Coaching and accountability

There are lots of good reasons for getting a good coach, in any pursuit of excellence.

Consider someone who hires a personal fitness trainer. The usual reasons are like so:

• They want to ensure they’re “doing it right” and gain knowledge in what works well and what doesn’t.

• They may be trying to hit a weight-loss goal or prepare for an upcoming competition.

• They want access to someone of whom they can ask any number of related questions as they progress in their efforts.

But for most people, the biggest benefit of having a personal trainer — and one that’s often unspoken — is this:

• If they don’t show up for a session (or do their homework, or stick to their nutrition plan, or whatever), somebody will call them on it.

Here’s the thing:

Coaching is not just education. It’s not just transfer of knowledge or answering questions.

It’s an opportunity to build a relationship with someone who of course has the skills and knowledge you need, but just as importantly actually cares about your outcomes.

That means they also care whether you’re putting in the work, setting useful goals, and actually achieving them.

And if you’re not, a good coach should be calling you on it, and then helping you to stay on track.

All the best,
Allen