Confidence coaching is in its infancy. Whilst we have had various kinds of coaches working in society for many years, specialists in self confidence are still comparatively rare. Which is odd, when you think about it, because most people would say that confidence is the single quality they most want to develop (okay, most people talk about their abs before they mention their psyche – confidence is maybe 3rd of 4th on the list)

So how do you set about finding a competent, qualified and effective confidence coach? It’s a little more difficult than it should be, because there isn’t any single professional body to oversee the field. In part this is because confidence coaches practice a wide range of difficult therapeutic approaches : hypnotherapy, CBT, NLP, role play . . . the list seems endless.

The rules which apply to selecting a confidence coach are much the same as the rules which apply to finding any kind of therapist. References are all important, as is professional accreditation. Check your coach’s insurance – if he doesn’t have insurance, that’s a definite signal to walk away. Once these, rather basic, considerations have been satisfied, however, you are in the realm of personal choice. What do you want to achieve from confidence coaching? Help with your career? Help with your social life / romantic life? What style of coach are you looking for? With such a broad range of styles to choose from, it’s important to find out a little about the different therapeutic interventions which are possible.

And now the hardest question – can the cost be justified? A typical confidence coach may charge $80 – $100 per hour (with some ’stars’ charging far more, of course). The good news is that this isn’t like psychoanalysis, where you may expect to spend years in therapy. Confidence coaching is about making tangible gains quickly, and then building on these incrementally for the long term. In your first year of coaching, expect to pay for around 10 sessions, with 4-6 sessions per year thereafter.

So it might cost you $1,000 in year one, plus $600 pa thereafter, to achieve lasting and profound improvements in your career prospects, your romantic life and your general sense of wellbeing. Is this worth the price? I think so. Indeed, we pay larger sums to insure our cars without a second thought. Strange to consider that an automobile is a depreciating asset, while self belief is part of the fabric of who we are, and can be thought of as an appreciating asset, as it can boost our career prospects significantly.

Jim Smith-Cartwright is a hypnotherapist and confidence coach

confidence.netfirms.com/ confidence.netfirms.com/

As often happens following one of the Best Year Yet programs I do, a message emerges for Monday Morning Coach. Recently I conducted a BYY workshop and what struck me was how often participants (I include myself in this group, since each time I present it, I am also vicariously examining my own life) stop themselves from taking action because of the underlying belief that they don’t have “enough,” or aren’t enough (smart enough, thin enough, ready enough, etc.) to make things happen.

Shortly after that workshop, I got up one morning feeling somewhat burdened by a day that seemed to have a few too many deadlines. I had almost defaulted to dragging around that heavy, overwhelmed feeling when the thought struck me…”Even though you have several deadlines today, you can still choose a positive, enthusiastic attitude.” And at that moment, the words “even though” jumped out as the antidote to virtually any excuse you or I might have about why we’re not making good things happen in our lives.

So what follows is a list of “even though” statements I encourage you to use as your antidote anytime you need to jumpstart your initiative, get off the dime and change things for the better!

*Even though I can’t do everything on this project, I will do something.

*Even though I have too many projects to manage, I can focus on one at a time rather than procrastinating.

*Even though it’s wet outside and I can’t do my usual walk or run, I can find a way to get exercise indoors.

*Even though “it” won’t be perfect, I can still do the best I can and get started.

*Even thougth I’ve been unsuccessful before, I can keep trying until I succeed.

*Even though I don’t have enough (whatever), I can still be grateful for what I have and use it wisely.

*Even though I think I need more (time, money, information, people) I’ll start with what I have and my resources will grow. *Even though I think
“they” did something to wrong me, I can still choose to forgive and move on.

*Even though I ate too much yesterday, I can still choose to get active and eat more wisely tomorrow!

You can probably add dozens of variations to the theme. The point is, we can either have what we want in life or we can have all of our lousy excuses and justifications instead. Playing the “even though” game is a fun way to stop buying into the excuses and start taking the actions to propel you forward. Here’s to making this an “even though” week.

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Quote of the Week
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“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” ~~Theodore Roosevelt

Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty’s coaching and training services, visit dynamic-coaching.com dynamic-coaching.com

Frank McKinney did his third Badwater extreme endurance event in July. Here are three more lessons that can be learnt from his grueling experience.

