Recently, we had cause to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the launch of New Insights in South Africa (and fourteen years since the brand was originally established in the UK).
A good friend asked me about how the business had changed over the years.
He looked curious when I explained that ten years ago our biggest challenge was to convey an understanding of what life coaching is, whereas today the challenge is to stand out of the ever-increasing crowd of life coach training institutes.
“So, to what do you ascribe your success in staying in business for so long in what is a pretty fickle market?” he asked.
“Most people fail, not because of a lack of desire, but because of a lack of commitment.”
– Vince Lombardi
It got me thinking.
A few things sprang to mind but one, in particular, stood out for me.
“Commitment,” I replied.
Staying in business
The life coach training industry has changed a lot over the past ten years. Institutes have come and gone at a rate almost as rapid as that at which new buzzwords and acronyms pop up to describe their ‘here-today-gone-tomorrow’ methods.
Staying in business and relevant – never mind growing – in this environment, has taken a passionate, yet rather dogged commitment to deliver a compelling customer value proposition founded on our mission to bring freedom, confidence and growth to people from all walks of life.
Desperate to find a short cut
In today’s hyper-connected world, people have become seduced by the idea that quick fixes, for all of our needs, are out there, ready to be found with an Internet browser and a few clicks of a mouse or taps of a finger.
Ironically, though, the sheer volume of information that searches throw up, often leaves people frustrated and feeling even more desperate to find a short cut.
The result is usually impatience, irritability, diminished focus and lack of commitment.
Solid commitment
We clearly see the effects of this amongst our trainee life coaches.
Feedback from those who complete our programme consistently shows that it is a solid commitment to both the end goal, and a suitably flexible plan of action to get there, that underpins their success in becoming certified coaches.
Putting commitment into practice
Commitment is an easy concept to understand and talk about but a far more difficult one to put into practice.
If you’ve ever set a New Year’s resolution you’ll know how the passionate enthusiasm you feel for achieving it when you come up with the idea, soon evaporates when you get back to life-as-usual after the holiday break.
Maintaining commitment in the longer-term involves us in having to endure a fair dose of ‘pain’ as we venture out along the road to change and achievement.
And it is this that we often forget, or put out of mind, when we experience the rather heady, pleasurable feeling we get when taking the plunge and signing up for something new.
To chase a goal successfully we need to have a plan. But life happens and distractions abound, so, to prepare for this, we need to build in some contingency and flexibility.
Crucially, once we have a good plan to guide our actions, we need to take action.
More than a feeling
Commitment, then, is more than a feeling of enthusiasm or sense of purpose. It involves developing an effective plan and then taking the necessary action to carry out that plan.
You cannot claim to be committed to a goal if you have no plan or if you take no action.
Having a plan without taking action is no better than dreaming.
Taking action without having a plan to guide it, is an aimless waste of energy.
Having a good plan and consistently taking the actions required to put it into practice is the key to success in achieving any goal you may desire to achieve.
Learning to set inspiring goals, develop effective plans and take consistent action aligned with the plan, is the grist to the life coaching mill.
As always, it’s the simple principles that are the most powerful!
Thanks Bill for the beautiful insight on commitment. It resonates well with me because recently I had to recommit myself to finishing what I have started. My coaching certificate with new insights.
Thank you for being so consistent in your commitment Bill! It sure gives New Insights credibility and makes me glad that I stuck it out and completed this course faster than I anticipated or even planned for 🙂
Thanks for the kind words Michelle 🙂
To me life coaching is all about building commitment. Life coaches help to clarify goals and set a plan.
Most of us can do this to some extent by ourselves hence the new years resolutions. The coach strengthens those goals by making us really consider why we want them, what obstacles we may face and how we may deal with them.
Then when we are on the road and our resolve weakens the coach reminds us of all the benefits to continuing and gets us to commit to a few more steps,a sub goal for the day,week or month to get us through the tough times and back on track.
Commitment is much easier with a coach by your side!
I agree commitment is the one way to get yourself on top
Commitment is certainly the key to accomplishing any goal. Thank you, Bill, for creating a sharp awareness amongst your readers of the crucial role that this quality within us, plays. I would like to add, however, that it is only when we become convinced of the BENEFITS of something, in this case, life coaching, that we commit to it, and follow through to the end, even when we do not feel like it. It is this ability to persevere, even when we do not feel like it, that distinguishes the successful from the unsuccessful people in the world.
Thanks for the added insights Karen!
As I come to the end of my New Insights life coach training and prepare to start setting up my life coaching practice, the question looms large of how committed I am to really making it work .
Thanks again Bill for your timeous musings about what it takes to achieve the success desired and the challenge and motivation to put in the work necessary to make it happen.
Hi Stephan, just remember the commitment you have shown to getting this far. Now it’s simply about making a new commitment to a different goal (knowing you have what it takes!)
Commitment is a two-way process requiring both parties to shake hands on a deal. To feel commitment is like having a gear box to be able to drive with your dreams. And being in control of the ride is the secret to a successful journey. Go steady !
My post referred to commitment as it applies to an individual who wishes to pursue a goal.
Of course, marriage, business deals, etc require more than one party to show commitment if they are to work successfully. Not only that but there also needs to be rapport, trust and fair exchange 🙂