A good friend of mine recently asked me if being a coach makes me feel like I have to do everything perfectly. I told her that I don’t feel that way, but that I do feel an obligation to “walk my talk.”
But what does that really mean?
For me, it means that I need to do what I ask of my clients:
* Dream big
* Set specific goals
* Be accountable
* Take action
* Question assumptions
* Stretch
* Risk failure
* Celebrate success
* Care for myself
* Be grateful
The list goes on …. geez, that’s a lot! And of course there are many times when I am not walking my talk. Maybe I know what I should be doing but I don’t. Or maybe I don’t know what I want and am spinning unproductively. Or perhaps while I am caring for others I let my own needs go unmet. As anyone who knows me can testify, I am as susceptible to these lapses as any other mortal.
And perhaps that’s where being a coach serves me well. Yes, I do feel a responsibility to walk my talk and not linger too long in the not-doing. But I also try to treat myself compassionately – not to beat myself up. Thanks to the many clients who share their dilemmas, anxieties, and frustrations with me, I know I am in good company. All our lives are a work in progress.
And I know how to get back on track: I call my coach. That’s walking my talk, too.
