What's stopping you?

Life is full of twists and turns and I often hear people talking about whether they have made the 'right' choice. Or worse still, waiting until they are certain before they make a decision, Often we forget that not 'deciding' is still making a decision, its just making a decision to stand still and wait. They somehow feel that by not choosing to change is a safer option.

So what is it that you aren't doing that would make a difference to your life? And what is stopping you making that change? Some people have a goal that they want to achieve, and they know how to get there. And even more people have a goal, but aren't sure how to achieve it. The goal seems too big, or too hard, or they just find starting seems almost impossible. If that sounds like you, then its time to get a coach.

There are many good reasons why coaching is increasingly popular and why you will find coaching is right for you. For those at the top of their game, a coach provides a safe space to explore ideas, and challenge their thinking. The best leaders have coaches as a means of reflecting and staying at their best. But its not just executives that benefit from coaching. Anyone who has a goal they are not yet achieving will find support in coaching to refine and define their goal more clearly, and support to get started on the first steps. What is it costing you by not achieving your goals?

Goals are easy, well relatively easy! Achieving goals takes effort, and if you are willing to make the effort to achieve the things you want in life, then help is out there (or in here). But what about those of you who don't have a goal?

Some people naturally move towards things they want. They tend to be the people who set themselves goals. And other people naturally move away from things they don't want. We are all somewhere on that spectrum. Neither is right or wrong but it is important to know that there is a difference. If you have ever found that you have set yourself a goal, at work or in your personal life, and just don't come anywhere close to achieving it; if you find that you just don't seem to have any motivation to propel you, then it might just be that you are one of the very many people who move away from consequences rather than towards goals.

Does that mean you can't achieve something you want? No! It just means you need to approach it a little differently. The difficulty with people who move away from consequences, is that you can move away in a multitude of different directions. And assuming that you move away in the direction of the thing you do want - how do you stay motivated? The further you get from the consequences you will find that your motivation falls away. Guess what? You need a coach!

If you realise that you are one of the many people who 'move away' rather than towards, the good news is you can still achieve your goals. And if you choose to use a coach to assist you, when you are choosing them, make sure when you talk to them that they understand the difference in the way you are motivated. The job of the coach is to work with you for who you are, and help you to find your best answers to what you want from life.

As a client said to me recently, after her second coaching session, "I just can't believe I didn't do this sooner. The coaching is so beneficial." So what's stopping you?