As coaches and entrepreneurs we too can plan for our ‘podium moments’ – those moments when we punch the air and think to ourselves, ‘YES! I made it! We did it!’
These moments of celebration or arrival will be different for everyone. Whether it’s the moment you receive your coaching qualification or the first day a website goes live; it could be getting your first paying client or playing a key role in transforming someone’s life. It could even be being recognised and honoured by your peer and fellow coaching community.
One of my own podium moments came as a surprise. I had spent several months writing my first book and had always felt so excited at the thought of receiving my advance copy, hot off the press from the publishers. I expected it to be a very emotional moment. But when it finally arrived, I had seen the content in so many incarnations that it already seemed familiar. I did think, ‘Oh, that’s great’ – but it wasn’t a podium moment.
The real sense of achievement came later – when I walked into Waterstones and saw the book on display. At that point the success became real – and something to celebrate. Within that moment I became extremely uncool. I took pictures of the book; I took pictures of myself with the book; I tweeted it etc. That was a real ‘punch the air’ podium moment.
When you have an inner drive to succeed, rehearsal and preparation for the main event come as a part of the process for achievement. It’s all about getting READY.
READY
R – Resilience Athletes need to be resilient and have the ability to turn setbacks into comebacks. Coaches and business owners need the same strength of mind to drive through adversity, be flexible with their thinking, take ownership of outcomes and move on.
E – Environment You get to be the best by being with the best. If you want to become really good at something, you need to learn from people who are already good at what they do. Get to know people who are good at what they do, and put yourself in the right environment to achieve.
A – Always Improving All professional athletes know that they need to push and challenge themselves beyond comfortable limits if they are to achieve optimum fitness and gain the chance of becoming the best. The purpose of practice is to improve and refine. What can you practice today, for a better tomorrow? Are you just going through the motions – or are practising, improving and refining yourself and your business all the time?
D – Discipline Does your daily behaviour support or derail you? Those who reach the top in their profession or business have two things in common: they value their time and they are self-disciplined. Discipline is the cornerstone of all other success traits.
Y – You are the driver of your own destiny and your success. What are you planning to DO! to drive your career in the coaching industry forward?
It helps to adopt an Olympian mindset – that combines vision with positive consistent action. We are now an almost ½ way through the year. If you were to step forward to 31 December, what would you be saying when you look back on the year just passed? Will you be saying to yourself, 'Where did that time go? Doesn't time fly? Another year has gone.' Or, will you be celebrating your own podium moments - punching the air with a feeling of euphoria and saying, 'Wow that was a good year! I did well!'
In the months and the years ahead - what do you want your podium moment(s) to be? Get clear, get focused and you can make it happen!
Why not have your podium moment at our 2019 International Coaching Awards? If you're a TCA qualified coach you can apply to be honoured at our annual awards ceremony. Apply today!
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
