WHEN TO SEEK HELP
We’ve all been there, right? We’ve seen someone do something insane, we’ve felt some awful pain, or just overall have thought, eh, I’m never gonna make this work. These are brutal thoughts to navigate alone! This, my friends, is when a personal coach comes in handy and is worth the investment. Yes, even you energizer bunnies who do multiple marathons, even you can stand to utilize a coach. And here’s why: return on investment. Ha! I know you didn’t expect me to use that kind of terminology. But let’s break it down, shall we?
We’ve all spent the cash on serious things in life. We’ve bought a car, we’ve refused to eat out for a few months to afford the security deposit on that luxury apartment, we’ve found ourselves drowning in student debt. Those are all real and tangible things that society, our parents, our boss, our peers, whoever, has deemed important. Well, what about our minds and bodies? Why should they be the ones left out to rot? Sure, you signed up for the gym membership, but what’s stopping you from going home and binging a netflix show instead of moving your body? Not much. Most gym memberships don’t cost so much money that you feel like you’ve let yourself down if you don’t go. But that personal trainer who costs, say, $150-$200 a session? That probably made your heart skip a beat (or two). But listen, do you know what you’re not gonna miss? A training session that cost you $200. Do you know what’s going to get you results? A trainer who spends time on YOU, researches YOU, learns YOUR kinks and YOUR hang ups and YOUR weaknesses, and then shows you exactly how they’re going to get you over those hurdles. And you bet your sweet cheeks it’s got nothing to do with binging netflix.
When I first moved to NYC, I oh so innocently approached a man that I knew would be worth the investment and asked him to coach me to the CF Games. The goal changed drastically many times over, but do you know what never changed? The coach. Ten years later, and that same man knows my weaknesses inside and out, my mental barriers, my physical injuries, and I’m telling you what, he delivers. He has and always will be worth every penny.
Let’s take another example. A longterm client of mine, I’m talking over 5 years of working together, has been through just about all of the major life changes you could possibly think of. More than one cross country move, a few break ups, quitting jobs and getting better jobs, finding soulmates, all that good stuff. What I am the most proud of when I think of this client, is her honesty and consistency. On the moments in time when paying for a coach isn’t an option (not having a job is brutal, there’s no getting around that one), she kept all of the rules we’d established together and stuck to them. As soon as that job was back and she was feeling stable, she reached out and we got right back to work. Through all of those life changes, she has dealt with a few crippling injuries that 100% have made training difficult. In fact, I’d wager a bet that many of us would have just given up. But not this gal. She diligently reported back to me post WOD, and we continually made adjustments, added and subtracted homework, until those injuries were gone and we could move on to more physical adventures.
I am so aware of how terrifying it is to think of spending big bucks on programming from a personal coach. But can’t you also taste the exhilaration of accomplishment? Be responsible, do interviews, get the research done, but also choose to be vulnerable. Find that coach, and make the magic, y’all. I believe in you.