As the year comes to the half way point we set our sights on what we planned earlier in anticipation of a new and better year for our families and ourselves. The problem is that as we make these “New Year’s Resolutions,” not many come to pass.  Why is it that we want something to happen and it doesn’t. 

So let me give you some tips on how to have a better year: 

(1) See yourself as the thing that you want.  What you see in the present becomes your future. If you are thinking about good things, good things happen - if you are thinking bad things, bad things happen.  Visualize what you want and keep that picture in your mind.

(2) Don’t be self-limiting.  Let go of those thoughts that can hold you back.  You might not even know what those thoughts are, so get a coach that can help.  You know the kind of thoughts I am referring to, you might use the following phrases, filthy rich, and love of money is bad,  I always learned this…. Look at your language and what you are saying.

(3) Throw away your prejudices and see how the world can look different, bigger and better.  Need help? Get a coach.

(4) Keep that attitude positive - not “yahoo,” but “yes I can,” as opposed to “no I can’t”.

(5) Make choices based on what you want, and don’t be served up with what you get.

Henry Ford Said: "If you think you can, you might. If you think you can't, you won't"

“The best thing about Life Coaching is that anyone can do it,

as long as they have a passion for it.”

  --Step Jones, founder, Life Motivations Institute

Step Jones, founder of the Life Motivations Institute in Beverly Hills, says: “The first step toward changing your own life, and making it better, could be learning how to help other people change and improve their lives by becoming a Life Coach.” 

Indeed, more people every day are turning to this new field of endeavor that is both emotionally rewarding and financially gratifying. The LA Times reported recently that “people are flocking to Life Coaches,” and an article in USA Today referred to Life Coaching as “one of the fastest growing professions in America.” Life coaching has become so popular that “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Starting Over,” among other television programs, frequently feature professional Life Coaches.

But with all the buzz, many are wondering: what exactly is a Life Coach, how do you become one, and how do you build and market a practice?  And, if you hire a Life Coach, what can you expect to gain?

Jones, who is also a highly respected motivational speaker, and author of a new book on achieving success, From Ordinary to Extraordinary, founded his Institute specifically to train people to enter a field that has brought him so much satisfaction.  The growing interest in the profession has also drawn a great deal of traffic to his websites, LifeMotivations.com and 1800LifeCoach.net.  Inquiries have also been pouring in to his toll free number, 1-800-Life-Coach.

Step’s “students” include transitioning doctors, lawyers, business owners or executives... even a bus driver who set up a Life Coaching practice for retirees. People are drawn to this new profession, Step explains, because it involves the satisfaction of helping others set and achieve personal and professional goals.  Life Coaching also offers a great deal of freedom. Life Coaches can set their own hours and offer their services in person or by telephone, and can work with individuals or groups.  A skilled Life Coach can also do well financially.”

What he has found from coaching clients and training people to become Life Coaches, Step reveals, is that, “In our increasingly complex, challenging world, many people are in overload, or feel a bit “burned out” from doing work that is no longer satisfying. They still have to make a living, but want to spend their time doing something that gives them happiness and satisfaction.  Life Coaching allows them to achieve this and to help others do the same.” 

The best Life Coaches, Step explains, are those who have can offer proven, individualized strategies rather than “one size fits all” platitudes. They are also exceptional listeners and communicators who know how to guide others to make the most out of their lives. “The best thing about Life Coaching is that anyone can do it, as long as they have a passion for it,” says Step.

“Step taught me that Life Coaching is not about giving people advice. It involves really focusing on the client and guiding them to make the best decisions on their own,” said Mo Bailey, of San Diego.  Mo is a certified business coach, author and public speaker who recently attended LMI’s Life Coach Fast Track training seminar in Beverly Hills to learn to build her own life coaching practice.

Like Mo, another attendee, Hugh Hamberry, knew he wanted to help people, but was not certain he could launch a viable practice.  Hugh wants to transition to the professional services industry from his job at the Social Security Administration.  When he saw a Los Angeles Times advertisement for the Life Motivations Institute training course, he was intrigued.  After just three and a half days, he says, “I learned some great life coaching skills as well as crucial marketing and public relations strategies, and now feel able to move forward with setting up my own practice.”

A car accident put Los Angeles bus driver Glenn Rougeau off his feet for a few weeks giving him time to think about his career.  He decided that he needed more purpose in his life. The diverse individuals he met at Step’s seminar impressed Glenn.  “It was great to see so many different people there who were truly committed to helping others,” says Glenn, who wants to create a life coaching niche for retirees and those facing retirement.   Bill Marko, who is in sales at the Irvine, California BMW Dealership, says “Step is the kind of guy that always sees light at the end of the tunnel. He taught me how to always stay positive, and now I impart that to others.”  And Brian David Goldberg, PhD, CEO of The Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, is encouraging the large number of therapists he works with to attend Step’s seminars in order to offer Life Coaching as part of their practices.

Upcoming Life Motivations Institute training seminars will be held in Los Angeles.

Improve your Self-Image

Do you have doubts about your ability to achieve?  Ever wonder if you are good enough?  Do you have a poor self-image? Do you even know what your self-image is?  It is how we think of ourselves- whether we view ourselves as good or bad.  Why would we think poorly of ourselves?  Why do we run ourselves down? We all do it from time to time, we beat ourselves up about the “dumb” thing we did, or we say “I wish I could take that back.”  We all have failure, so get over it and tell yourself you can be better, and you are good. After all if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?

PS: Check out the recent Weekly Challenges as an introduction or to find a new success technique.

“Change a person’s mind, and you change their life.”

The number one rule in communication is that people prefer talking to listening. Feeling-finding questions discover buying motives, needs and why people buy.  Opened-ended questions tell you more because people are telling you why, since these questions cannot be answered yes or no. If people are talking, you become a mind reader - people tell you what is on their mind.  So become a mind reader and listen to the consumer.

This one is for Dr. Goldberg, a college fan.

Who is tied with the most Heisman Trophies?

A. USC and Notre Dame

B. Army and Ohio State

C. Texas and Florida State

D. Penn State and Navy

Answer the question correctly and get a free MP3 download of Step Jones’s CD Help Yourself Be Better  from his upcoming new audio product Jump Start

The answer to last week’s trivia question is #2, “Vince Lombardi”.