How To Change A Weak Start To A Strong Beginning

“Good seasons start with good beginnings.” – Sparky Anderson

I have know of many people who have desired to become a life coach and to make this their main line of business, however, were unprepared for the challenges they have faced.  Have you, since becoming a life coach, felt that you were not really prepared for the difficulties there are in starting a coaching business?  Do not despair.  Most of us start off weak, but you can regroup, prepare and have a strong beginning.

                There is a difference between starting and beginning.  Starting is when we first get the idea to go into a life coaching business.  It is the idea stage and for most people it is the weakest area they face.  We are coaches.  Our love to the help people to achieve their dreams and to be the best they can be.  Most of us are not business people.  We know little about starting a business, we hate marketing and we do not do the best job at self promotion.  In starting off, all these weaknesses come to the top and seem to be overwhelming at time.

                Time for a new beginning.  Our beginning is when we actually start the thing we do best - coaching.  This is what we trained for; what we love to do; and what we feel strong in doing.  When we are coaching, we do not think in terms of business or marketing, we just enjoy the flow and go forward.

                So, the question is, how do we move from the business part of coaching to the coaching part?  After all, it is our business.  That is true, but I believe there are ways we can approach this in order to achieve the best possible outcome.

                The first thing we need to accept is that there is a difference between building a career and building a business.  You want to ask yourself, "Why do I want my own business?"  Now there are many reasons why we want to have our own business.  We want to be independent; we want to do the thing we love; we want to make a good living.  The real question needs to be, "Why do I need my own business?"  For some, it is in fact the building of the business that attracts them.  That is find.  But in my experience that is not true for most coaches.  We want to coach.

                I suggest that you first start by building your coaching practice and not your coaching business.  Begin where you are at, build from there.  Do you have any clients?  If not, why not?  Get someone to coach so that you are actively doing the thing you desire to do.  Even if you coach a friend for free, you are coaching.  It is a strange reality but the more you coach the more people will come to you for coaching.  Let's face it, to start a coaching business before you have coaching clients is putting the cart before the horse.

                Work first in your strength, coaching.  Do not worry about the business part, in time that will come.  Here is the good news, if you build enough client base to require your own business you will have the resources to hire someone else to do the work you are weakest in. 

                You do not need your own office, business address or even business card to start coaching.  You just need people who need your help, and there is no shortage of them.  Get the word out through your friends, social media and church.  Speak at churches and business meetings when you can.  Most of all, be the very best coach you can be and people will hear about it.

                Start today by giving your best to the clients you have or offering help to friends and family.  Learn all you can about coaching, practice you skills as much as you can.  Be your best in life and others will want what you know.  The business will come, if it is to come.  Now is not the time to worry about that.  Live in your strengths and do what you do best.  That is what God has called you to and gifted you with.  All else are just distractions.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

The Life Coach And Time

“The difference between a job and a career is the difference between forty and sixty hours a week.” – Robert Frost

Time.  It seems like a constant battle we face and one we never seem to win.  Each one of us struggle to get as much time as we can to achieve our goals and dreams, and yet, we find there is no more to get.  Nothing follows the rule of nature more than time.  There are always exceptions to the rules.  Even gravity has been defied at times, but not true for time.  There has always been, and always will be, 60 seconds in the minute, 60 minutes in the hour and 24 hours in the day.  You, no matter how clever, intelligent, wealthy or powerful you are, get no more and no less.

                We have books, seminars and teachings of all manner about time management.  The truth is, you cannot manage time at all.  It does not give itself to tricks or formulas, you can only manage yourself.  It is what you do in the time you have (which is the same for everyone) that matters.  For the person seeking to become a full-time life coach, this is critical to understand just what time means to you and how you can work within its boundaries for your benefit.

                Since time cannot be changed, added to or manipulated, we must learn how to use and work with time.  There are three key areas that every person (although I am addressing coaches here) needs to focus on when facing the issue of time.  These are: accepting time, using time, and respecting time.

