by Elizabeth Hancock

Do you know that most people have goals they wish to achieve with every coming New Year? Many people see January as a time for renewal, growth and re-balancing of commitments. These can include eating healthier, changing careers, developing healthier habits or re-discovering their life passion. Some people might find themselves at a transition point in life and are looking to start the year off on a positive note. No matter where you find yourself, we all seek to improve ourselves so we can feel happier, healthier, more productive and more in control of our lives.

Having the desire for change is the first step toward transformation but mustering up the time, energy and commitment necessary can feel very overwhelming. This feeling can escalate into stress and eventually, quitting altogether. January 17th has become known as the infamous "Quitter’s Day", confirming to us what we already know—change can be difficult.

It is not that people don’t want to change, but rather, they don’t know how. Developing a strategy for any new goal is the single most important ingredient for success.

So, how can we get past the dreaded Quitter’s Day and move toward Winner’s Day? Well, how do Olympic athletes win a gold medal? We all know it takes desire, time, effort and a great coach. It’s no secret athletes invest countless hours with their coach in fine-tuning their sport, art, etc. This model for success works. Coaches help to motivate, inspire and hold their clients accountable in achieving their goals. With a coach’s help, anyone can break down a goal into small achievable wins to guarantee their progress toward success. Goals go from scary and overwhelming to simple and straightforward.

Life coaching as an industry is experiencing record-breaking growth as more and more people are looking to invest in themselves. Perhaps the biggest impact a life coach can make in an individual’s life is by strategizing and helping to clarify exactly what a client wants to create and how they plan to get there.

What goals do you have for the year ahead? A life coach might be just the guidance and support you need to finally achieve that dream.