to helping you overcome real and imagined obstacles to reach your goals.