In my travels as an executive coach and speaker, I encounter an extraordinary number of individuals who describe wanting to change. They come up to me during breaks or after events and share their hopes and desires to transform some part of themselves.

I love it!

It’s exciting for us to recognize our need to change. As we all know, recognition is the first step.

I congratulate them on their recognition and then ask them three questions:

  1. What do you want to become/achieve?
  2. How are you going to do this?
  3. When are you going to start?

I write three words on the back of a business card: “What? How? When?” along with a note: “Call me in 30 days to check-in. No strings.” I explain that I will not try and sell them anything. I simply want to support their process and will spend an hour listening and offering ideas. It’s an hour of free coaching.

I’ve been doing this for a few years. Here are the results:

  • Three out of ten call me.
  • Two of the three describe why they haven’t yet started and struggle to answer the three questions. I offer encouragement. However, I leave these calls just a bit disappointed for them.
  • One is on fire—exhilarated by the hard work of transformation and humbled by the recognition of how difficult it really is.

While I have no insight into whether the seven who do not call are started on their journey of transformation, part of me thinks not. Inertia is a strong force and many decide not to fight it.

For the one pushing himself or herself to learn and stretch and strain to break the bonds of inertia that keep everyone else mired in their less than optimal routines, I extend my offer for one free hour of coaching every month.

In the short-term, it’s a horrible business model for me.

It’s my favorite work.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Traveling with someone on his/her/ journey of transformation is an honor. It reminds me how easy the words are to write and speak and how remarkably, profoundly difficult the work is in practice. And it gives me hope that all things are possible if you make the decision to exert yourself and break free of the inertial forces holding you in place.

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