Accepting Time

                The well known Serenity Prayer is: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference."  There is great freedom and hope in the knowledge of what you can and cannot change.  Most things in life you can change and it is the help to bring about that change that we as coaches do.  However, two very key things cannot be changed, one is the past and the other is time.

                Accepting that which cannot be change is important when looking at the past.  You can learn from the past, you can forgive the past and sometimes you can even correct past mistakes, however you cannot change the past.  We must accept that truth and move forward.  Too many people are stuck in life trying to relive or change the past somehow.  Since it cannot be done, they cannot move on. 

                In much the same way, we need to accept the fact that we cannot change time.  Hours are wasted trying to think of ways to get more time.  It will not happen.  Every minute you spend trying to save time you lose time.  Once that minute goes by you lose it forever; it will never be lived again.  There is a great freedom in knowing that you have the same time as everyone who has or ever will live.  Many have made wonderful use of that time and have achieved great things.  You can too.  You will find that those who make the most of their time and the people who do not worry about how much of it they have.

Using Time

                I would say that the best way to make every minute count is to have a plan and follow that plan.  Twenty minutes of planning will save you hours of wasted and misused time.  Have a schedule and follow it.  Protect yourself from interruptions and time stealers (that is another subject for a later time).  Do not start you day thinking you will deal with things as they come along.  Start the day knowing what you will achieve and them, achieve it.

                Here is a bit of an exercise for you.  Take one day and keep track of all you do.  I mean everything.  When you eat, sleep, read, use the bathroom, everything.  Note the time you start and finish so you have a tally of the time.  Now, review that list at the end of the day and total the time that you wasted or misused.  You will find that will be hours of the day.  Now, list all that you need to do to be productive.  The next day, fill the time you wasted with these things and you will see that you have accomplished so much more and you got no more time than you had before.

Respect Time

                Few things are more valuable to you than your time.  It needs to be treated with respect and care.  That goes for the time of others as well.  One of the greatest harms we do to each other is not respecting each other's time.  If you have an appointment, be on time.  Make punctuality a value in your life.  People treat not being punctual as if it were something to joke about.  "I am never on time." or "I am always early."  Just be on time.  This is not that difficult of issue to solve.

                I know that some like to set a clock ten minutes early thinking that helps them be on time.  That is really silly when you think of it.  What do you think of when you look at the clock?  "I still have ten minutes."  Just be honest with yourself and know when you must be at an appointment and be there.

                This habit needs to be taught to your clients as well.  Stress to them that being punctual is critical to your relationship.  If they are late, they will need to make another appointment.  I always have things to do before an appointment so that if someone is late, I have not lost any productive time.  I will give ten to fifteen minutes grace for an appointment (I do not tell them that) but after that I move on and they must reschedule.  Of course, if they call with a actual reason why they will be late I will accommodate them.  Again, I will have things to do if plans should change.

                Your time is valuable.  You cannot replace it, save it or give it away.  Use it wisely and you will be productive and content.  We do not know how much time the Lord will entrust to us on this earth, but we do know that the time we get is all ours.  It is a wonderful gift and needs to be treated that way.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Making On-Line Coaching A Bit More Human

“Communication - The human connection - is key to personal and career success.” – Paul J. Meyer

I love technology.  In fact, when it comes to my coaching, I could do little without it.  Few of my clients are close by, most are throughout the country or overseas.  Where it is wonderful to be able to connect with people at great distances, it does offer many challenges.  The main one of course is to make the coaching experience intimate and personal while actually being thousands of miles away.

                Coaching is a personal experience.  When we are trying to help someone, it is important to be able to connect with then on a personal level.  You want to look them in the eyes, watch body language and smile when they share something funny.  This is hard to do from a key board.  Coaching by email or letter can be helpful, but no more helpful than reading a book.  When a client seeks to find a coach, they really are not looking for a book, they want something more.

                I have discovered a few things that work for me and my clients.  They allow us to connect on a more personal level, meet face to face and to develop a rapport.  Allow me to share just a few.

