As optimal as we try to make our lives, there are many things with which we all struggle at different times, even when the answers are obvious.  I’m no exception and there are many aspects of my life that I continue to work on and strive to improve each day.  I’m not perfect, nobody is.

I use coaching to help me zero in on any issue, challenge or struggle that I face, and being coached helps show me the way forward, provide the ‘ah-ha’ moment and sometimes point out the blindingly obvious.

You’ll see from my previous posts that I committed to post once a week and I haven’t been able to do it …

So what went wrong? 

When I scoured the web to understand how to drive traffic to the website, the recommendation was to write blog posts over 1,500 words as this would help with search engine optimisation (SEO).  I found that writing that amount of content was time-consuming, as it involved researching the blog post, writing it and then refining the words – all of which require about 4 hours a week.

The time commitment pushed me to the point of procrastination and finding the time to write a blog post constantly fell to the bottom of my to-do list. 

I brought this up with my coach and we explored why I was procrastinating, why the blog posts needed to be 1,500 words and what made me afraid.  Deep down, I knew that I had all the answers, but I couldn’t see the way forward.

What happened?

The penny dropped for me when I was asked, “Is it better to get your message out there, even if in 500 words, rather than not at all?”   This was a powerful question and gave me my ‘ah-ha’ moment. 

Why am I writing a blog?  To share the knowledge that I have with the world, to help people reach a state of peak performance and attract clients to my coaching practice.

Is writing 500 words better than writing nothing?  YES

I committed to writing 4 shorter blog posts over 4 days. This way, I have a stock pile of blog posts, and I will post one blog every week on the website and then share it on social media.

So, there you go, a new commitment to post a blog of c500 words every week.  Can you hold me accountable?

This is a simple example of how a coach can help you unstick something that you are procrastinating on, give you the ah-ha moment and help you find the way forward. It’s not all about sharing hacks and knowledge but about helping clients see the way forward and bring about change.

I find that being coached is invaluable and something that I will continue to seek out for the rest of my life.

3 takeaways for you:

1.  Try coaching – There are plenty of coaches in training who offer complementary or reduced fees.  I also offer a 1-hour complementary coaching session.

2. It’s better to start something and do it in a small way rather than do nothing at all.  Is there something in your life for which you could adopt this?  For example, going for a walk rather than a run, reading one page of that book rather than one chapter or meditating for 5 minutes each day rather than 20 minutes.

3. What stories are your monkey brain telling you, and are you listening to them?  What thought-limiting beliefs are holding you back?