Will MORE training make you successful as a coach?
Additional course work can be stimulating and potentially useful.
It can also be addictive—a form of self sabotage and procrastination.
There’s even a term for it. Bright shiny object syndrome. Sometimes it’s an unconscious and conflicting goal to prolong student coach mode and avoid crossing the threshold into running your coaching business as a professional.
Coaches in their early years are vulnerable to this. But it’s a costly mindset and habit.
I’ve been there. In my early years I spent So. Much. Money. Little of it actually made any difference.
It was either because…
- I COULDN’T apply what I learned on my own. It was too soon for me developmentally.
- Or, I was AFRAID to apply what I learned and take actions. I needed personalized support.
It took a breakthrough to snap out of it and stop wasting time and money.
Are you habitually buying courses that you never apply to your business?
This episode is for you. I’ve taken this cure myself!
Turn Off the Firehose of Information In
If you are repetitively buying training for coaching, for other skills or tactical training on some method of marketing, you’re in good company.
The field of coaching naturally attracts people who love to learn. It also attracts good hearted people who want to help others but some are afraid to get serious and run their business.
If there was a survey to see how much money coaches spend on training, it would be mid to high 5-figures.
There are so many offers coming at you. The moment you declare that you’re a coach publicly, your inbox explodes and it keeps coming.
What used to get me frothed up were promises that some new approach or tactic would help me have 5-figure months like all the testimonials.
I never stopped to consider the upfront investment those people had to make or the solid business foundation that’s needed to consistently bring that result. It’s not something that happens at step one.
3 Ways to Break Free from Bright Shiny Object Syndrome
If you’re listening to this, you already KNOW you need to stop habitual course buying.
Test that by asking yourself how many online training programs you purchased and abandoned a few modules in.
It’s eye opening isn’t it?
Put these 3 boundaries in place now.
- Turn off the firehose of information coming in.
- Follow and go deep with no more than 1-2 mentors that your intuition says are right for you.
- Never buy anything out of desperation or from a dopamine hit!
You know what I’m talking about. If you buy because you are desperate it’s not going to serve you.
And dopamine hits? We live in the flow of that online. It’s not how you want to make decisions. Trust me.
Make a commitment now to avoid the behaviors that land you in another waste of money because you bought when your nervous system was jacked.
There are a couple of mean mindsets that trigger that purchasing behavior.
2 Mindsets That Spur You to Buy What You Don’t Need
I’m not skilled enough
Underneath that belief is this idea that you should know everything right now. Every human is on a developmental path and pushing that gentle flowing river doesn’t help you integrate what you learn.
There’s information you’re ready for now and information that you’re not ready for. There are actions your ready to take and those you aren’t ready to take.
If you’re NOT ready for following learning by action now, purchasing another course won’t solve anything for you.
Sure, there are times when learning more skills will be right for your current situation and a rational decision gets you to the next level.
But never purchases that are scarcity-based.
And, here’s another key point… if you stay in student mode, how can you expect to succeed in your coaching business?
Always follow information in by integration and action.
I’m not talking about tomes of information here. A little info in, then ACT! Learning is a lot like breathing. It’s a natural in-out rhythm.
That’s why in my VIP Mentoring program for coaches:
- I teach you something specific you need to know now.
- Show you exactly how to apply it.
- Then hold you accountable for the action.
You build your beautiful business foundation strategically step by step and without all the angst. And then you have developed a healthy rhythm that serves you for decades to come.
If you’re looking for that kind of VIP mentor, that’s me! I would love to work with you. Learn more and share some details about you at ProsperousCoach.com/VIP . Then, we’ll meet to see if we’re a good fit.
The second problematic mindset is…
What I’m doing isn’t working!
It’s more likely that the WAY you’re doing the thing isn’t working. That’s where personalized support makes a big difference.
Or maybe it’s HOW FREQUENTLY you’re doing things.
In my first year of my business, I said to my mentor coach: “Nothing is happening!”
And she said: “Rhonda, what exactly have you done in the last few months to make it happen?” Busted!
So, ask yourself:
Am I doing ENOUGH and consistently enough to gain ground,
become known, build relationships of trust and enroll coaching clients at fees that pay me well?
It’s about hard work and discipline plus commitment that you WILL make it happen.
There is no magic bullet!
Now take the cure for bright shiny object syndrome:
1. Turn down the faucet of information coming in to a manageable trickle.
2. Follow and go deep with only 1-2 mentors who align well with you.
3. Only purchase programs that include personalized support when you are lead by your intuition, not scarcity or dopamine hits. Stay inspired and make things happen!