Become the coach you KNOW you can be!

When you think about your success as a life coach, or any other kind of coach, how do you measure it? Client feedback? The number of paying clients? Or the bottom line in your bank account?

While these are all valid indicators of success – including the milestone of earning six figures or more from your coaching and other businesses – numbers alone are NOT the measure of real success. For that, you have to look within and decide on your definition, i.e., what truly makes your heart sing!

The first key to becoming a six figure coach is to coach YOURSELF, and discover your own treasure-trove of happiness and inner wealth first! Dr. Michael Craig wrote in his recent book, The Six Figure Coach:

“If you want success as a life or business coach, learn what Socrates meant when he said ‘Know Thyself.’ Be your own coach and all else will follow.”

Think about it: If you’re not living your life in freedom and happiness, then how can you expect other people to trust you to help them find the same thing? Not only that, but you’re going to be a far more effective coach if you learn from your own struggles first.

Here are two ways to get started:

•  Identify your value. What do you have to offer as a coach that no one else does, or does as well? Make a list of your particular skills, knowledge, and experiences that support this value. Then focus on and expand them in your practice, as it relates to your special skill set or niche.

  Now make a list of the things you’re not so good at. Do these things bother you? Do they make you feel that you’re less of a coach? The truth is that they don’t – unless you let them! Learn to work with and accept your strong points AND your weak points. Then delegate the tasks you can’t (or don’t) do so well to those who LOVE to do them! We all have things we love to do – and things we hate doing. Know your strength – this is what makes each of us uniquely suited to different kinds of success.
   

•  Identify your story. What stories do you believe about yourself that aren’t true? An easy way to see your own story is to listen to yourself, especially when you’re talking to other people. When you talk about coaching, do you tell the story of struggling to make ends meet? Or about your breakthroughs with clients? Do you complain that no one pays you what you’re worth? Or how you look forward to serving more and more people?

  Stop and really think about these stories. Could it be that you’re not struggling as much as you think you are. Count your blessings; you may be surprised. Or is it that you’re simply not setting proper boundaries with your clients. Are your stories really true? Or are you just carrying them because things are not as they “should” be? By identifying your story and seeing the truth behind it, you can begin to set yourself free from unhappiness and self-sabotage.

So a BIG part of becoming a six figure coach is to first understand and accept yourself. This is, by the way, a lifelong journey, so make it enjoyable! When you stumble upon something you don’t like within yourself or others, take a moment to understand and accept it. Then find the truth that lies underneath the discomfort. Getting to know yourself can unlock great peace and freedom from within.

Want to know more about becoming a truly successful coach? Then check out Dr. Michael Craig’s newly released book, Six Figure Coach. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to know how to become a successful coach on all levels.

Six Figure Coach is now available on Amazon! Click here to get your copy! For some more coaching advice, take a look at Dr. Craig’s free report and overcome the 7 biggest mistakes that most coaches make.