Want to Get Better Today? Get a Coach!
I’ve been quite reflective lately. Thinking about my life and career, I know I’ve experienced incredible success — and monumental heartache.
On the success side, personally speaking, I’d include 30+ years of marriage, reuniting with a daughter after years of estrangement, and healing from a disease that once disabled me. Career-wise, I’d name the fact that I’ve been awarded every possible honor in both the university and professional speaking arenas.
On the heartache side, I’ve faced losing my first wife, daughter, and mother — all on the same weekend. I’ve endured my father’s alcoholism, my mother’s suicide, and my brother’s imprisonment.
So as I reflected, two questions kept coming up: How did I get through all those tough times? And how did I achieve so much when it would have been easier to give up?
And then it hit me — at every significant juncture in my life, I had a coach. I wasn’t alone. I had people who listened, guided, questioned, challenged, and spoke truth into my life.
en I faced heartache, a respected business owner (and trained Stephen Minister) met with me weekly, giving his time and wisdom for as long as I needed it.
When I pursued professional success, I had my high school teacher, Virgelee LeDue, who helped me reach the state debate championships every year. Who knew she was preparing me for a future as a professional speaker?
Then came Dr. Sally Webb, my college advisor, who encouraged me to earn all my advanced degrees — and who, decades later, still checks in on me several times a year with her encouragement.
I was also mentored for decades by Dr. Sidney Simon, a best-selling author and award-winning professor. Month after month, I’d drive to his home, hike together at sunrise, cook him breakfast, and then absorb another master lesson on helping people maximize their performance. That continued until his passing at age 94.
And for 20 years, I met quarterly with a mastermind group of eight professional speakers — superstars in our field — to coach one another through every up and down in life and work.
Why am I telling you this? Because there’s no substitute for having a coach — or several — in your life.
Without a coach, you might not make it through the hard times as well or as quickly. And without a coach, you may never accomplish all you’re truly capable of.
We simply weren’t designed to know or do everything alone. We all need a coach.
All the greats know that — from sports and entertainment to business. They all have coaches and credit them for their success.
As Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, said:
“The best advice I ever got was to hire a coach… The one thing people are never good at is seeing themselves as others see them. A coach really, really helps.”
And Bill Gates added:
“Everyone needs a coach… We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”
Thankfully, coaching isn’t just for superstars anymore. Everyday people — in every profession and stage of life — are discovering that a coach can be the key to their best possible life, career, and relationships.
If you already have a coach, congratulations.
If not — get one.
And if you’re wondering how to choose the right coach, I’ve created a free one-page checklist to help you make a wise decision. It’s really really good, so I urge you to download your copy.
“How to Choose the Right Coach — Without Wasting Time or Money.”
Click here to get your free copy!
If you’ve never had a coach, or you’d just like to talk about what coaching could look like for you, call or email me. I won’t try to “sell” you anything or “pitch” anything. I promise. I’ll just give you my honest, practical answers to any questions you have.
— Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman
Dr. Zimmerman’s Tuesday Tip Issue 1319 [Tuesday Tip] Want to Get Better Today? Get a Coach!
To ask Dr. Z any question or to schedule a free consultation, email him at Alan@DrZimmerman.com.
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To receive more information on Dr. Z’s speaking, training, and leadership coaching, go to https://www.drzimmerman.com/.