by Wendy Ida | Mar 14, 2018 | Blog, Take Back Your Life
THE BEST KEPT SECRET TO REACHING YOUR GOALS!!
Are you feeling stuck while others seem to be getting their groove on? Have you ever wished you could press the fast-forward button to reach your goals and dreams too? Well, believe it or not, YOU CAN!
So have no fear because the answer is clear. The fact is… you may need a coach!
The best of the best have coaches. Actors like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Denzel Washington all have coaches. Business moguls like Larry Page of Google and Howard Shultz of Starbucks have coaches. That’s why they are great! I have a coach, too–and it has made all the difference in helping me move ahead at a faster pace.
What does a coach do?
When you commit to a big life change, getting a coach may not be the first thing you think of. There are so many do-it-yourself guides, apps, websites, gyms, classes…. With all the information and tools out there, you can put together your own program. Right?
Well, maybe some can. There are lots of things people can do on their own. But it may be harder than it has to be. And the results won’t be as good or lasting as they could be. And the risk of failure–or giving up–are high! (Ask an experienced real estate agent how “For Sale by Owner” home sales work, and they’ll tell you: “Not well!”)
In the 1800s, the word “coach“ was college slang for someone that helped “carry” a student over the finish line with exams. It was later used with sports teams, but originally it meant a one-on-one relationship. Someone that gets from where you are now to where you want to be in the future–that’s a coach, pure and simple.
A coach’s specific qualifications will depend on the subject area, but in all cases the coach brings three things to the table: structure, accountability, and my favorite: MOTIVATION!
Structure
A coach’s job is to help you get to your goal. This means, first, helping you understand your desires and set a good, achievable, realistic end goal–as well as interim goals to keep you on track.
What do I mean “achievable” and “realistic”? Think of it like this: if you’re five feet tall and an adult past your growing years, then “being 5’8″ tall” is not a reasonable, achievable, or realistic goal for you! (No matter how much milk you drink or visualization you practice!) Working seriously toward that goal is only likely to make you less healthy and less happy–and anyone who says they can help you probably doesn’t have your best interests at heart.
As a coach, I would want to know instead, “Why do you say you want to be taller? What do you mean? What are you seeing in your head?” Is it a healthier you? More confident? Poised? Successful? Well, that’s different! Those are achievable–and height has nothing to do with them.
Besides understanding your desires and setting goals, a coach also helps you understand and tackle the work to get there. This is important, because there is so much information out there–some good, some not so good. You could read a whole library of books before finding an approach that works for you. Or… you can talk to a coach, who has read lots of those books, put those methods–and others–to the test, and helped people in circumstances similar to yours.
“Today we’ll start with X and go on to Y…” “Next week, we’ll talk about Z…” A coach brings structure by setting the agenda–for the month, the week, the day, the hour, or just the next ten minutes–so you don’t have to stop and figure out what to do next. Instead you can keep your momentum and energy focused on working hard.
Accountability
This brings me to another thing every coach provides. Progressing along your path to success requires accountability. This CANNOT be overstated. If structure is the roadmap, accountability is what keeps you tuned up and ready to roll.
You might think you can have accountability by yourself or with an app. Well, let’s think about that. An app–like a book or a checklist–is just a tool for focusing your own willpower. It can be a good place to start. It can provide a little structure, maybe nag you with notifications. But when things get hard, it’s easy for you to stop checking in–to ignore or turn off the notifications, or even delete the app. And no one is there to ask you why!
Change is hard. Relying on your willpower alone can make you feel like a failure when things get tough. Face-to-face accountability with a real, human coach can keep you going even when you feel tired or frustrated.
What about a friend or group of friends? Again, yes, to a point. It is important to have friends that support you. But when you leave your comfort zone and start making tough changes, a friend may not be able to give you the accountability you need. After all, they like you and want to help–and seeing you struggle can be hard. A coach accepts the responsibility to push you even when it’s uncomfortable, and to encourage you even when you complain! This does not mean they will harm you–a good coach will never bully, belittle, or injure you, or push you to injure yourself. But when you experience discomfort (and you will!) she can help you deal with it and understand why it’s happening.
Motivation
So a coach gives you structure by confirming your destination and mapping out a way to get there. A coach also brings accountability, especially when things get tough. But there’s more. A coach gives you motivation. This is what keeps you moving down the path toward your goal–cheering you along, setting the next hurdles, and giving you perspective by reminding you why you wanted to change, and helping you see how far you’ve gone. A coach can’t do the work for you–that’s your job. But she can provide the structure to help you grow, get out of your comfort zone without getting hurt, and stay motivated.
So if you’re thinking about making a change in your life–a real, lasting, substantial change–a coach can give you the structure, accountability, and motivation you need to cross the finish line and embrace the future you desire and deserve.
