3 Common Traps Health Coaches Fall Into

What’s holding you back from taking your health coaching business to the next level? If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere, you may be stuck in one of the following traps… and not even know it.

In this article, you’ll learn how to easily spot which trap you’re currently struggling with and what to do instead so that you can start moving forward with your holistic health business.

Before you start reading the list below, think of something specific you’d like to be doing or accomplish with your business right now. Do you need to grow a list, create one-on-one coaching programs, get three high-end clients in the next month, build your website, pick a niche, or something else?

Once you have a clear image in your mind of what you want, read the following three traps, decide which ones apply to your situation, and then learn how to get out and break free.

Trap #1 – Not Staying Focused

Staying focused is essential for success. But that’s often easier said than done. Here are 3 common ways you may find yourself getting easily distracted from your goals.

Do you suffer from Bright Shinny Object Syndrome?

You know what I’m talking about. It’s where your attention gets sidetracked every time you hear about a great new way to grow your coaching practice or get clients.

Realize that the grass will always seem greener on the other side, but it probably isn’t. Choose one good method, system, or program and stick with it until you see results.

Are you trying to do too many things as once?

This is like trying to drive five different cars – all at once – to your destination. You drive one car several miles, then get out and drive the next car several miles, then get in the 3rd car… You get the picture. Eventually, you will get all five cars where they need to go – if you’d don’t become discouraged and give up.

More than likely, you’ll get frustrated by your lack of progress and distracted by a “bright shinny object” before reaching your goal.

If you’re trying to create a home-study course, build a website, start marketing in social media, and learn how to do webinars all at the same time, it’s going to take you a long, long time to get clients and start making money.

Instead, pick one goal to work on. I recommend you start with what is most likely to bring you income quickly, even if it’s just a couple hundred dollars. There’s nothing like getting a new client to get your motivation going!

Are you spreading yourself too thin to be effective?

This is the difference between a flashlight and a laser light. The flashlight covers a much wider area, but the light is dimmer and won’t reach as far. When you try to focus on too many things at once, you’ll become ineffective in all of them.

On the other hand, a laser light is bright and reaches far into the distance. It’s also pinpoint accurate. That’s why they are used for targeting.

The same concept works with staying focused on your business. For example, if you’re trying to get new clients, but you’re following three different systems from three different mentors, you’re using a flashlight. You’ll likely to get mediocre results, even if the programs individually are really good.

Instead, find one mentor you can trust and focus all your time, energy, and effort with their program. You’ll get better results faster.

Trap #2 – The Comfort Zone Trap

We build our comfort zone out of routines and thought patterns to help us deal with the reality of our day-to-day lives. But sometimes we get trapped in our own comfort zone and are afraid to step out of it because of fear of failure.

Fear of failure is very real. Sometimes we use fear as an excuse not to take action. But other times, that fear is protecting us from making a big mistake. So how do you know when the fear is just an excuse and when you should heed it’s warning?

One suggestion is to ask yourself, “What’s the worse that can happen?” The reasoning is that if you answer the question, you’ll realize that the risk isn’t as high as you first thought.

Personally, I don’t like that question. I have a very creative imagination and can come up with some apocalyptic scenarios given half a chance. If that’s you, I have another simple way to break free of the fear so you can step out of your comfort zone and take action when it’s important to do so.

Ask yourself these two questions:

· “If I did what I fear, what could I gain?” Write down both the short-term benefits and the possible long-term gains from taking action. For example, maybe you fear contacting a prominent person and asking for referrals. What would be the immediate and long-term benefits if they said yes?

· “If I don’t take action now, will I look back later and regret it?” If you know you’re going to regret it later, it’s a good indication that you need to step out of your comfort zone. Otherwise, you’re using fear as an excuse to hold you back.

For example, if someone asked you to speak to their group and you’re afraid you’ll make a fool of yourself on stage, ask yourself the two questions. What marketing opportunities could you gain? How is that likely to help you get clients? Potentially, how much income could you earn in the next 12 months from this event? And if you don’t speak to the group, will you later regret passing up this opportunity?

These questions will help bring much needed clarity to an emotional situation so you can make the right decision for you.

Trap #3 – Failure to Take the RIGHT Action

You’ve no doubt heard that the key to success is taking action. WRONG.

The key to success is taking the RIGHT action. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

For example, let’s say I put you in a kitchen with all the appliances and ingredients you needed to make a dessert you were unfamiliar with. But I didn’t give you a recipe or any instructions on how to make the dessert. Would you likely succeed just by taking action? No.

But what if I also gave you a recipe, step-by-step instructions, and a video demonstrating exactly how to do each step? Now would taking action likely lead to success? You bet. You might not get it perfect the first time, but it wouldn’t take many tries before you’d have a perfect dessert. And you’d feel so much more confident doing it.

Many holistic practitioners are finding themselves trying everything they know to do, but they still struggle to charge what they’re worth and get clients. They feel like they are spinning their wheels and getting nowhere because although they are taking action, it’s not the right action. This is why having a step-by-step system to follow is so important.

To break free from this trap, decide exactly what it is you want to achieve or do. For best results, make it a specific topic, like how to use Facebook, choosing a niche, or how to market with webinars. Then find a mentor you trust who can show you step-by-step what to do and hold your hand along the way. You’ll be amazed as the results.

Summary

There are things that keep you from achieving what you want. And for many of you, just realizing what trap you’re in is enough to help you start to break free. To get completely free, you’ll need to take a few of the action steps suggested above.

Think about which ones apply to you right now. Now make a list of which actions you can take today to get out of the trap.

And leave a comment below to let me know what your big “Ah-ha” is after reading the article. I’d love to hear from you.

For more tips, strategies, and articles on how to get more clients and create irresistible offers, programs, and websites, visit http://www.KarenBrunet.com. From Karen Brunet, The Irresistible Marketing Coach, where “It’s not just a website…It’s the Mother Lode!”