Why should I spend money on a coach? How about to improve your financial health???
If that seems paradoxical to you, stay with me for a few minutes.
In a Harvard Business Review article I read recently, the authors pointed out the upside of being an optimist. While they touched on other broad benefits, their focus was primarily on the financial impact that showed up in their "testing for optimism, financial health, and attitudes and behaviors around money, using scientifically validated measures".
The data was clear in almost every case that optimists are more financially healthy than pessimists. See? It's totally gonna work out!!! But seriously, among the findings were healthier habits around saving money, better employee engagement, and a higher likelihood of being promoted.
Another finding that really stood out for me - because it relates back to a point in my career that was very painful to me - was that optimists were 5 times less likely to experience burnout. It took me several years of trying to "tough it out" before I learned that I was simply trying to do things that didn't work for me. And during those years I was definitely a more pessimistic person, one who wasn't very financially healthy, either.
Just yesterday I asked a colleague to provide me input on a homework assignment for an Emotional Intelligence course I am taking. The task was to collect input on how others rate my level of positivity. My colleague wrote, in part, that "... becoming a coach has changed you to someone who is happier, who more freely sees the potential in people and situations ..."
I was so happy to read those words, because they validate what I have been feeling and working on for the past several years. The HBR article concludes with a few good practical tips on how to crank up the levels of optimism in one's life. They include using a gratitude practice, shutting down perfectionism, and connecting with others in a meaningful way.
So how does this all connect? The active decision to take an optimistic outlook is not an easy one. It's easy to slide back into old patterns and habits. We are "evolutionarily predisposed to nitpick our failings", for example, by deeming it a failure when we only partially complete our lengthy to-do lists. Coaches who go through a rigorous training program learn to help people see the attitudes & habits that do not serve them. They hold them accountable to the "Big Agenda" that steers them to the life they want to be leading. And, importantly, they provide a mirror into the positive aspects of their clients' lives, helping them find a greater level of optimism. That, in turn, just might be the best way to impact your personal bottom line!
Interested in learning more about how coaching can get you feeling positive, focused, and on the path to a healthier and happier future? Get in touch with me and we can talk more about it!