When the Outcome Is Worth the Pain, S-t-r-e-t-c-h!
If you read my newsletter, you may recall that I participated in a soccer tournament last month. I played in four games over two days and got feedback from my body that I needed to do something differently than I had been doing. I knew I was not performing at my potential.
One of the principles I teach coaches is that symptoms are a sign for needed action. I was having stiffness and pain, so I sought out my friend John Woolf, a physical therapist who shares this perception. He was able to take me through his process for discovering what’s really important, which is something he adapted from the NLP training I put him through six years ago. John elicited from me what my real physical goals and intentions were. Luckily, I am working with someone who not only can elicit clear goals but also has—given his physical therapy and healing skills—the ability to make what I want possible.
Just like any good coach, John created a clear plan with accountability and had me outline what would be necessary to achieve my goals. He then gave me specific exercises to make them happen. That was the fun part. Then he explained that we were going to have to shake my body out of some stuck patterns that were making it difficult for me to move in an effective manner. To tell you that this part was fun would be to lie.
John was able to do some profound work on me that broke my body out of some frozen patterns, but it was painful. Thankfully, it was the kind of pain that stopped immediately when he stopped the stretches.
Isn’t this like much of our coaching? Sometimes we must be prepared to go through a certain amount of pain or discomfort to break out of old patterns that can keep us frozen and stuck. Even though it can sometimes be painful, if we believe that the outcome we want is worth it, we will be willing to face the pain.
Where I see problems in my coaching experience is when people want significant change but want it to be easy. The more you’ve let a pattern—or a habit—establish itself, the more you might need to break it up before you establish a new one. And then don’t forget that you have to do the equivalent of exercises to maintain the gain.
Every once in a while change can be easy and joyful. More often than not it can be initially difficult or downright painful. Sometimes if you’re willing to face pain head on, the change that results is only because you were willing to force yourself to stretch and add the necessary flexibility.
Think about the last time you took on the challenge of significant change. Were you able to do it without stretching?
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I like to collect stories about belief change experiences. If you have any interesting ones, let me know or post them below so I can comment on them in subsequent articles or posts.
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About Terry: Terry Hickey, M.S., is a Certified NLP Professional Coach, Business Trainer and Consultant, a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the co-owner of NLP Advantage Group. Originator of the Belief Breakthrough Method™, Terry specializes in teaching coaches and entrepreneurs how to rapidly resolve limiting beliefs about wealth and success. His tips and strategies can help you launch yourself into the future you want… NOW. http://terryhickey.com/
