Mentoring or Life Coaching

It’s amazing that so many people and small businesses refuse to use a coach or consultant, often believing they’ve got a complete handle on things. In other words, people have a lot of pride and want to sing it out, “I did it my way!”

What a lot of people may not know or understand is that, even if they got a reputable coach or mentor, they’re still responsible for making the final decisions regarding their actions. It’s just that by using a coach, they’re doing it with some added thought or suggestions that they may not have previously considered.

We all have mentors in our lives. Even the mentors have mentors. Really, would you believe that Donald Trump had a mentor? His mentor turned out to be his father, but even still, he eventually outgrew and prospered far greater than his mentor. It was Donald’s father who had experience and, while doing what he did best, Donald got to observe.

Some of the biggest names on Wall Street have had mentors or coaches. Very successful entrepreneurial businessmen and women across the country have used life coaches. Back in the day, even billionaire, Aristotle Onasis, the great shipping magnate, had a right hand man that he conferred with before taking any and all actions. Still, Ari did what Ari wanted, though his confidant walked him through the resulting possibilities before hand.

So why would these wealthy businessmen who all seem to be of intelligence, use a mentor or life coach? Because they understood that they are partial to their ideas and need to see those ideas from another perspective. Why don’t they just ask a family member for their thoughts? Really? Would you ask a family member for anything as important as your future? Though some people do have good family members that can give good advice, most do not.

One of the most evident reasons one should never go to a family member for advice is because they know you too well on an emotional level. Often times family will shoot your dreams down because of their own inability to meet life with an exuberant flare.

When people know you on an emotional level, such as a sibling, they will discuss your endeavor on the facts that they have perceived. If they have known you to get involved in five other venues and not be successful at any, then they will bring this up, “what makes you think you can do that when you couldn’t do it then?”

Life coaches or mentors are there to present the possibility of your actions. They are not there to agree or coddle you just because you pay them a few bucks. You’re not supposed to get emotionally involved with your coach. Just the facts!

When working with a client, the coach should be helping to set up realistic goals. Have you ever heard of a one hit wonder? A one hit wonder refers to a band that goes from a no-name group to the top of the charts, almost overnight. Then, you rarely if ever, hear from them again. The reason they become the one hit wonder is because when building a business (bands are a business) it’s essential to go step by step on the way to the top. Just like a staircase, one step at a time. Well, the one hit wonders go from the bottom step to the top without knowing all of the steps in between. They don’t know how they got to the top, they don’t understand the business because they never had to do the real work.

A mentor or life coach explains these types of issues and helps you to build a life or business that is grounded on a stable foundation with positive and measurable results each step of the way. Whether one utilizes a coach for financial gain or personal achievements, the money spent should always be commensurate with absolute measurable results. Are you reaching your goals? Are your stats heading to affluence? Are you achieving better results in your field of expertise? Does your mentor make you feel empowered or like you’re a follower?

There are obviously different types of coaches and consultants with varying degrees of cost, but more important than the money one spends, will be the results achieved. A client’s success should always pay him back in either peace of mind or monetary gain. Whatever changes are made, they should reflect a new way of handling life or business regardless if the coach or consultant is around.