How I Got Launched With A Little Help From My Friends

When there is a hill to climb, don’t think that waiting will make it smaller. ~ Anonymous

This blog has been in the making for nearly two years.  For at least that long it has been an entry on my to-do list, written and re-written, over and over, as new lists were replaced with old ones:  Create blog.  Start blog.  Outline blog.

Two words, a complete sentence, sounds so simple, right?  And yet, the weeks and months would pass and still, no blog.

It was never far off my radar.  I read other writers’ blogs by the dozen.  I read books and articles about how to create a blog.   I had a folder filled with notes of ideas for what it would look like and what I would write about.

To be fair, I was also pursuing numerous professional and personal goals in the meantime.   It’s rare to find a coach who isn’t achievement oriented and I’m no different.  But still, the goal of launching a blog eluded me.

So what was the problem?  I’m a trained coach and I’ve been coaching for over a decade.  Every day I coach people who are in some stage of working towards their goals.  I should know all about setting goals and following through, right?

Well, I am also a human, fully equipped with flaws and fears.

As a coach I also know that at every stage of goal attainment there are often road blocks that can stall progress.   Deciding on the goal is just the start of the journey.  Finding the motivation to stick with the myriad details needed to reach the goal is another challenge entirely.

My nature is to think about things for a long time before I act.  I often wish I could be more spontaneous, more of a “just do it” kind of gal, but this is how I’m wired.  I’ve learned to make peace with it and make it work in my favor.

My clients often are dealing with the same stuck-ness.  It can be incredibly frustrating to have the desire for a goal, yet not be able to do what it takes to move forward.   Procrastination is a complex condition.  Just as there is no one single source of procrastination, there is no single solution.

Being coached throughout the process of launching this blog helped me identify the multiple sources of my own resistance, which included:

• Learning curve.  I’m using blogging tools that are brand new to me (WordPress and Thesis).  I’m no technology novice, but getting accustomed to their quirks has been a challenge.
• Planning.  I both under and over estimated how long it would take to complete the various components of designing the blog, writing the content and more.
• Distractions.  Other priorities always managed to rise to the top of my priority list…or rather, I allowed them to.   I often wished for a single week without any commitments or distractions.  Guess what?  It never happened.
• Fear.  This one snuck up on me at vulnerable moments.  What if I lost all my current subscribers?  What if I didn’t get any new subscribers?  What if I got snarky comments on my posts?  What if no one read it at all?

Ultimately, the goal of having a new web presence won out and here I am.  But it wasn’t without considerable help and guidance from my support network.

During each phase of the blog creation I inched my way forward with a different set of strategies to combat my procrastination and fear.  The common thread was a support team who were always ready to guide and motivate me when I needed it the most.

• The beautiful design of the blog came from the gifted, compassionate & kind http://valeriehart.com/
• The layout and technical wizardy came from the amazing http://myndemayfield.com/   I am grateful for her infinite patience with my relentless feet-dragging.
• The words I wrote on every page were inspired by several intense Skype brainstorming sessions with my kindred spirit http://carlamarieciampa.com/.
• The client testimonials are a sampling of the many inspiring individuals I have had the privilege to coach over the last decade.
• Prior to launching, the blog was proofread by a team of eagle-eyed editors and friends (Thank you, everyone!).
• The motivation to finally finish came directly through my Facebook friends.   Just days before launching I threw out an S.O.S on my wall, asking for support.  In no time I was embraced by friends whose wisdom and love all contributed to the completion of the blog.  It also inspired the topic of my first blog post.

Each time I rolled up my sleeves and worked on another piece of the site I realized how fortunate I was to have this network of motivators.

That is the power of coaching. 

Are you stuck?  Is there some area of your life that you want to change?

If any of this sounds familiar, I would love for you to join the conversation.  I will be sharing ideas, tools and resources to help you find your focus and propel you forward.  We’ll be talking about the process of designing your ideal life, including:

• Goals and intentions
• Passion and purpose
• Fear and courage
• Procrastination and resistance
• Choices and trade-offs
• Desire and motivation
• Getting stuck and getting unstuck
• And of course, mobilizing a support network

Are you ready to take the first step towards the life you have imagined?