Lesson 3:

PERSISTENCE

You get nowhere in life without persistence. You will make mistakes and things will not go according to plan. This is inevitable and is perhaps the most important aspect of goal achievement because it is how you deal with your setbacks that will determine whether you are a winner or a loser.

I like Robert Allen’s way of looking at failure – as long as he is falling forward he’s happy. For Frank McKinney:

“Relentless forward motion was our mantra.”

There were several moments during the race where McKinney was in trouble. He got serious blisters. His feet become so swollen he had to customize his shoes – cut the front and sides off. He sprained his ankle. He was violently sick vomiting for 20 minutes and losing the nutrients his body so desperately needed to complete this ordeal and then he lost his appetite. At one stage he even began hallucinating, something he had not experienced in his previous ultra marathons. Despite all this he kept going.

He laughed, he cried, pounded his fists in frustration. He sang and danced and collapsed on the ground when he could go no further and somehow found the strength to rise again. He questioned the sanity of attempting to complete this race for a third time but he kept going.

At around mile 60 his brother Bob suggested “let’s set a goal of another mile and then we can take a break” to which McKinney responded, “my only goal is to put one foot in front of the other.”

And that is all that is asked of you. When the going gets tough just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Break your goal into smaller steps and celebrate each milestone you reach. You will find the strength and energy you need to achieve your goal.

Lesson 4:

ORGANIZATION

You have to have a plan. Nothing of any great measure is ever achieved without having a plan, without being organized and disciplined. You know what they say – fail to plan; plan to fail. Death Valley is breathtakingly beautiful and deadly. To survive in such an inhospitable environment you have to be prepared for any eventuality.

Without organization there’s chaos. With some goals, this may simply cost you time and may result in you losing out on some opportunities. In McKinney’s case it could have cost him his life. McKinney’s preparation included devising a detailed race plan and training schedule; organizing clothing; first aid equipment; foods; supplements; not just water but special fluids that would provide hydration for his body as well as much nutrients and energy that his body would be using up at an alarming rate during this event; ice and coolers; vehicles and more.

“Improve your organization; improve your results.”

Still all this would have been to no avail if he didn’t have an effective system to get supplies, etc. to him as and when he needed them. For this he needed a first-rate team.

Lesson 5:

TEAMWORK

No great goal was ever accomplished without teamwork. Teamwork goes hand in hand with organization. All the equipment and supplies that McKinney had would have been of no use if he did not have an efficient and cohesive team working with him. He needed a team where each member knew his or her role and performed their roles effectively and was also versatile enough to assist in other areas if the need arose. He needed a team that would support and encourage him when he was at the limits of his endurance.

When McKinney arrived in Death Valley only four out of seven crew members were able to participate of which only two had experience and neither of them were runners. Luckily, his team which included his wife, Nilsa, grew to five by the start of the race with a crew member driving seven hours to help fill in for those could not make it. Another, team member paced him for 50 miles! When you commit to doing something extraordinary others will follow suit.

There is also something special about the elite athletes who take part in Badwater. Yes, they want to perform at their best yet they are able to transcend the competitive spirit. McKinney offered encouragement to runners he passed and other runners, in particular, Marshall Ulrich, a veteran with 14 official Badwater finishes to his credit offered Mckinney his support and advice.

These runners ran their own race and still ran as a team.

There are several other lessons on goal achievement I learnt from McKinney’s experience of running an ultra marathon through Death Valley. I am grateful that I can learn these lessons without going through such a test of my mind, body and spirit. I hope this report has given you the inspiration to set and achieve challenging goals. As Tony Robbins says:

“What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”

Nickolove Lovemore is a Life Coach, a Certified LifeSuccess Consultant and NLP Practitioner who works with individuals to develop their personal success strategy. Visit skylinecoaching.blogspot.com Achieve Life Success
for special offers and gifts plus news about upcoming teleseminars. Email mailto:purpose_vision_goals@GetResponse.com Purpose Vision Goals for free report to help you identify your purpose, create your vision and achieve your goals.