Hi Friend 

People have different ideas about what coaching is.

You will have your own idea about what it is. That could have changed over the years. My ideas about coaching certainly have.

When I got my first coach, he told me exactly what to eat and what exercises to do.

This is what I thought I needed, and it worked fine when I was 'motivated'.

But when 'real life' hits (name any number of issues we as humans face – stress, anxiety, executive function deficits, emotional ups and downs, unexpected events, time constraints), we can find ourselves struggling to do everything 'perfectly'.

And if a coach is only focused on telling people what to do, clients can feel like they've failed.

I know I felt that way all those years ago when I hired my first coach. I was expected to perform like a robot, but when I didn't, I got some really obvious advice: "If you don't stick to the plan, you won't get the results."

Duh! Remind me how much I'm paying you, Sherlock!

I knew there had to be more to coaching than a training programme and diet plan.

I've got some shocking stories about coaches, including a coach whose advice resulted in a client having heart failure.

But for now, I want to leave you with a quote about coaching I love.

Yes, I can design training programmes, write nutrition plans, and adjust those as necessary to help land clients at their goals.

But this is what coaching is to me...

"Coaches help clients enhance self-motivation and self-regulation, leverage strengths, navigate a journey of change, and build other psychological resources needed to change for good, including mindfulness, self-awareness, positivity, hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience."

- Frates & Moore

I don't know about you, but I want a coach like that.

And I want to be a coach like that myself.

Best wishes,

Alan.