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Coach Yourself for Success
Brian Bartes
Coaching is an important part of self-development. If you
can't hire a professional coach, you can "coach yourself."
There are many things that people can do to develop themselves
personally, and they don't always require an outlay of cash:
Read one hour per day in your chosen field or in the area
of personal development, or both. Because most people read
very little, you will become an expert in your field in just
three years. Your local library can provide most of the books
you need, and they are provided at no cost to you.
Listen to audio tapes, or CDs, in your car. If your
commute to work is 15 minutes one way, then you will be in
your car for 125 hours per year. This is the equivalent of
three 40-hour work weeks. Imagine what would happen if you
turned your car into a "university on wheels," and invested
that time in your personal growth and development. Many libraries
have books on tape, as well as audio programs in various areas
of personal development.
Identify your values, and align your life around those
values. Many people's lives are not oriented around their
values, and they are frustrated trying to determine why they
aren't happy, or aren't reaching their goals. When you are
expressing your values, you are being true to yourself. Pursuing
goals that aren't in line with your values leads to frustration.
Living in alignment with your values leads to fulfillment.
Attend courses, workshops and seminars regularly. The
design of such materials requires hundreds, and sometimes
thousands, of hours to create. When you attend a seminar,
you benefit from someone else's efforts to distill the most
important information on that subject. Although some events
can be very expensive, many are also quite reasonable.
Surround yourself with support systems. Getting independent,
objective feedback is a great way to fuel your personal growth.
Built-in accountability is another benefit to such a structure
of support. Create a mastermind group, or find a friend who
is also interested in such an arrangement.
Develop the habit of extreme self-care. Treat your
body as a temple, and it will support you in producing extraordinary
results in every other area of your life. Exercise regularly,
in the form of strength training, as well as cardiovascular
workouts. Drink lots of water. I know half your body weight
in ounces sounds excessive, but it isn't. Finally, give yourself
the gift of solitude. Enjoy quiet time every day.
Keep a journal. Keep a permanent record of what you're
noticing in your life. This could be a gratitude journal,
where you record what you're grateful for in your life. Or
you could record events-daily happenings-in your life. Jot
down observations about what is occurring around you. There
is no wrong way to write in a journal, and the process can
be incredibly rewarding.
Design your ideal life. If life were perfect, what
would it look like? What would you do, be and have if you
could wave a magic wand, and make it so? What would you attempt
to do if you knew you could not fail? Your ideal life is contained
within your answers to these questions. Begin today to paint
the picture of what this ideal life would look like.
Create a plan to get from where you are to where you want
to be. You know where you are currently. And you've designed
your ideal life. Now determine what it will take to get from
Point A to Point B. Write down everything that will have to
happen to make this a reality. What will you have to do that
you're not doing now? Who will you need to meet? What support
structures will need to be in place? When will all this take
place?
Just do it. At some point, you will need to "jump."
It will not always be comfortable doing so, yet it is only
when you move outside your comfort zone that breakthroughs
can occur. This is where fear usually steps in, and puts up
that big wall in front of you. So climb over it, go around
it, dig under it, or knock it down. If you continue to take
action in the direction of your ideal life, your fears will
eventually go away.
I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. The best investment
that you can make is an investment in yourself. Make the decision
to invest 3-5% in your own personal development, and "coach
yourself. Soon you will find yourself living your ideal life!
Brian Bartes is a top personal and business success
coach. His bi-weekly newsletter is filled with strategies
that support you in achieving greater success in your personal
and professional life. Subscribe today at his website, http://www.lifeexcellence.com.
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Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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