Confession: I was so nervous when I got my first client.
I thought I was ready. I had completed two years of behavioral psychology in graduate school and received a Life Coaching certificate three months before opening my business. When the butterflies would come I would say “Bring it on! I am ready! I am going to be the BEST life coach…like…EVER!”
I became SO confidence and felt ready!
I would daydream about how people were going to “knock down my door” to work with me and how great it was going to feel to help so many people. People had to find me so I started a Facebook page. I created it in a few minutes and published my first post.
Build it and they will come – right?
Wrong.
One week passed, two weeks passed, three weeks passed…. crickets.
I even tried to trouble shoot my Facebook page as if I did not publish it right. That had to be the issue. Damn technology.
Realizing the post was published I waited a little longer.
Still….crickets.
My confidence level started to shrink a little. Self-Doubt began setting in. I was feeling a little (ok a LOT) foolish thinking people would be waiting in line for goal setting, accountability and self-discovery.
I learned quickly that people in fact do not COME just because you build it.
After months of waiting and trying things, I kept writing Facebook posts and got SO excited by every “Like” because it did not happen often. (Truth: I still get excited with likes and comments on my Facebook)
I had around 56 followers which were mostly my friends and family. I would post and wait. Post and wait. And then…it happened! Someone reached out to me via Facebook. They wanted a free consultation. I was so excited! Its working!! My page is not broken!
But, as this reality set in I was immediately overcome with even more self-doubt, fear, and anxiety then ever before.
Holy sh*t! can i be a coach?!
I am about ready to be responsible for helping someone with real life stuff. Can I do this?
Am I really ready for this? I mean, I “feel” ready but maybe I should cancel until I feel REALLY ready. Because if I were REALLY ready, I wouldn’t be having all this self-doubt. (Right?)
Is the Universe saying I’m ready because someone reached out to me or is the Universe instilling self-doubt telling me to abort mission asap? Ugh. This one is on me. I must decide what this means.
I ended up coaching myself and after hours of contemplating, I chose to believe that the Universe was telling me I was ready.
The day was finally here. My office was squeaky clean, I had ice cold water waiting on the end table for my potential client, and a brand new note pad in hand. The doorbell wrung – she was here. My first client ever. Let’s do this!
The client arrived with a big smile on her face. I escorted her to my office and invited her to sit in the most comfortable chair I could find on clearance at Slumberland. I was on a beginner’s budget after all.
We had an amazing hour together where we outlined her goals for coaching and created an action plan. The defining moment was upon us. Will she schedule another session, or should I have listened to my self-doubt instead? I was completely delighted and overjoyed when she did indeed schedule another session.
It’s official, I am a Life Coach!
She stayed with me for over a year. Within that first year I had 12 clients, hosted a workshop, and was invited to my first small speaking gig with a stay at home mom’s group at a church.
That was five years ago and throughout that experience as a rookie coach this is what I have learned: If we wait until we have confidence before we pursue something it will most likely never happen.
Because true confidence is felt only after you take the first bold step and take action. Self-doubt, insecurity, and anxiety will never be a sign from the Universe to abort the mission. In fact, self-doubt, insecurity, and anxiety are signs that you MUST go forward because all things worth pursuing are scary.
So, if you are debating on starting, take this as a sign from the Universe and do it.
Your Life Coach – Traci
So true! You’ll never feel ready.