Will you, like many other people, be glued to the TV on Sunday to watch the London marathon? Every year, I’m amazed and inspired by the runners who push themselves to the limit to reach the finish line. When they make it, you can see the total elation in their faces – and you know that glow of achievement is going to last for a long time to come.
I’ve seen that glow in the faces of women who’ve come to me for coaching. Their goal may not have been to run 26.2 miles but their dream probably felt just as insurmountable at the beginning. So when they get to their finishing line – whatever that means to them – their joy is wonderful to see.
Coaching is a process that can help take you from where you are now to where you’d like to be. That could mean being the boss of your own business, getting the perfect work-life balance or emigrating to New Zealand! Of course that journey takes time and, like training for a marathon, it also requires commitment and dedication. With your goal in sight, here are a few tips to help you stay the distance…
Get support
A life coach is like a running partner. Just when you think you can’t go any further, they’ll be there to spur you on. Maybe you feel like you’ve lost your motivation or your confidence seems to have deserted you. A life coach will help you unravel your worries and concerns so that you can regain your clarity and purpose. They’ll remind you why you’re doing this and how far you’ve come already. And they can help re-energise and inspire you for the rest of your journey.
Take small steps
You can’t go from running for a bus to running a marathon overnight! In fact, the thought of it would be enough to put anybody off. Like any goal, it’s important to take small steps so you’re not completely overwhelmed by the task at hand and give up before you’ve even started. A good idea is to break your goal down into small, manageable tasks that feel realistic and achievable. Making a list is really helpful, too – when you tick stuff off you can see that you’re making progress, which feels great, releasing dopamine into your system for a natural ‘pat on the back’, and this in turn helps to boost and maintain motivation.
Be persistent
It’s easy to give up on your journey, especially when unforeseen obstacles get in the way. Try to stay positive and think about how you can get around the obstacle rather than letting it stall you completely. If a would-be marathon runner suffered a knee injury, they’d have to change their training programme to work around it. Be ready to adapt, and when things don’t go to plan, start planning a different direction or a different way of doing things. Your resilience might come as a pleasant surprise!
Keep an eye on the finish line
It’s fair to say that you’ll probably have times during your journey when it feels like a struggle. You might have had a knock back, got ill, run out of money or suffered any number of problems that make you want to give up. At times like this, remember why you’re doing this. Is it the chance to be your own boss? Is it a way of spending more time with your family? Is it the opportunity to be financially independent? Don’t lose sight of your goal and what it means to you. Visualise it. Write it down. Tell people about it. Keep the dream alive in your head and in your heart.
My dream doesn’t involve completing a marathon, but watching all those runners crossing the finishing line is a great reminder that we’re all capable of fulfilling our ambitions. If you’ve been inspired by the marathon, why not start thinking about what you’d like to achieve in your life right now. Go on – you know you can do it!
Maybe you have a goal in mind but are unsure how to get there? Perhaps you’ve tried before but got derailed and this time you really want to succeed but just need a helping hand? A Coach can help you to push the boundaries of your comfort zone and find many more options and opportunities than you may have thought possible. Contact me now for your FREE Discovery Call and find out just what you can achieve now!
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