Coach Editor Expert – From the desk of Adam Thomas

Damn it, sometimes we are (useless, awesome) on our own

And it feels great to get something done (in spite of, because of) that.

We get to pat ourselves on the head, do a little dance, and feel better about what we do because of that.

And that is why we do it; we do it for us.

Don’t try to rationalize it. Don’t try to talk about the greater good. And definitely, don’t say you did it for the team.

When we do things on our own, outside of the movies, we are doing it because of our ego.

Full stop.

Even if the outcome helps others, the narrative that we tell ourselves in private is one of me, me, me.

Coaches, mentors, and experts give us a different road.

Why?

Because if we utilize them (the good and great ones, at least), we have to communicate the what, who, why, and how at every step of the journey, and where that leaves us.

In the end, since you’ve shared the wins and losses, it stops being about you and starts being about the what, who, why, and how. You depersonalize yourself and get closer to shared objectivity.

You start saying we, us, the team instead of me, me, me. And if you wish to lead, that better be the default, or else you are lying to those you serve.

Ego is damned.

You aren’t as good as you think you are

When you get better, there is a constant.

You are better than you were before.

But how do you get better, especially since you don’t know what you don’t know?

Well, that is where a coach, an editor, or any other type of expert gets involved. They give you the know-how that you don’t know, so you get better, faster.

Looking for a good one takes time, and time is a sacrifice. Even harder, you are going to get feedback that may come back as harsh. In fact, I am pretty sure it WILL come back harsh.

But that is the game.

Because at the end of it all you’ll become better than you were before.

This month, I want to focus on the why behind getting someone better than you to help, and also, how you can sustain that relationship so that you can keep growing.

Becuase if you stop growing, you die.

And that is a constant, too.