How to Get More Benefits Out of Coaching Sessions In this article, you will learn seven things you need to do to get the maximum benefits from any coaching session. Before you choose a coach or mentor, decide what you need in the mentor-mentee relationship. Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish, you can begin the process of finding a mentor that will help you with your goals. Here are some guidelines you can use to select your mentor/coach: 1. Find someone who cares about you and wants you to succeed. 2. It needs to be someone who will hold you accountable. 3. You need someone who will challenge you and at the same time encourage you. 4. You need someone who has experience in the area that you are interested in. Here are seven things you can do to get the maximum benefits from your coaching sessions: 1. Meet with your mentor regularly  once a month. 2. Keep the time to about one hour. 3. Take time to prepare yourself for that session.

Eight Barriers That Block Growth In my new business book, The 5 Secret Fears of Failing in Business, I reveal these fears and show how you can overcome them. Growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow is going to be better.  Dr. John C. Maxwell In this article, I am sharing eight barriers that can block your personal and professional growth. They include self-sabotage, pride, defensiveness, anxiety, fears, insecurity, comfort zone, and distraction. SELF-SABOTAGE: One of the reasons many people live below their capacity is because they doubt themselves and their ability. We talk to ourselves in our heads. What we are telling ourselves can have a more significant impact than what others are telling us. Are you optimistic about your inner-self? Or are you self-sabotaging? When you hear the whisper of self-doubt, repeat several times these three simple words: Yes, I can.  And after that, get going. PRIDE: We all have some pride. Pride can manifest itself in many ways. One way is an expression of overconfidence. Pride can be a huge barrier to learning and growth because it keeps you from admitting your weaknesses and need help. I keep my pride in check because I talk to it and remind it of my mission and purpose in life. DEFENSIVENESS: Past negative experiences and failures can cause us to reject new information and new ideas. We often create a massive barricade in our hearts and minds that makes it challenging to absorb knowledge and ideas. Defensiveness can keep us from learning and growing. What barriers do you need to pull down? Take a moment to think about your barricades. List them and decide how you will tear them down. ANXIETY: Fears can cause anxiety. Anxiety can make us impatient. When I coached youth in new soccer techniques, I reminded them that slow is fast  in learning a new technique or principle. Whether it was dribbling or passing, players often wanted to try it fast before they mastered the basic principles. We often approach many things in life and business with a fast-food, drive-thru restaurant mindset. To continue to learn and grow, you must allow enough time for the knowledge to sink in and bear fruit. FEARS: Don t let fears dominate your life. You are a courageous creature. Understand the difference between the need to be prepared, the wisdom to be vigilant, and being overpowered by fears. A close examination of my life revealed that 80 percent of the things I feared never happened. Ten percent of the things that I feared happened because I was too worried about them. The remaining 10 percent are things that would have happened anyway. I had no control over them. They happened so I could learn an important life lesson. INSECURITY: Insecurity is another form of fear. To grow, you must manage your insecurity and create an internal and external environment that makes you and the people around you feel more secure. If you are insecure, not only can it stop you from learning and growing, but it can also cause other people around you to feel insecure about you and themselves. Unchecked insecurity can be contagious and keep people stalled in indecision. COMFORT ZONE: If you are going to grow, you must be ready to experience some discomfort. Before the pandemic hit, I hired a physical trainer to help me with my workout regimens. Every session was brutal and painful. She pushed me beyond my comfort zone. The results were also outstanding. I got stronger and leaner. I accomplished more in less time. I also learned new techniques I could apply at home or when I travel. Don t be too comfortable in the comfort zone, for there is no growth in that zone. Embrace the uncomfortable zone if you re wanting to grow. DISTRACTION: We live in a world full of distractions. Social media, a 24/7 news cycle, and increased access to you through technology (did you just get a text message?) make it harder to focus. Even when we are not distracted by a screen or physical object, we often allow our minds to wonder. Distraction is doing something when you should be doing something else. There is no such thing as an effective multitasker. How to avoid distraction and remain focused on the task at hand? The answer is simple. Apply these principles. If you do these five things consistently, you will be more focused and overcome daily distractions: " Be disciplined " Assign a time to each important task " Focus on that task during the scheduled time " Plan your week (preferably every Sunday afternoon) " Practice and persist Take a moment to identify which of these barriers stand in the path of your personal and business growth. After you have recognized these blocks, decide today that you are going to tear them down. Make a plan and go after them. Illens Dort Coach  Author  Speaker Note: The content of this article is taken from my new business book.