Self-help starts here! (Breaking out of my shell)

Today, I’m breaking out of my shell. Self-help starts here! I’m stepping up and deciding that I have the “right” to help others. My experience and learning can be useful to others. That might sound trivial to people who offer their advice freely, or who don’t even realize that they do, but I’ve always felt somewhat of an “impostor” to advice someone on their life. I’m always thinking: “Who am I to pretend that I can know what is better or worse for someone”? So I usually refrain from giving advice and I simply try to ask the right questions to make the person come up with their own answers (psychologist-style!).

Today though, I decided to take my first 3 mentoring customers: My brother, my boyfriend and my best friend. They all need to learn perseverance in some fields and I want to help them. My brother wants to have a girlfriend but he needs to improve what he can “market” to a girl. The problem is not meeting her, it’s sustaining her interest. My boyfriend needs to raise his self image and realize that he is a very valuable person and partner. We’ll do daily affirmations to help him out with that. My best friend needs meditation to increase the “heart-ratio” in his decisions and decrease the “brain-ratio”.

What struck me as obvious this morning is that all those opportunities are perfect to start my coaching career! I’ve always been afraid to find my first customers while they were here all along! Ok, maybe they’re not paying customers yet, but I need to practice my art before I can start charging for my skills! And what is more rewarding that helping people you really care for, without even charging a penny for it? After all, my favourite activity at the moment are the homosexuality demystification conferences which are unpaid volunteer work!

This is the organization I do my conferences with:

www.grisquebec.org  (in French only)

Self-help action plan

Today I spoke with a friend about setting myself in motion. I am surprised at how things fall into place quickly and that’s even before I’ve written my self-help action plan! My course of action is not fully defined yet, but it seems that only my serious willingness to take action is doing the work! I’m also curious about the people I ran into recently. It seems like the number of “random” coincidental meeting is increasing. To me that a sign that something bigger than me is happening. My plan is falling into place! So for those of you who want so help moving into action, here are some useful steps:

1. Find your purpose. If you know why you’re doing something, it will be much easier to set yourself in motion. That might sound trivial, but it’s actually the basis of all action. Watch this Ted video to find out more:

www.ted.com/talks/rick_warren_on_a_life_of_purpose.html

2. Write an action plan. Even if your plan is not final or cumbersome, having a plan will make it easier to start your project. Feel free to readjust it along the way, but make sure that your actions are continuous in time to avoid interruptions in times of uncertainty.

3. Close your mind to negativity. Throughout your endeavour, you’ll come across many people to discourage you and give you a ton of reasons about why this might not work. Look at their achievements before you put any value in those comments. Only take advice from people who have succeeded at goals similar than yours

4. Do it with a friend! Along the way, even when you follow all good recommendations, you are bound to feel discouragement and to question yourself. If you are doing this with someone, or if you are at least checking up regularly with someone, you are definitely increasing your chances of success!

That’s it! If you want to partner up with me, feel free to ask!

And now, take action!
Martin 😉