In the words of John C Maxwell,”Talent is never enough.” Yes, having talent is a good starting point but talent alone will not achieve your dreams. Here’s a story that illustrates this point. My son always aspired to be a professional basketball player. He is very talented and was the star of his basketball team in high school. After graduation he enrolled in college where he tried out for the college basketball team. He was successful in his quest to be a member of his college team. His talent got him the opportunity. Skip a few months ahead. My son is now a more disciplined and focused player. The progress he has made is evident. His talent laid the foundation and helped him to get on the team but the Coach harnessed his potential and using his experience as a basketball coach, he helped my son to develop into a much better player.
The importance of having a coach as we pursue our dreams cannot be understated. Experienced professionals in the field you are pursuing can help you develop your talent and strengthen you. As your expert coach guides you, he/she will help to broaden your horizon, develop your talent, help you avoid costly mistakes, help you handle difficult situations and help you overcome events that may try to derail you. Coaches also use their experience to help you to navigate the choppy waters that lead to successfully achieving your goals.
Many people prefer to go it alone or think the cost of hiring a professional coach is excessive. Here are powerful words from Oprah Winfrey that drive home this point. “For every one of us that succeed, it’s because there’s somebody there to show you the way out.” You can never journey to a new place without a map. Stacia Pierce from the Millionaire Blog shares that “Successful people are check points along the path to success. Oprah has always been candid about the advice she received from mentors like Maya Angelou, Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier. For those you admire, if you want their success, be smart enough to model their lives.”
Invest in an experienced coach or mentor. Their experience, guidance, their ability to extract your full potential and develop your natural talent will be well worth the investment. We invest in others. We invest in electronics. We invest in material possessions. We very quickly invest in new fads and trends. It’s time to reconsider your investments.
Know this – the successful person invests in him/herself. Find in and invest in an expert coach. The rewards far outweigh the cost.
