Remember the old proverb: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
I posted a piece in 48Days.net that I titled Compassionate Coaching. I cautioned coaches that “free” coaching usually does not serve the provider or the receiver well. A young lady challenged me with her belief that she’s essentially stuck without the services of a coach – and she has no money available for payment.
I don’t think she needs to be stuck – and here’s my response to her:
Wendy – For my Master’s Degree thesis I ran a study where I ran growth groups for participants over a six-week period. I had about 200 students show up to be included – so I split those; half of them were allowed into groups and the other half were told they could start at the end of the first six week period. We measured for “self-actualization” at the beginning and the end of the six weeks. Surprisingly – ALL of the 200 showed dramatic increase over the six week time frame, even though only half had been in the organized coaching groups. It showed that the key factor was the motivation – if a person was motivated toward personal growth, they would find ways to make that happen even without a formal process in place.
I am a big believer in having a coach. I get a coach for any area where I want rapid improvement. But at times when I could not afford to pay for a coach I found many other ways to tap into the wisdom I needed.
Here are just a few resources that are readily available to anyone ready to move forward:
- Books– libraries and friends make all the great books available
- Seminars – check your local universities for ongoing opportunities
- Listen to 4 or 5 great podcasts each week (the questions I answer in the 48 Days Radio Show have “coached” thousands of people)
- Start a mastermind group with others on the path to more success
- Be active in the net community– lots of people who will share and support
- Ask a successful person to have lunch with you once a month
I’m confident that with your motivation for growth you are going to make it happen even without a traditional coaching agreement. The reading, online resources, mastermind groups, and personal planning will allow you to bypass those who get “coaching” but have less motivation and drive.
I totally believe “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Old Proverb
