Get an Autumn Tune-Up

If you own a car, boat or aeroplane, you will be well aware of the need for regular servicing, maintenance and a routine tune-up. The adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" may hold good for a while but you know, in your heart of hearts, that if you ignore some basic requirements, the vehicle will break - at an inconvenient time at best or dangerous time at worst.

I know from experience that even long-term coaching clients, who already know how coaching can transform their lives, sometimes need a "tune-up" after a few months. Going back to a coach, even if you feel that you are now on the right track, can have enormous benefits. I have recently begun such a tune-up service. In these weekly one-hour telephone conversations I invite my clients to review where they are now and where they want to be in the future. Together, we create a strategy for getting to where the client wants to be and define the actions that will produce the desired results.

The coach is simply the catalyst. It is the client who makes the decisions and the commitment. For a great many, the weekly reporting back of progress is the spur that keeps them on target.

The machinery analogy is useful again; after a long summer, the machinery probably needs a good lubrication, a removal of accumulated debris and attention to the ravages of long, sunny days. Autumn is a great time for human engineering too. As the evenings grow darker and there are fewer outdoor distractions, it is all too easy to lapse into evenings in front of the television. I just invite my clients to send a few minutes a day on their own tune-up needs. They are then better equipped to face any challenges that come their way and to create great new opportunities for themselves.