Why On Earth Would Anyone Hire A Coach? John Page Burton

Long before I became an executive coach, I employed one. Over the years, my coaches have had a profound impact on my personal and professional life! I would venture to say that most high achievers employ a coach. Some of my coaching clients include; CEO’s, athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, politicians and spiritual leaders. These peak performers all have one thing in common…they desire to become more effective people! As a coach, my job isn’t to bark out orders or hand down ultimatums, instead, my role is to guide my clients to their own conclusions. I do this by asking good questions, listening, and custom designing specific exercises that help my clients create BREAKTHROUGHS.

When hiring a coach I encourage you to do your homework. Ask questions, seek recommendations and request a free consultation (most reputable coaches offer them) to help you decide if the coach is qualified in the area where you are seeking guidance. A coach-client relationship is sacred and must be grounded in trust before any significant results can occur. You should be able to get a good feel for a prospective coach by the end of your initial consultation. In short, do your homework before you make this important INVESTMENT in yourself.

Let’s take a closer look at 5 reasons to hire a COACH…

Change.  On the surface this sounds fairly obvious but in reality many of us remain stuck because we are uncomfortable with change. Our willingness to change is a key ingredient of true personal growth. A good coach will help us pinpoint specific areas where change is most needed. For example, changing our communication style may help us become better communicators within the context of our personal relationships or work environment. Our willingness to embrace change may open doors that were previously locked.

Objectives. A coach can help us establish and design strategies that will move us toward our stated objectives (goals). For example, starting a new business requires vision, planning, strategy and action.  As we evolve and grow, our objectives will undoubtedly change. A good coach can help guide us through periods of growth and transition.

Accountability. No matter how disciplined we believe we are, all of us need someone to hold us accountable. Unlike friends or family members, a coach rarely has an emotional investment in our results. A coach can remain objective and routinely see what others may overlook or ignore.  For example, many of us have started a diet and exercise program. We do well for a while and then lose our focus, causing us to feel like we have failed. A good coach can help us set realistic goals, design an effective strategy to accomplish them and hold us accountable along the way. People who work directly with a coach are 65% more likely to achieve the results they seek.

Choices.  A coach can help us make better, more empowering life and business choices. For example, many of us have gone through a series of “bad relationships” and “we don’t understand why this keeps happening to us”? A coach can help us examine our previous choices and highlight specific behaviors that may be contributing to the unfavorable results we are attracting. I.E. emotionally unavailable partners that remind us of emotionally unavailable parents. Different choices = different results.

Habits. As we journey down our life path, a coach can help us identify habits that don’t serve us. A good coach can help us establish new, empowering habits. For example, during the early part of my adult life, I routinely engaged in the habit of “self sabotage”.  Just as a relationship began to look promising, I would begin the slow, agonizing process of “blowing it up”. I had formed the unhealthy, unconscious habit of self sabotage. My coach was able to help me identify and work through the root cause of my abandonment issues which in turn enabled me to create a new, empowering habit (story) around my true self worth. Today, I am married and  enjoy an emotionally healthy relationship.

Now for some shameless self promotion…

If you would like to schedule a complimentary 30 minute coaching call with me, visit my website @  www.johnpageburton.com
Complete the sign up form on the home page. I will also send you a FREE copy of my bestselling book, Wisdom Through Failure, Guiding Principles For Life & Business.

Here’s to you!!!!

Are You Up For The Ultimate Million Dollar Challenge? John Page Burton

It seems that whenever I turn on my television I see a promo for some type of “million dollar challenge”.  We can compete to be the winner of a survival competition, run an amazing race or challenge others in a death defying obstacle course! The concept is simple…be the winner and you bank a million bucks! My hunch is that 99.9% of the population doesn’t have the time or skill set to compete in or win this type of contest.

I would like to offer my friends, clients and readers a different type of “million dollar challenge”. This challenge can be won by anyone who is willing to make the commitment, stay focused, take action and not quit. The payout for every winner is a “million dollars” in “Karmic Credit”.  For those not familiar with “Karmic Credit”, “Karmic Credit” is the currency of good will.  The law of “Karmic Credit” states that for every good deed, thought or action we engage in, the bank of the universe will make an equal or GREATER deposit back into our emotional bank account. Lets just say that “Karmic Credit” has an unbelievably high rate of return! On the surface this challenge doesn’t seem hard, however, looks can be quite deceiving. This is one of the hardest yet most rewarding challenges we will ever engage in.

