As a newer business coach, I am learning a vast amount of information quickly. I am absorbing information at such a rapid rate that I actually don’t even realize how much I know until I start talking. Every day, I learn facts, stats, revenue-producing activities, nomenclatures, ways to increase sales, productive habits, Adobe Audience, shortcuts on a keyboard of a Mac, shortcuts on a keyboard of a PC, shortcuts on a keyboard when it’s actually a Windows keyboard operating on a Mac, and the list goes on and on and never stops. However, to be completely transparent with you, the most important lesson I learned this week was not about business coaching at all. I learned more about myself when I realized that my strengths can sometimes become my weakness.
If you are an entrepreneur, I know you know exactly what I am talking about. There are times that your ambition, drive and the high expectations you set for yourself can become your biggest limiting factor. Every day, all of the business coaches are learning so much from Clay Clark, Vanessa Clark, and Jonathan Kelly. However, I can honestly say that the most valuable business coach lesson I learned this week did not come from my direct mentors, but an attentive coworker.
“In order to be AMAZING at something, you must practice for over 10,000 hours.”
Clay Clark says, “In order to be AMAZING at something, you must practice for over 10,000 hours.” I am a new coach. Obviously, I have not practiced for 10,000 hours. I am actually still in the process of finding out how much I don’t actually know, yet. I look around at the immense amount of talent and brilliance I am surrounded by within my co-workers. This is how I know that I am in a great spot. However, anytime you begin a new task in life or learn a new skill, it can be both motivating and frustrating for ambitious people who know where they want to be.
We coach many entrepreneurs. We work with ambitious people every day. So, as you can imagine, all of the Thrivetime Show coaches are extremely ambitious as well. We set goals for ourselves. We identify the mark, or standard if you will of the type of coach we want to be and the level of performance we aim to achieve.
However, when starting a new project, you simply aren’t the best, yet. In order to be the best, this will take time and it can be daunting when you look at where you are versus where you need to be. I hear this from entrepreneurs all the time. Entrepreneurs tell me over and over again that they had no idea how much they needed to know to grow their business. I can truly say, I can relate.
Have Grace on Yourself
The best advice I learned this week came from fellow business coach Claire Yinger. Claire said, “Have grace on yourself.” This was such a simple, yet impactful statement. This has always been a challenge. I tend to obsess about things. It’s what I do. Although this is sometimes my strength, it can be a weakness in this instance when the learning process will take weeks, months, and even years. I can’t live in “the zone” forever.
There is still a standard that I must meet but I learned this week to give myself grace during the process of learning. I appreciate the mistakes made because they are my greatest teacher (next to my awesome mentors of course). I appreciate my mind for absorbing this endless amount of information and knowledge as quickly as it has. I appreciate my body for providing the stamina needed to keep going, even when I’m tired. Most importantly, I learned that I, we, entrepreneurs, coaches, mothers, fathers, spouses or whatever role we play must give ourselves grace. We provide it to the rest of the world, we deserve it too.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen.” -Revelation 22:21
