Surrounding yourself with the right people helps make your mission and vision statements into a reality. Last week I discussed the importance of finding a mentor, this week I will talk about the importance of having a coach in your life. A coach is different then a mentor. A mentor is someone who has walked the path you want to travel and will provide you advice and support on how to get where you want to go. A coach is someone who may or may not have been in the same field as you and instead of providing advice, the help you learn how to ask yourself the right questions in order to take yourself to the next level. I mentioned the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will help you become successful, but the most important person to your success is you. You need to learn and grow as you go through life and take control of where you are headed. A coach does this. Whether you are looking for a career coach, life coach, health coach, etc. all good coaches do the same thing, they help you unlock your own potential by asking powerful questions. These may be questions that you have never thought to ask yourself or questions you are too afraid to ask yourself. Your coach is your partner in this journey to self discovery. Your coach helps you understand what is holding you back and how you can overcome those hurdles to achieve success. They challenge you, force you to face that which you fear, and help you come up with the best ways for you to achieve the success you so desire.
Finding the right coach for you is like finding the right mentor, you have to get to know them first before you just sign up and start a relationship with them. Most coaches offer a free consultation session so the two of you can get to know each other and see if what you need them to be is what they can be for you. If you meet someone and they are not the right fit, try someone else. It is imperative that you and your coach are a great fit or success will not happen.