Let’s rewind the clock to August 2022.

I’d popped up to Edinburgh for a few days and met a mate for a couple of pints.

As we talked, my mate paused and then said “I had no idea you were having such an unpleasant time at work Tom”.

Backstory:

Until I started writing my daily emails, my work challenges weren’t something I talked about all that much.  I kept my job-related pains & pressures very much to myself.

The reason?

I had no desire to share them.  And I thought I could sort them on my own.

See, I’ve always prided myself on being a lone wolf. 

This might come from the 1,000s of hours I’ve spent playing chess and poker throughout my childhood, teens and into my 20s & 30s.  When you’re in the thick of a complex chess middlegame or deciding whether to check-raise a bluffy looking opponent at the poker table, you’re well and truly on your own.

So I’m intimately familiar with solving problems & puzzles using my own noggin, my own creativity & ideas and by putting my own twist on things.  

I enjoy it too.

And maybe this is part of the reason why I thought I could also solve the “9 to 5 problem” myself.

The first time this whole idea was called into question was when I tuned into Tony Robbins’ TV special “I Am Not Your Guru”.

Now say what you want about Big Tony.  His general demeanour isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and he gets his fair share of stick in my daily emails.

But like him or loathe in, the guy knows his onions.

Over the course of his TV special, filmed at one of his multi-day immersives, Tony works 1 on 1 with people to help them overcome their challenges and achieve various personal breakthroughs.

Watching all this had a powerful impact on me. 

It was the first time I’d seen personal transformation happen in real time.  And the first time I’d seen just how impactful coaching could be.

It was also the first time I saw a coach help people find their own answers to their challenges.

But Tony wasn’t imposing his ideas on people.  He was exploring, amplifying and igniting their own ideas instead.

All this started to call into question this whole notion of “I can do it on my own”.

Now, none of this may surprise you in the slightest.

And that’s because in many ways I was late to the party.  The notion that someone else can help spark our own ideas or creativity isn’t a closely guarded secret.

For instance, it’s common in sports.

Take Cristiano Ronaldo.  The guy is widely regarded as one of the best footballers of all time.

I read an article recently which said that Ronaldo has a weight-lifting coach, a language coach, a football coach, a conditioning coach and a nutrition coach.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a tanning coach, hair gel coach and preening coach too.

But whatever the case, it’s clear that these coaches are helping to spark Ronaldo’s own innate talent to get the best out of himself and maximise his strengths when he’s on the pitch.

And it’s not just sport.

Take the corporate world.

A recent study from Hay Group showed that at least 25% of Fortune 500 companies use executive coaches. 

Another UK-based study revealed that 40% of FTSE CEOs have used a personal coach.

In case anyone thinks otherwise, these coaches aren’t pedalling their own ideas with the CEOs they work with.  They’re not advising on new products, suggesting corporate acquisitions or offering guidance on international expansions.

Instead the job of an executive coach is to help CEOs tap into their own creativity, individuality & ideas and, ultimately, help them be the best that they can be.

Just like Big Tony and just like Ronaldo’s various coaches, the corporate coaches are helping their clients find the answers for themselves.

That’s the essence of coaching right there.

I know some people will be sceptical of all this. 

Especially the independent thinkers and lone ranger types.

All I can say is:

That was me too.  I’ve been there, done that, got the lone ranger T-shirt.

Being coached myself has allowed me to take my own idiosyncratic ways (of which there are many - just ask Lauren) and deepen, explore & amplify them…

Tap into my own creativity & ideas…

And be more myself.  Not less.

If this tickles your fancy:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

 - Tom