Good ways to find a good coach.

[Tomwalked]

I'm stuck in a few places...

and really looking to step up my game to include getting some coaching sessions.
"just need a nudge" here and there.

I tend to be pretty pragmatic in my approach.

It seems to me one of the main conundrums is a coach costs $... and I need a coach because I don't have a lot of money - I want to make more.
how do we deal with that?

thanks
Tom

[aniinl]

OK, I had to read this a few times in order to understand it - and I'm still not sure if I do

I thought at first you're a coach and you don't dare to charge much, especially if people don't have a lot of money and that's the reason why they want to be coached. But now I think you are not a coach, you're looking for one, to find out how to make more money at your current job/businesss etc.

If it's the latter, from the top of my head, I can think of two things:

- Find a coach who doesn't dare to charge money to people who don't have much (OK seriously, I'm sure if you would look for coaching "students", or people who've just been certified and who want to practice, you'd find someone who would like to use you as a guinea pig You can offer them a referral or testimonial in return.)

- Read Paul McKenna's "I can make you rich". Honestly, I'm recommending this book to everyone. I'm not "rich" yet, and that's not what the book is all about, but it's like it's unlocked my brain or something and the ideas just keep pouring out... I'm working on pretty much all of them right now and they keep coming and I know if I only learn how to prioritize or juggle them all at the same time, I *will* be rich sooner or later

Anja

[Jay Budzynski]

I'm stuck in a few places... Try eating less lol Hay Tom

Here are a few questions for you to think about- while your sorting a real living coach-

So what would you being doing if being stuck was not an option? Is there anything about being stuck that is helpful to you? If so what else could you do that would give you the same result only allow you to move on? If you was to teach someone to take your place for a day How would they have to do thing's in their head, so they could be stuck in the same way? If you knew someone who was stuck in the same way what advice would you give them to become unstuck? If you had to plan to be stuck once a year for just one day what would you be doing in the meantime? if you had a clear goal for where you wanted to be say in 3-6-9 12 months from now- how would you know you had reached your main goal and all the subgoals in the between? What would tell you you had what you wanted and what would be each step before the last one all the way from that time in the future right the way up till now?

?

[Tomwalked]

HA yeah... stuck, not constipated!
and after reading Jay's response... maybe stuck is not even the right feeling description.

sorry I wasn't more clear...
but, yes, Anja, I am looking *for* a coach to coach me.

I guess, I am a little nervous about the coaching process...
nervous that I will be seen as a failure; nervous to allow people into my inner workings; nervous to waste money; impatient with getting the coach up-to-speed on where and what I'm doing; impatient with the possibility of getting bad advice or just a *dumb-coach* (that's why I'm asking here... no-one here is a dumb-coach).

I have Michaels book, "you can have what you want", I have read a number of really GREAT ideas and things from authors for years...
I feel like I have *ALL* the information I need - i know there is always more to know, explore and do - so, I'm not quiting - I just don't really know what to do with it...
does that make sense?

so... I feel like finding a trusted person who speaks *my language* comfortably and easily who can nudge me when I need that, slaps my ass when I need that and gives me space when I need that - is what I'm wanting.

but... my question is how do you find that?
where do I look and what questions do I ask, what research do I do?
I am more comfortable with in person consultation - I am more likely to hear it deeply in person.

[aniinl]

I guess, I am a little nervous about the coaching process...
nervous that I will be seen as a failure; nervous to allow people into my inner workings; nervous to waste money; impatient with getting the coach up-to-speed on where and what I'm doing; impatient with the possibility of getting bad advice or just a *dumb-coach* (that's why I'm asking here... no-one here is a dumb-coach).

What's "dumb coach"? What would that coach do, so he would fall into that category?
You know, I had a coach 2 years ago and I just called her and told her "I wanna be coached. I have no issues that I can think of, but I want to become a coach, so I want to work with one first to see what it's like." That was it. In our first (free consultation) session she just asked me a couple of questions about my life, and in no time we had LOTS of areas that needed improvement...
In hindsight, I don't think she was a "GREAT" life coach, meaning she didn't blow me away with big NLP stuff or some cool life changing tools, but I left every session uplifted and inspired. And later I did notice how much I got done and that the biggest part of the coaching actually really does happen in between the sessions. Because you do it yourself. The coach is just there to stimulate the process, to open your mind, give you new perspectives or whatever it takes to get you to move forward.
I noticed later that she was a fantastic corporoate coach. Much better than a life coach. So maybe in your "map of the world" she would fall into the category "bad coach", still, she did a lot for me and my money was not wasted.

No-one will see you as a failure. If you're inspired to move forward, the sessions will be just as inspiring for your coach.

I feel like I have *ALL* the information I need -

I just don't really know what to do with it...

I think most coaches offer free consultation sessions. Why don't you call a few, tell them exactly that and see with which one you click most? It's likely that you will "speak the same language" with most of them, since you are into all of this stuff and it's great for the coach's relationship with you if you are kind of on the same level as them already.
 
Good luck
Anja

[Clark]

Hi Tom,

Seems to me yu are getting some good inexpensive coaching right here on how to find a coach .

If you don't have too much that is too personal, go ahead and ask away, I'm sure you'll get plenty of free coaching right here.


One question I would ask you is: where are you NOT stuck?

Clark

[Tomwalked]

.

If you don't have too much that is too personal, go ahead and ask away, I'm sure you'll get plenty of free coaching right here.

thanks for the advice... although...
most of it is somewhat personal
for me... to open up, I need to trust, I need to feel like I am amongst friends...
except for a few exceptions... not there yet with the denizens of this forum...

and too... one of the appeals of a non-on-line coach (in person) is eye contact.
for me much is lost on-line... a lot is lost on phone... but much is revealed in person.
(like the obvious tongue-in-cheek-ness of using a term like "dumb coach").




.

[Tomwalked]

.


and I guess just to say....

for the first time in my 45 years, I went to a therapist earlier this year, and was really amazed at how badly it went.

ultimately, I walked away wiser, and smarter for it...
but... I really would like to find a good coach.

and I guess... since every second or third person here *IS* a coach...
I thought I could get some perspective.

[Jay Budzynski]

Hi Tom

How close to Santa cruz (CA) are you? Robert Dilts has the NLP university there- www.nlpu.com you could send them an e-mail/phone them for someone appropriate to work with- they will have a list of coaches and Practitioners etc.

J 

PS If you look at the small PDF I posted this is the profile set up I use when I do formal coaching- which is rare- yet it might be helpful to you to focus on what specifically you would want out of a coaching session.

[Tomwalked]

.




I was able to reconnect with someone I met with a few years back.
I got a grant to work with "at-risk" youth to do a wonderful art project.
Part of the grant package (money plus...) was to choose to participate in workshops about various art/business practices, or meet "one-on-one" with career coaches.
since I'm kind of a know-it-all, I felt like I would be better served getting very specific... with a coach.

she was able to help me dial in and refine some processes I needed help with.

One of the first thing I had to deal with that I thought was interesting, is the cost.
I have never paid anyone, for any professional service as much as I am paying her.

Interesting, because... I want to get paid more... I want to get paid as much as I pay her... and so.. If I want to get paid that much, I want to feel comfortable paying someone else that much.

good lesson.







.

[aniinl]

Congratulations, Tom!
 
Sounds like the universe really delivered - a great project that brought a coach along with it Win-Win

Anja