This is one of the waves from the Mavericks contest this year. I imagine myself as the surfer on the board saying, "Oh. My. God! Here I goooo..." What a terrifying thrill! But I also remember that these are surfers who are trained and experienced in big wave riding.

This picture reminds me of coaching clients as they embark on new journeys or businesses. They call me with ambitious plans and desires - searching for support, accountability and mirrored enthusiasm. The initial conversation also speaks of trepidation and fear. Who doesn't, when trying out something new?

The coaching process helps the client break their ideas down into manageable pieces - chunks they can comfortably work with. It would be similar to learning how to ride the smaller waves if they lacked the confidence and experience to ride the Maverick waves. This is why action plans work so well. The main goal is listed on the six month plan. All activities leading up to that final goal are broken down into accomplishments met in one and three month segments.

People have said, "Well why do I need a coach to do that? I can write this up for myself." And I would reply, "Yes, you most certainly can. But will you be accountable to yourself?" Having a coach, mastermind or business development group, etc. offers a psychological accountability that makes people do their work. It's even more effective because of the payment involved. It's been proven over and over that those who pay money for services engage more fully than those who do not. A coach also picks up cues or hiccups in the client's efforts that may be creating unconscious havoc for them. Quite simply, it's always good to have someone outside of your circle offer their observations.

I don't know about you, but I'm hitting 55 years in this upcoming birthday. The fact that my life is moving faster and getting shorter is making me think about those things I want done before I lay on my deathbed. I'm pulling out all the accountability stops to help me get those things done. Classes, a coach and supportive accountability groups keep me on my game so I'm doing more of "living my game" rather than "wishing away my time."

If you're got some plans that you've thought about for a long time, but haven't managed to take it seriously or break it down into smaller waves - give me a call and we'll get you paddling out to those maverick waves.