In conversing with someone today, the statement was made, “I would hire you to be my motivational coach and personal trainer if I was rich.”
I thought about this phrase after the fact and sort of laughed to myself. I think it’s safe to say we all find value in what we offer. However, I think it takes a while to realize the true value in having a life coach before you actually will commit. You cannot make someone absorb information they’re not willing to hear. But what if by actually prioritizing their expenses and investing in some motivational coaching/self help, they started to be able to see the world through a different lense. They realized that not only can they drop the weight they’re so determined to lose, but they can also overcome complications they’re having within certain relationships, or tackle some issues they’ve been facing at work, or finally cultivate the right mindset to knock out a project they’ve been putting off.
Alone, we are not powerful enough to accomplish what we set out to do. By a positive support system, we can receive the affirmation we need to take action. This is why anyone looks to hire a trainer, or health coach in the first place. They do not believe they have all the necessary tools to accomplish what they what, whether these are tangible tools like a nutrition and exercise program, or intangible like the willpower to see the task through. Regardless, they seek someone who has more skills in the specific arena they would like to advance, and they acquire the knowledge of this individual. This is also what I have heard as a concept called “deliberate practice.” You seek someone who has already taken the steps to success because they can turn turn the process of 20 steps it took for them, into 5 steps for you. Saving you time, and work. The concept of deliberate practice comes from knowing exactly what ways you need to practice in order to improve. It identifies exactly the system to practice to advance in your weak areas. For example, if someone says they want to improve their vertical jump, you don’t want to tell them to just practice jumping more. There are more practical methods you can practice like improving weak skills in order to improve your jump. You would identify a weak area to improve as your squat strength, which you would practice through strength training to advance. Once you have enhanced your strength, then you apply the new strength to your skill of jumping and see you have advanced.
However, without reaching to someone who has accomplished the skill you’ve working to improve, you would’ve never known the most efficient methods to improve your vertical jump. This saves you time and work. It’s hard to be objective with ourselves, which is why a third party can be very beneficial.
It’s not the money that I am after from people, that’s not even it at all. It’s the power I want them to realize they have in which they are in control of their own life and outcome. It’s the value that I SEE in them, and this is why it’s crazy to me to think people aren’t even willing to invest in THEMSELVES to make greater changes. And maybe they just don’t see it yet, but when they do, it will leave them feeling empowered.
Through deliberate practice, we are able to improve our skills in life. Through having a coach/mentor/outsider who can observe you in the skill and tell you where you’re weak, but know what it takes to improve because they have experienced it themselves, this will help to take your performance to the next level. This can go for any area of life. If you’re trying to get better at jumping, will you simply practice jumping more? You would if you didn’t know any better. But actually, by practicing your squat movement and building stronger legs which can produce more force, you will improve your vertical jump. Therefore, if you don’t seek a mentor who is more knowledgeable at the skill you want to improve, you won’t know if the methods in which you’re implementing to improve the skill are the most effective. I can relate this to powerlifting (the sport I practice) because there is often debate in which if one wants to improve his squat, he/she should just squat more. There is counter argument that you must take time to improve the areas of the movement in which you are weak to become greater at the full range of motion overtime. And this is the same concept which applies to improving any skill. Identify the areas where you can improve upon in the skill and emphasize those. This will be tough because they are going to push you in the part in which you’re failing at, so it will require hard work and focus. But by improving these areas, and then incorporating them into the overall skill, you will level up. This concept can be applied to any skill you would like to improve.
We need mentors, friends, and coaches to push us. To be objective. Seek someone who has a skill you would like to acquire. They will know how to do deliberate practice and accelerate learning for you to level up to an advanced level in a shorter amount of time than they did. They will help you to know HOW to most effectively practice to improve your weakness.
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