                It all starts with Skype or some other on line meeting program.  I like Skype because it is easy to use, it is free to download and if you and the client have it, the call is free.  When I get a new client, I ask them to get Skype if they do not already have it (I find that many people already do).  I them tell them they need a camera and microphone for our meetings.  I let them know that we will need to see each other if we are to do this right.  I then have them contact me and I add them to my contacts and we are ready to go.

                That is the technical part.  Easy enough.  But how do you make it personal and helpful?  Here are three keys to connecting with your client on-line:

Key One:  Keep It Professional

                When you meet with someone on-line, treat it the same way you would if they were coming to your office.  The truth is, they are coming to your office.  Be dressed in a professional manner.  Never, I say never, get on line to coach in your pajamas.  You laugh, but it has been done many times.  This is a coaching session and someone is paying for your time.  Dress for work and be professional.

Key Two:  Keep It Personable

                When you are meeting with a client, stay in front of the camera so that they can see more than just your face.  We like to use our hands when we talk and by allowing enough room to move a bit makes the client feel you are in the room with them.  Be friendly, look at the client, not the computer screen.  Talk to them and smile.  Treat it as if you were in the same room.  Do not be talking to them and sending an email at the same time.  This time is theirs and theirs alone.  Behave the same way you would if the person was sitting across a desk or table from you.

Key Three:  Keep It Private

                When you are on-line, hold your meetings in a private area like your office.  Do not meet in coffee shops or in a room where there are other people.  Just as you would not meet them in person in such a place, be even more careful on-line.  Coaching is a very personal matter and you want your client to feel that you respect them and you can be trusted.  Being in an office gives a back ground that will also help in making the experience more professional for the client.  Be sure you have a background that is neat and pleasant.  Don't be talking with a chair behind you that has a dirty pair of socks flung over it.

                It is easy to make the on-line experience more human and pleasant for your clients.  Being able to meet with people all over the world and country is a wonderful thing.  Treat it as such.  Do not allow the power of technology to make you lazy or uncaring.  Do not fear technology either.  We have to face the fact that things are changing and it really is for the better.  Embrace it and develop it.  Always be finding ways to make the coaching experience great for your clients and for yourself. 

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Mistakes Go In / Improvement Comes Out

“Coaching involves observing your people's performance, praising progress, and redirecting efforts that are off base.” – Ken Blanchard & Bill Hybels

No one like to hear how bad they are doing.  Even worse, to hear that you are just okay.  We all know the feeling when we have tried to do something and it isn't just right.  Trying to be encouraging, someone we care about tells us, "That okay.  You'll do better next time."  That is supposed to make us feel better but in reality we feel like giving up.

                I believe a better word for a coach is an encourager.  We are here to come alongside people and help them do their best.  The trick is in having the ability to recognize what "their best" is.  Just because someone may have the knowledge and skills to do well, does not mean they always will.  Things like confidence, fear and belief all come into play.

                This is especially true when someone is starting out on something new.  As a coach you know that they can do this.  You know your client well enough to know that they are capable of great things.  However, you also know that they are not as certain of this fact as you are.  Do not come at them with a hearty, "What is wrong with you?  I know you can do this, get off your buff and start making it happen."  This may work for a football coach but not a life coach.  Yes you want to get them moving, however you will get farther by inspiring them than by assaulting them.

                One of the keys to good coaching is to know how to praise progress.  You rejoice and encourage the little victories and then help them to aspire to something greater.  Here is an example.  Let's say (and I will use a coaching example again since we can all relate) your client is starting a coaching business.  You have told them that they need to become better known as a coach so people will be drawn to them.  Your assignment was to do something, write an article, speak somewhere, something to show themselves as the expert.  At the next visit. you ask them about it and all they have done is post a few small things on Facebook.

                Inside you may want to say, "Just what do you think that is going to accomplish?  Do something worthwhile."  But being the encourager you are, instead you say, "That is great.  Did you get any likes?  Did anyone respond to it.  Keep it up and you will start making this work."  Next, you give them another assignment.  This time it is a bit more direct.  Let's say you get them to start a blog.  Make it one thing and attach it to what they have done.  This way as they move forward they are in fact doing the next step, not redoing the first one right.

