by Michael Plank
“I know what I need to do, I just need to buckle down and do it.”
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say that, I’d have a whole lot of nickels. It’s probably the most common response I hear when someone talks to me about how they’re struggling and I ask them what they need. I’ve been watching Ted Lasso lately. I think he’d call that “Stinkin’ Thinkin'”. The idea that all we need to do is put our heads down and work harder when we’re struggling is part of what gets us stuck in the first place. How many times are you going to fall back down the hill before eventually you stop trying to get up it?
And here’s the thing… almost all of us know what to do. Move more, eat more vegetables, sleep better, be around people who make us happy, get some fresh air… none of these things are mysterious. None of them are secret knowledge. The problem is very rarely that we don’t know what to do. The problem is that even though we know to do, we’re not doing it.
I find that people often think of coaching as something they only need if they lack knowledge. And lack of knowledge is a great reason to get a coach. But the real power of a coach comes when there’s a lack of focus.
Even if you’re not a sports fan, you probably know the name Vince Lombardi – one of the most renowned football coaches of all time. He was a solid football player himself, but not world class. He tried and failed to make it playing semi-professional football. He didn’t earn his coaching fame by teaching his players to be better at throwing or catching. He earned it by understanding people: by understanding how they work, what motivates them, what drives them, how to bring out the best in them.
Quotes of his you’ve almost certainly heard include: “We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible,” and “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” Did your heart rate go up a beat or two just now? It should have. That is what coaching does for you. It doesn’t just tell you what to do, it fires you up to actually do it.
Most people don’t need access to equipment. Planet Fitness starts at $10 per month. Most people don’t need more knowledge. Google has everything.
What most people need is focus, drive, and discipline. It’s great if you’re in the 0.10% of humans who have that innately. But for the 99.9% of the rest of us, find a coach. We can help, even if it’s pointing you to someone other than us. Click that “Free Intro” button at the top of the page and see what you’ve been missing.