One thing that I have learned over the years, is it can be difficult to do things by yourself. Without a support system, it’s extremely challenging to motivate yourself day in and day out to stay accountable and do the little things that in the moment, really don’t seem like a big deal. In all reality, those little things are what make the biggest difference in the end. Not to mention, the ability to stay 100% accountable to yourself and only yourself is a very difficult trait.
Now, let’s cover a simple topic. You, in fact, are ALWAYS doing everything “yourself”. You make the decisions, you must execute the plan, you have to carry out the orders, etc. However, allowing a support system to help guide you along the way, give you direction, and keep you positive in no way takes away from YOU doing the work. If anything, it makes doing the work easier, and a lot more positive.
I used to think that I was going to conquer the world of sports, school, work, and relationships, by MYSELF, without any help. For whatever reason, I was very closed off and was not open to any outside support. In my heart, I felt that when I achieved whatever I was chasing with ZERO outside help, I would feel this massive sense of accomplishment because I didn’t need any outside support.
I couldn’t have been more wrong!
What I quickly realized, was that there was a major piece missing. I didn’t have anyone to share these accomplishments with! As great as it was to make it to the finish line, the journey was lonely. We all long for approval, and you can tell yourself otherwise, but deep down inside, we as humans, LOVE to be praised for accomplishments. If we fall short, we oddly like to be criticized and then given direction.
Honestly, many of the times when I fell short of achieving my goal, it was because I simply didn’t have the accountability because no one was watching me. I know ALL of you can relate to this, and if you say otherwise, you are kidding yourself!
When I figured this out, I sought out coaches to help me along my journey. I knew that if someone was giving me direction, support, and constant feedback, I would have a lot easier time chasing goals, and quite frankly, more FUN!
I hired Jason Phillips as my nutrition coach to help manage my food. I also hired Kyle Ruth, from Training Think Tank, to handle my training program. I remember being SO EXCITED to hop on my first consult call with them because I knew I was gaining a new relationship with people who were going to share my journey, and legitimately cared about helping me succeed. I Instantly felt a new spark of life. I had a sense of accountability finally and wanted to prove to them I was worthy of their coaching, and I would NOT let them down. I knew that I would be a reflection of their program, and it gave me something to work hard for. I needed to work for myself, and my support system. If you have a team of people who are taking time out of their life to help you, why would you not want to dedicate 100% effort to them?
Just in the last year alone, I have made more strides in my endeavors than I did by “myself” in 4 years. I am 100% confident it was because of my TEAM. It’s a special feeling to have someone on your team cheering you on and helping to keep your head high when you don’t feel things are going well. I am super blessed and thankful to be able to work with 2 of the greatest coaches.
Still, to this day, I have continued to work with Jason for 2.5 years and Kyle, for 1.5 years. I look forward to talking every day/week about how the previous week has gone, and how we are going to build for next week. I continue to chase my goals by having two great coaches on my team, and the journey is much more enjoyable now!
Now, in my own journey being a gym owner, coach, and significant other, I continue to carry this lesson with me. I want to touch each person in my life and business in some way or another. I know how powerful relationships can be and I want to provide them with something that moves them forward.
I guess this is about taking a good look inside yourself and figuring out what you want. Let your ego go and allow others to come in and help you. No disrespect, but I guarantee there is someone out there who is far better than you, who could really make a huge impact on your journey to achieve your goals. I made the mistake of keeping my door closed for too many years, and probably missed out on a lot of opportunities that I bet could have helped me, but I was immature and had a big ego.
I’m not saying go out and hire a coach for everything in your life, but take a quick look inside to see if you are truly open to coaching, or letting someone help you?
There is nothing more powerful than helping someone through the ups and downs of the journey they are on. Those are the relationships that I live for.