My own advice included.

Not that I’m in the habit of handing out advice all that often.

That’s the fun thing about coaching.  I don’t need to have reams of precooked pearls of wisdom sitting merrily in my brain, ready and waiting to recite when the opportunity comes along.

That doesn’t do anyone any good.

But I'll be the first to admit that when I started coaching, things looked very different.

I did think my role was to have all the answers and dole out pithy advice.

But what I see now is that anyone giving advice (whether it's coaching or otherwise) is coming straight from the camp of “this is what worked for me”.  Or even from the camp of “this is advice I was given once upon a time and I'm still passing round like a box of Celebrations at Christmas".

I'm not saying advice isn't often well-meant.

But so much of how we live our lives is based on the idea that what’s right for one person will be right for someone else and I honestly can’t think of a reason why it would be.

And, on the other side of the coin, I can see how following advice could lead to a life which feels inauthentic or unfulfilling.

This is one of the reasons we procrastinate.  

Whether it’s conscious or not, procrastination is an indirect way of resisting other people’s advice without having to kick up a stink and say “no thank you” directly to someone’s face.

Same thing with making excuses and mistakes.

These are all subtle clues that you’re following someone else’s playbook and not your own.

And if this rings true for you, then consider this:

Coaching is a way to create your own playbook.

Of course, there are plenty of coaches out there who are chomping at the bit to share their paint-by-numbers, one-size-fits-all set of directions for your life.

But from where I stand, the key to a rich, authentic & fulfilling life is following your own internal compass, not by acting on someone else’s wisdom.  And no-one knows what's right for you better than you do.

That’s why my coaching isn’t just an exploration of who we are and how we work.

It’s also a way to uncover the insights, actions & ambitions that are unique and personal to you.

If you're at all interested in this, hop on over here for more details:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

That’s all for today.  Have a great weekend.

 - Tom