Coaches: Stop Being Your Own Worst Client

Let's do a little mental exercise, shall we?

Imagine you had a coaching client who consistently failed to complete her tasks for the week.

She couldn’t find the time to get her email opt-in page completed.

She was too busy to write the next chapter of her book.

She was working too hard and completely forgot to put together her webinar presentation.

It wouldn’t take long before you sat her down for a serious talk about the future of your coaching relationship—and her business. A coaching client like this is a frustrating waste of time.

Why, then, do you continue to accept these and other excuses from yourself? Why is your lack of business development allowed to continue, even when you know how important those tasks are to your future growth?

Now, before you start thinking I’m being way too hard on you, know this: we all struggle with this issue at some point. Most of us put our clients, our family, our friends, and even the neighbor we barely know before ourselves.

But I’m giving you permission right now to stop doing that, and start treating yourself as like the VIP you really are.

It’s time to put your business growth ahead of that of your clients. Only by doing that will you be able to reach a larger audience, help more people, and achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. And, by doing so, you set a good example of your clients. Practice what you preach, if you will.

The simplest way to do this is to just make appointments with yourself. That hour or two you have free on Thursday afternoon? Don’t book a client call in that spot. Book yourself. Mark it on your calendar, and treat it as an unbreakable appointment, just as you would an appointment with a client or your doctor or your accountant.

Spend the time working on the things that are important to the continued growth of your business.

• Develop a new group coaching program
• Write a chapter of your upcoming book
• Write emails for your autoresponder
• Reach out to JV partners

And, ideally, you spend some of that time thinking about how you can delegate tasks to other people so that your plate isn't so full.

In short, do the things you tell your clients to do—the things your own coach is likely advising. Don’t push them aside for “later” or “after your client work is done.” Elevate yourself to VIP client status and start putting yourself first. Your business will thank you for it.

If you need help getting things done and off your plate, here's how I can help.