ASK THE COACH
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Success Is a Three-Act Play
By Dr. Ray Angelini
The Saratogian
September 20, 2005
As a life coach, I am in the business of helping people become more successful and effective in their business and personal lives. Many people ask me how I help my clients accomplish their goals, and I often respond that success is a play with three acts.
Shad Helmstetter — in his groundbreaking book, Who Are You Really and What Do You Really Want? — outlined what he called "breakthroughs" that he felt were the key ingredients to becoming and remaining successful. I choose to refer to them as "acts," as in a play, because I believe they build upon each other in a synergistic way. They are as follows:
Act I: Self Talk
When we are born, our brains are like a brand new computer, fresh from the box. From that moment on, everything we hear, think, do or say is permanently stored on our own personal hard drive as the programs that wind up running our lives. These programs are formed by repetition, and the more often messages are repeated, the stronger they become.
We unconsciously act on the programs that are the strongest. Since our brain is designed to store every message it receives, it stores a combination of both true and false information. Our brains are designed to act on the strongest programs we have, regardless of whether those programs have any factual basis or are constructive.
If our brain has incorporated too many negative messages (which most of our brains have), we can actually be pre-programmed for failure, rather than success. By inputting positive new messages into our brains, (i.e. self talk), we can replace old, negative programs with new healthy ones that will support our success.
As the old saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." In order to be successful, we must throw out the trash of old negative thoughts and replace it with positive thoughts if we ever hope to be successful.
Act II: Active Goal-Setting
According to Helmstetter, effective goal setting follows specific steps:
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Step1: Identify the goal.
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Step 2: Write it down.
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Step 3: Write down the date you're going to reach the goal.
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Step 4: List the obstacles to reaching the goal.
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Step 5: Write and date the action steps you intend to take.
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Step 6: Practice your goals.
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Step 7: Review and track your goals at least weekly.
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Step 8: Reward yourself along the way as you reach your goals.
Act III: Personal Coaching
Research has shown that personal coaching helps make the first two acts work more effectively. All great athletes have coaches to help them reach their goals, and we are no different. Personal coaches are individuals who are trained to help you identify your goals, find the proper focus, and keep you on track and motivated on an ongoing basis.
As a coach, I always say to my clients, "You have all the answers, all I have to do is ask the questions." Coaching helps move clients from a "shotgun" approach to a "laser approach." A laser is much more focused and direct than a shotgun and cuts right through to the heart of the matter.
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So dare to become the star in your play of success. With a good coach as your director, you're bound to have a happy ending.