THE ULTIMATE MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE…

1. Quit complaining. Our challenge is to go ONE FULL DAY without complaining.

2. Express Gratitude. Our challenge is to go ONE FULL DAY expressing gratitude for all our life experiences.

3. Be Outward Focused. Our challenge is to go ONE FULL DAY putting the needs of others above our own.

EARN WHILE WE LEARN…

This is the hardest challenge out there! If you don’t believe me, take the challenge yourself.  I have been engaged in this challenge for quite some time and have yet to master one full day. With that being said, I am earning (“Karmic Credit”) as I’m learning and truly believe that I am becoming a better person in the process.  My road to the “million dollar” prize is being paved one “Karmic Credit” at a time. I encourage everyone to join me in this challenge and together we can’t help but make the world a more positive, forgiving, place.

As Always, I look forward to your thoughts and feedback.

Are you a SPEWER or a DOER?…John Page Burton

There are those who DO and those who SPEW. More commonly stated…those who “walk the walk” and those who “talk the talk”.

Webster says…

do: transitive verb. To bring to pass, carry out, perform, execute.

spew: verb. Spout, gush, spurt, discharge, emit, eject, vomit, flowing in a fast and forceful way.

All of us know people who are “doers” and we probably know some who are “spewers”. The majority of successful people I meet tend to exhibit a high level of self confidence. Their speech and physiology reflect this self confidence. Doers never apologize for their success. On the other hand, spewers go to great lengths to “talk around” their lack of results. “The timing just isn’t right” or “I need to talk this over with a couple hundred people before I can commit” or “I need to wait until I have enough money to get started” are examples of what you can expect to hear from a spewer. Regardless of timing, funds or consensus, doers take the ball and run! “Spewers” know a bit of lingo here and there but routinely disappear whenever they are challenged to step outside their comfort zone to take meaningful action or personal responsibility. Lets take a closer look at some of the key characteristics of DOERS  & SPEWERS.

DOERS….

Focus. Doers set meaningful objectives and get to work. They remain focused in the face of adversity. When problems arise they channel their energy toward finding solutions. They do not get distracted by bright, shiny, objects.

Love Challenges. Doers love challenges and thrive on being told that something can’t be done, especially if the challenge is being directed at their ability.

Prioritize Health. Doers rely on energy and realize that health is their greatest asset. They exercise and pay close attention to what goes into their body.

Bottom Line Mentality. Doers take full responsibility for ALL of their actions and decisions. Doers want the ball when the game is on the line and their followers want to get it to them!

SPEWERS…

Talkers. Due mainly to their profound sense of insecurity, spewers “talk the talk” but rarely back it up with any type of meaningful action. They will be among the first to let you know when you are “doing something wrong” but rarely can they provide a solution for doing it better..

Prone To Blame. Spewers are masters of the blame game. They habitually blame other people or circumstances for their lack of initiative and results.

Bullies. Spewers routinely force their thoughts and beliefs onto other people. If you disagree with a spewer or present them with a differing point of view they may try to overwhelm you with BS and if that doesn’t work they may revert to anger.

Quit Easily & Often. When the going gets tough, spewers tend to exit stage left. Quitting is a habit. They quit, rationalize it and move on to the next “great thing”. They rarely give anything a chance to germinate. They possess an instant gratification mindset.

FROM SPEWER TO DOER IN 3 STEPS…

1. Facing our fears! When we take ownership of our fear we no longer have to make excuses or blame people and circumstances (spew) for why we can’t do something. Once we acknowledge our fear we can then move to the next step….

2. Commit to taking MASSIVE ACTION. The most effective way to overcome our fear is by overwhelming it with MASSIVE ACTION! When we remain in action mode we don’t have time to focus on fear. Once we have committed to taking MASSIVE ACTION the only thing we have to remember is….

3. Don’t quit. No matter how hard things are, how loud the voices in our head become or how many “your a loser” programs we begin running, it’s imperative to press on.

If you made it to the end of this message my guess is that your a doer. Remember, solidifying a new habit takes 90 days of focused activity. If you find yourself struggling in an area of your life an effective life or business coach can help you successfully execute these 3 steps. Here’s to doing!!!