by: Brian Bartes

I received an email last week from a woman inquiring about coaching. She questioned the cost of coaching, and wondered what people can do when they are not able to afford a coach. This is a great question, and one of the answers is “coach yourself.”

Coaching is an important part of self-development. If you can’t hire a professional coach, you can “coach yourself.” There are many things that people can do to develop themselves personally, and they don’t always require an outlay of cash:

Read one hour per day in your chosen field or in the area of personal development, or both.

Because most people read very little, you will become an expert in your field in just three years. Your local library can provide most of the books you need, and they are provided at no cost to you.

Listen to audio tapes, or CDs, in your car.

If your commute to work is 15 minutes one way, then you will be in your car for 125 hours per year. This is the equivalent of three 40-hour work weeks. Imagine what would happen if you turned your car into a “university on wheels,” and invested that time in your personal growth and development. Many libraries have books on tape, as well as audio programs in various areas of personal development.

Identify your values, and align your life around those values.

Many people’s lives are not oriented around their values, and they are frustrated trying to determine why they aren’t happy, or aren’t reaching their goals. When you are expressing your values, you are being true to yourself. Pursuing goals that aren’t in line with your values leads to frustration. Living in alignment with your values leads to fulfillment.

Attend courses, workshops and seminars regularly.

The design of such materials requires hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of hours to create. When you attend a seminar, you benefit from someone else’s efforts to distill the most important information on that subject. Although some events can be very expensive, many are also quite reasonable.