Embracing the 10%
When I first got certified as a life coach, I was excited and optimistic. I enjoyed the coursework, my peer classmates were great, and the practice coaching we got to do was everything I had hoped it would be.
I felt armed and ready to go change lives!
Then one day, out of curiosity, I got on the internet and googled the search “what percentage of life coaches are successful?” To my complete dismay, the answer returned “10%.” My heart sank as I reasoned “does that mean that 90% of life coaches are unsuccessful?”
Had I just spent all this time getting certified for nothing?
My mind immediately wanted to go to the negative place and assume that I would be part of the 90% who do not succeed.
Why was it so easy to assume the worst as my first thought? I don’t even know how the internet determined what was “successful.” I was plagued by fear of the unknown.
But then I remembered that I had always succeeded in every other thing that I’ve tried to do that was important to me, so why wouldn’t I assume I’d be part of the 10%?
My mind shifted, and I know I owe that mostly to being an endurance runner for over twenty years. Through the disciplined training of my physical and mental self to run longer, faster, and more consistently, I have developed the confidence to approach each new venture with more optimism than I did in my earlier years.
The Journey Hasn’t Been Easy
As a shy introvert, I grew up lacking the confidence to speak up or go after what I wanted. I watched other people go after what they wanted, while I sat back scared to try. And, truth be told, not feeling worthy of having what I wanted.
For many years, I kept my struggles locked inside me, and my mental health suffered for it. I didn’t think anyone would understand and definitely didn’t think anyone would be able to cure the pain.
I felt alone and isolated in my troubles. I did not see a vision of anything ever being better. This must be what life will be like for me.
Can you relate to any of these thoughts?
Achieving Goals Leads to Confidence and Mental Wellness
In the year 2001 when I was 29 years old, I decided to train for my first full marathon, and I ran the Houston Marathon in January of 2002. I went straight from not running to running a marathon, which in hindsight was not the smartest decision! Ha! I trained hard for the six or seven months leading up to the race, but I really didn’t know what I was doing.
I struggled to finish, but I finished, just shy of five and a half hours.
I did not enjoy that distance, however, so for the next 17 years, I reduced my training to half marathons and ran about 20 of those.
I noticed that when I was training for races, I ate better, I hydrated better, and I slept better. And with each medal I received, I gained more confidence in doing even better the next time. (“Better” might mean faster, or with less pain, depending on what year it was!)
This confidence grew to me training for a second and third full marathon in 2019 and 2022, and an ultra-marathon of 100 miles at the end of 2020 and 2021!
I didn’t know when I started running that less than 1% of the population would run a marathon in their lifetime, and even less than that runs an ultra-marathon.
What I did know is that each time I attempted a goal that was built on the success of a past goal, the fear shrunk, and I was able to just make a plan and go for it!
The success in my running finally gave me the courage to try what I have wanted to try for many years, which is to pace runners at half marathon events. I absolutely love it! It is such a great feeling to encourage runners to reach their time goal! If I had never tried this, I know I would have missed out on something pretty spectacular for myself. It is my goal to do this for as many years as my body will allow me to!
And this meaningful part of my life would have never happened if I had been concerned with the “less than 1%” statistic when I first started running.
Glass Half Full
This confidence has also translated to other areas of my life, and as the years have progressed, my anxiety and depression have decreased, and my mental wellness has improved.
I realized there is a correlation between achieving your goals and your mental health.
When we can control our outcome to some extent, and it doesn’t feel like chaos or simply reacting to life circumstances, things seem more manageable.
So based on this success rate in the consistent efforts of my running, why would I ever doubt that I could be part of the 10% of life coaches that succeed?
I know I have a lot of wisdom and experience to share, and I have a passion to empower other people to reach the goals that are most important to them.
Leap of Faith
My coaching journey so far has not taken the path that I expected it to go. I thought the plan would be to get certified, get a website, post on social media, and sign up as many clients as I could handle! Sounds straightforward and easy enough, right?
It has not happened that way at all. The journey has been a rollercoaster of emotion, and each week seems to take on new highs and lows that I hadn’t imagined.
But because of my mindset and my determination, I have had the courage to take the journey as it comes. I’m opening as many doors as I can to see what is behind them and embracing every opportunity that is in front of me. And it’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life!
I faced the fear because I know that what is on the other side of stretching beyond my comfort zone is an abundance of growth, happiness, and fulfillment, both for me and for the clients I have a passion to serve.
Tips for Moving Forward
When you find yourself plagued by negative thoughts about going after something you want because you believe the chance of success is low, try one or more of the following:
Clarify your Why – Understanding why something is important to you can reignite your passion and determination.
Break it Down – Breaking your goal into manageable baby steps will help you move forward while gaining confidence along the way.
Focus on Learning – Embrace the journey and see every setback as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Seek Support – Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your goal.
Visualize Success – Visualize yourself achieving your goal. This can help reinforce your belief in yourself and increase your confidence.
Stay Persistent - Keep pushing forward, even when it's tough, and remember that every effort you make brings you closer to your goal.
Manage Expectations - Be realistic about what success looks like and the timeline for achieving it. Adjust your expectations if necessary to avoid feeling discouraged.
Celebrate Progress - Acknowledge and celebrate the progress you make, no matter how small. Celebrating milestones can help you stay motivated and remind you of how far you've come.
Conclusion - Face the Fear
In conclusion, it is natural to be afraid to try something new. We don’t know how things will go. We might end up embarrassed or ashamed, or walking away with our tail tucked between our legs.
But when we can focus on the amazing things that could be waiting on the other side of the fear, it really can open a whole new world of possibilities! And when we can view failures more as life lessons, it can help us to feel the confidence to step outside of our comfort zone. It’s all part of the journey!
If you are struggling with a fear of failure or any other obstacle that’s standing in your way to what you desire, working with a life coach can help.
If you would like more information about working with me, you may contact me at pam@intentionalbutterflycoaching.com. I would love to talk to you! And if you’re in Sugar Land, TX, the conversation has the option to be in person!