                There are always positive ways to encourage people to move forward.  Remember too, if they did not properly complete an assignment, it may have been the wrong assignment.  Know your clients learning style, and how they best respond to instruction.  If you work with them to succeed, they will not disappoint you.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

Here's Your Chance At Greatness

“Great moments are born from great opportunities.” – Herb Brooks

When you start telling Christians that they can be great, especially those in ministry or service areas, they tend to react as if you asked them to take off their cloths and dance on a table.  I am a person who believes in success, personal achievement and yes, greatness.  When I speak in a church or for a Christian group, without fail someone will come to me and say, "We are not to be great."  Really?  What Bible are you reading.

                My Bible tells me that I was made in the image of the greatest being that ever was.  In fact, I was chosen by my Creator to be part of His great master plan for all mankind.  To me, that says there is nothing I cannot do, with excellence, that God has called me to.  Yes, I have fallen short - very shot.  I have sinned and disobeyed Him over and over again.  Yet, His plan for me was such that He sent His only Son, innocent and flawless, to die on my behalf so that I can complete the plans He has for me.  I find that too amazing for words.

                As coaches, we are here to help those who come to us understand that they can fulfill God's plan for their lives.  Our task is to encourage, develop and motivate those who come our way to be their very best for God.  How can we do that if we really believe that we cannot be our best.  I believe that the greatest discoveries in the world can and will be made by Christian people.  But how can that be if we tell them that cannot become great.

                Understand that greatness is not an ego thing.  Ego tells us that we are better than everyone else and that all others are inferior.  Ego does not require action or fact, it just requires one to believe more in themselves than in God or other people.  Greatness on the other hand takes work and thought and the awareness that you can, in fact, do all things through Christ.  Greatness does not require for us to be perfect.  It only requires that we do our very best.  It requires that we be excellent, and that is not perfect.  Does God deserve anything less from us?

                As you are coaching others to pursue their dreams and all that God has for them, encourage them to be great.  You too my friend, you be great.  Each and every person you talk to allows you an opportunity to be a part in what God has for them.  That is an awesome privilege and should be treated as such.

                I have often prayed that God did not have to allow me to change the world, I just want to find the person who will.  I see every person I come in contact with as someone who may be the one to change it all.  They may be used to find a cure for cancer, to discover the unknown or walk on other planets.  God is capable of anything so I should never limit what He can do in others.  See people this way and it will change the way you treat them and help them.

                We as coaches have the great blessing to pour into the lives of others the fuel they need to move forward.  What we are not given is the knowledge of what God will do with that person.  You could be talking to a Jonas Sulk, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan or a Billy Graham.  You do not know so you must see each as someone who God will do great things with.  By doing that, you allow Him to do great things with you.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

A Little Help Makes A Big Change

“All coaching is, is taking a player where he can't take himself.” – Bill McCartney

I have to admit, there are some books I have read on coaching that were excellent and extremely helpful.  There were others that, frankly, made the whole process so completed and involved that I just wanted to give up all together.  Have you faced that dilemma?  Have there been times that you find the coaching process so complicated that you know you are not ready for this and it might be best to seek another profession?

                I have good news for you.  Life Coaching is not that complicated.  In fact, it is a very natural process.  Coaching is just a case of helping people achieve things in their lives they cannot seem to do on their own.  We all need help from time to time.  Even the coach needs help.  Coaches are just people who have a passion to help other people.  They are the ones who give that little push some need to get things going.  They are not therapists, prophets or police.  They are not telling people what to do, they are helping them do what most already know to do.

                This is not saying that coaching is so simple anyone can do it and there is no need for training.  Believe me, and I know you are well aware of this, not anyone can coach.  There are people who may have great knowledge, but no compassion or desire to work with others.  Since coaching is helping people to do for themselves what needs to be done, it takes very special people to do it.  Those who must control or have their own way all the time need not apply.

