When was the last time you were facing expensive car repairs and a friend leaned over and confidentially shared that he knows someone who can do it cheaper on the side? You can apply this scenario to different situations but when you apply it to your writing, you’re compromising more than your pocketbook. Your writing project is a major investment in time, soul searching, motivation, and creativity. You need someone who understands each phase of your project. Here’s the flip slide.
Cheap coaching . . .
- Does not challenge you. For your writing to be better, you need to reach down deep and do something you’ve never done before. Remember the first time you jumped into the deep end of the pool and didn’t know how to swim? Now, that’s challenging.
- Does not change you. Writing is life changing. Just writing your story will cause you to reflect on unresolved issues or acts of grace. A good coach will encourage you to dig for authenticity, and it will change the way you see yourself and your life.
- Does not call you higher. If you’re writing, you’re in pursuit of deeper meaning. When you uncover truths within yourself, you will take steps in your life to live better, love deeper, and write intentionally.
- Does nothing for your comfort zone. When you got an A in a difficult school subject, didn’t it change the way you looked at that subject? Wouldn’t your comfort zone expand to include excellence in that area? Do you feel uncomfortable about your writing? Maybe you haven’t expanded excellence into your comfort zone. Become comfortable with expanding and improving your writing.
- Does not set you up to charge your worth. Remember the scenario about the car mechanic repairing your car cheaper on the side? Why? Because he’s not a professional and perhaps not using brand parts. When you discount your work, are you the mechanic on the side or are you the certified professional who’s worth the price?
- Does not change your community. Any profession demands that you reach out to new peers, new colleagues, new clients. The same is true about writing. Whoever is beside you when you start writing should be expanded to include new and different people beside the constant and familiar ones. They will help you grow your community and readership.
- Does not change your conversation. If your writing isn’t challenging you, there’s really nothing to talk about. But if you’re attempting to put your best work on paper, you’ll tell others and they’ll give you feedback. A conversation is more than informative, it’s an interaction that sustains and encourages the participants. You’ll be more animated and positive and less complaining and negative.
- Does not correct you. If your cheap coach goes along with everything you’re doing, why do you need that person? Good writers engage good reviewers, good editors, good coaches to help them shape their project into a rewarding product.
- Does not confront you. Are you paying for a nodding head and a conciliatory smile? If you’re coach does not confront you on deadlines, language, style, content, milestones, and just plain bad writing, why are you paying that person? Your writing deserves better.
- Does not build your confidence. Writing is hard. No matter if the story lives in your heart, putting it down on paper in a cohesive inviting manner is difficult. Feeling the pain of the journey is what makes it all work and over time, you will build confidence in your ability to succeed despite the hardships. Be confident in the journey.
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