Do you always want to show up and be the best you can be?
What is preventing you from doing that? We recently saw many incredible athletic efforts at the Olympics in Rio. Most of those efforts and results were as a result of the traditional coaching model, between coach and athlete.
I was very fortunate to have some amazing coaches in high school and college who certainly motivated me and allowed me to achieve my peak athletic potential. Once out of school, I continued with Ironman Triathlon training and searched for a coach who had actually achieved what I wanted to achieve in the sport. I know I was a better athlete because I was coached.
Coaches can bring experience, a “view from the cheap seats” that can be hard for you as the athlete to see objectively when you are immersed in your training. Coaches objectively observe your training status and may advise you to rest even though the athlete in you wants to keep pushing.
They will optimize your performance and have proven to be an integral part of an athlete’s success. Do you know of any elite athletes who are not coached?
So let me ask you: Do you use a coach today? For anything? Why not? Why is it that most of us only associate coaching with the traditional coach/athlete model? Do you want to excel in your career as a manager? What about as a spouse or parent? Think about that. Where does the idea come from that once we hit 30, 45 or 60, there is no room to grow, improve or benefit from coaching?
Is a 45-year-old business executive who is coached seen as weak for wanting to be coached? There are certainly misperceptions out there surrounding nontraditional coaching and I don’t buy into any of them. Even those at the top of their game need guidance; it is represented everywhere success emerges.
There are many kinds of coaches such as life coaches, business coaches and health coaches. Many of us get on that hamster wheel every day, but are you fulfilled? Are you where you thought you would be? Do you have balance in your life? Are you happy and excited to face the challenges and experiences that each day brings?
The proper coach will guide you to answer these questions.
My goal is to simply plant a seed, to open your eyes to the idea that coaching could enhance your life, not just your workouts.
Coaching has certainly provided me with clearer goals, the ability to prioritize more effectively, more balance, and better health while staying present and focusing on what I can control and not on what I cannot. Why not give it a try? Maybe it’s the piece you’ve been missing to tie it all together and help you achieve your goals and aspirations. ●
Scott Forster is co-owner, vice president and COO at Magnus International Group