                I am so grateful for the fantastic training that is available to those who seek to be coaches.  Life Breakthrough Coaching and the American Association of Christian Counseling both have outstanding programs.  Training is a must, however, you will find in both cases, it is not complicated or lofty.  It is down to earth, common sense teaching on how to help people help themselves.

                Studies have shown that Life Coaching is very effective in giving those who wish to make a change in their lives the needed backing to move forward.  We all know that there are many things that we do not understand or even know about in life.  Take being a coach for example.  When coaches call me for help it is usually in how to develop and build their coaching practice.  Why do they need help?  Many know how to help others and how to be a good coach, what they do not know is how to build a business.  They need help in that area.  Many others just need a bit of confidence building to help them venture off into that very scary frontier of self-employment.

                As a coach, my job is not to fill out their paperwork, develop their business plan or set their goals.  My job is to help them organize their thoughts and develop their habits to do all this themselves and still enjoy the process.  I offer help and support.  That is what a coach does.  We do not have to have all the answers, only the right questions to get all the answers.  People are usually amazed on just how much they already knew, they just needed help in seeing it.

                As you develop your coaching practice, remember that you are there to help, not to know it all.  If you have a heart for others and desire to help them succeed; if you trust in God for direction and keep your heart and mind open to Him, you will be a great coach.  Keep learning, keep trusting and keep seeking the good of others.  The world needs.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey

The Price Of Success

“You cannot coach a player to achieve something that he or she isn't committed to achieving.” – Porche' & Niederer

Life coaching can be one of the most satisfying professions in the world.  You are allowed to come alongside people who have dreams and desires and help them find ways to make those dreams and desires become reality. 

                Life coaching can also be one of the most frustrating and thankless jobs that one could choose to follow.  You invest time and energy into people who do not listen to your advice; who make the same mistakes over and over again; and who have no intention of every really succeeding at anything.  They are willing to pay you for your service, but they are not willing to actually follow the advice they pay for.

                So where is the balance for the life coach?  At what point do you see your work as a way to earn a living and when do you see it as a waste of time and energy.  This question seems easy to answer, but hold on.  For the person who have launched out into coaching and it is their livelihood, the bold statement of "I do not do this for the money" takes on a who different perspective.

                Don't get me wrong here.  I do not believe that most coaches are in this for the money.  Most have a deep desire to help people and feel this is what God has called them to do.  I also don't believe that people who seek coaching desire just to give their money away and get nothing back for it.  Most who seek out a Life Coach desire to move forward and expect to do so.  What I am saying however is that we all are faced with those who do not follow advice, who do not intend to succeed in life and who do pay our salaries.

                One of the best things any coach can do for themselves and for their clients is to cover this issue before there is any agreement to coach and before any money or time is spent.  When I have a new client I always allow our first meeting to be free.  They know when they come to me that this meeting is just a "get to know you" time.  I am not there to coach, advise or give assignment.  We talk for only 30 minutes so I know if I can help them and they know if they want me to.

                Let your perspective client know that you have no desire to waste their time or money.  You will not be doing the work for them, but will coach them along the way to achieve their dreams and desires.  Let them know that you will be giving them work to do and that you expect them to do it if they want to make this relationship successful.  This way you have stated your expectations and they have also allowed you to know what they expect from you.

                Never fear or hesitate to let a perspective client know that you do not believe you will be a good match.  If you expect that they do not intend to follow you help, or that it is just not a good match, do not agree to coach them.  Help them find another coach that can help them or even let them know that they are not ready for coaching at this time and look you up later.

                You will save yourself a lot of trouble, time and energy by just being a bit more selective in your clients.  Yes this is your business and it is always hard to turn business away, however, the price you pay now is nothing compared to what it would cost you to have a stream of failed clients.  Author and speaker Zig Ziglar wisely said, "You don't pay the price for success - you pay the price for failure.  You enjoy the benefits of success."

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey