The Power of a Deadline… And Mud

By: ActionCOACH

Toward the end of last year I did something I never thought I’d do.

In fact, when I committed to it, my own mother said, “Well I think you’re crazy.” (thanks, mom)

What was it? The Mudderella. A 5-mile obstacle course that left me completely out of breath, scratched, bruised, and covered in mud from head to toe.

(Unfortunately we didn’t have cameras on the obstacle course, and the giant water slide at the end washed us off a bit, but here’s the soaking wet version of my team – I’m on the right.)

To be honest, I was scared to death to do this race. I had no idea if I could even run 5 miles, let alone climb walls and army crawl through muddy tunnels.

(Did I mention I’m claustrophobic? And I don’t particularly like mud? Or running??)

Well here’s why I signed myself up for this nonsense in the first place: it gave me a deadline.

We all talk about getting into shape, but when you know your options are to DO IT or collapse in a mud pit on race day, you start dragging your tired butt out of bed at 5:09am and get your sweat on.

Here’s the interesting thing… even though I started preparing for this near the beginning of the year, the last 30 days is when everything changed. I made a few simple tweaks and literally quadrupled the results I had previously worked for months to achieve.

That’s the power of a deadline.

You, my friend, have the same gift.

It’s called “30 days from now.”

That is your deadline to accomplish the ONE THING that you know will make the single biggest impact on your business.

Be specific in your goal. This isn’t a “finish everything I’ve been meaning to do” type of challenge – it’s singular focused.

Get 3 great clients, finish updating that website, hire that key team member that I know will be a game changer…. whatever your ONE thing is.

Then set yourself a reward for when you hit it… and a consequence if you don’t.

Both are powerful. And honestly, I’m typically more inspired by reward than consequence; but in this particular circumstance I found the consequence (collapsing in a mud pit) quite motivating!

Cheers to accomplishing big things over the next 30 days!

About ActionCOACH

Brad Sugars founded the brand Action International in 1993 when he realized there was a disconnect between business advice and implementation. The answer was Action! Brad Sugars created a business coaching company so that business owners throughout the world can realize their goals in business. Today the company is known as ActionCOACH. To learn more about business, visit Brad Sugars Review blog!

Reason #1: Different styles and methods of business coaching don't work for everyone

It's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.

Every individual brings their own experiences and values to the coaching dynamic, so results will vary. Additionally, some individuals might need more than just a coach. They might also need specialised knowledge or communication strategies specific to their industry or target audience. Below are a few key factors to consider:

Reason #2: There is no clear focus or vision (talk about time dedication here too)

cIt's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.

Business coaching is an effective tool for developing a clearer focus and vision for growing your business. A good coach will help you to take a comprehensive look at your strengths, weaknesses, and available resources that can be used to reach those goals. They will also help you draw up action plans with step-by-step instructions to get there.

By providing honest feedback and being patient throughout the process, a business coach can make sure that you’re on the right track. This will enable you to set realistic milestones and tasks.

These tasks may need dedicated time outside of coaching sessions. For example, a coach might help a client develop a marketing strategy or implement new systems for managing employees. However, if the client does not have enough time to devote to these tasks outside of coaching sessions, progress will likely stall.

Both the coach and the client must have enough time available to reflect on past experiences, brainstorm new solutions, and test out different strategies. If either party is rushed or distracted during coaching sessions due to other commitments or obligations, they may struggle to fully engage in this process.

Effective business coaching also requires a commitment to regular meetings and ongoing communication. If either the coach or the client does not have enough time to dedicate to these meetings, progress may be slow or nonexistent.

It's important to recognise that business coaching is an ongoing process that takes time to yield results. While some clients may see improvements after just a few sessions with their coach. Others may need months or even years of consistent effort before they begin seeing real changes in their businesses.

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