Go for it! Put a coach in your back pocket today!
SaveSave
by Wendy Ida | Apr 29, 2016 | Blog
You know how I am always giving you guidance on how to Take Back Your Life? Well, beyond having a healthy and fit body, there is more to do if you want to make that happen. Finances are one area I want to focus on this week. So let me introduce you to René Nourse, Founder of Urban Wealth Management. She is the ultimate professional who knows her stuff inside out. You may have seen her on CNBC, and if you have, you can appreciate how she guides you financially in language you can understand. Let me also not leave out that René is my client, too. So she truly believes in keeping her finances in shape as well as her body.
Chances are, if you’re serious about your health and fitness, you’re probably using some type of tool to keep you on track. You might be working with a personal trainer, like Wendy Ida, using a mobile app, or utilizing a wearable tracker, such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch.
Whatever method you’re using, it’s all about accountability. Believe it or not, the same holds true for your personal finances. After all, a goal is a goal, right? And frankly, the route to success is pretty much the same. If you want to improve any aspect of your financial life, setting goals, creating a plan and tracking your progress is critical to being successful. Just as you would follow the same steps in creating your fitness plan, let’s review how these same steps can be applied towards your Financial Fitness Plan.
(1) Begin with the end in mind: What are your goals for your finances? What are you trying to achieve? Having a specific goal in mind will help you stay laser focused on the outcome. For example, if your goal is to buy real estate, be specific about what you want to buy. If it’s a single family home, be clear about the details. How many bedrooms, bathrooms does your house have? Does it have a yard, what part of town do you want to want to live in? Be as specific as you can and set a date for your goal to be achieved. This step, while seemingly elementary, is actually fundamental to how successful you’ll be in meeting your goal.
(2) Write it down: Putting your financial goals in writing, and looking at them periodically–say weekly or monthly–will keep them fresh and real. Also, when writing your goals, see yourself as having already achieved the goal vs. meeting the goal sometime in the future. Instead of: “I want to be debt-free,” say: “I am debt free and no longer have balances on my…” – fill in the blank: credit cards, student loans, auto loan, etc.
(3) Track It: Know what your starting point is, so that you can track your progress and celebrate your wins. It may seem a bit daunting at first, and it might not even seem that a lot is happening at the beginning. But, trust me, you will see progress in your finances because now you’re paying attention. On the other hand, if you discover that progress is waning, you’ll know exactly what to do to get back on track.
(4) Keep it simple: How you track your progress will greatly depend on what’s most easy and convenient. There are tons of apps out there, a lot of which are free or nearly free. Minimally, you’ll want the app to include an aggregation tool that will connect and pull in transactions from your financial institutions, allow you to create customizable budgets, and send alerts–if, for example, you exceed your monthly budget. Utilizing this type of tool is very powerful because what you see is your financial life in real time.
(5) Finally, Work with a Professional: Just as you would hire a personal trainer to design a customized fitness plan, provide guidance and accountability, the same can be said about meeting your financial goals. A Certified Financial Planner or CFP®, is akin to a Financial Coach. They can help provide clarity about your finances and your goals, create a customized plan and assist in tracking your progress. Many CFP® professionals charge flat fees, so you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying for their services. To locate a Certified Financial Planner in your area, visit either the national CFP Board website, www.cfp.net or the Financial Planning Association website: www.plannersearch.org.
René Nourse, CFP®, is Founder and Managing Director of Urban Wealth Management LLC. Visit www.urbanwm.com to learn more about your financial fitness!
What’s the health of your Finances? Poor – Good – Excellent. Why?
The views expressed represent the opinion of Urban Wealth Management LLC. The views are subject to change and are not intended as a forecast or guarantee of future results. This material is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice and is not intended as an endorsement of any specific investment. Stated information is derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources that have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness. While Urban Wealth Management LLC believes the information to be accurate and reliable, we do not claim or have responsibility for its completeness, accuracy, or reliability. Statements of future expectations, estimates, projections, and other forward-looking statements are based on available information and Urban Wealth Management LLC view as of the time of these statements. Accordingly, such statements are inherently speculative as they are based on assumptions that may involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Investing in securities involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. While equities may offer the potential for greater long-term growth than most debt securities, they generally have higher volatility. International investments may involve risk of capital loss from unfavorable fluctuation in currency values, from differences in generally accepted accounting principles, or from economic or political instability in other nations. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The links listed on our website offer direct access or ‘links’ to other internet websites. These sites contain information that has been created, published, maintained or otherwise posted by institutions or organizations independent of UWM. UWM does not endorse, approve, certify or control these websites and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information located there. Visitors to theses websites should not use or rely on the information contained therein until consulting with an independent finance professional. UWM does not necessarily endorse or recommend any commercial product or service described at these websites.
SaveSave
SaveSave
