Folks often ask, “why are you so focused on habit coaching?”
The short answer: It works.
The better answer: It’s amazing to see folks finally achieve their goals — and realize that they can use the same recipe to keep making positive changes.
How We Know It Works
Over a decade ago, we started as an innovative tool for nerdy habit-trackers.
From interactions with millions of users, we learned that technology was rarely enough to support lasting change. It became clear that daily conversations are essential too, because of the inherent awareness they create.
So we built the first platform for text coaching, invited our most consistent users to train as coaches, and developed a certification program from proven best practices.
Through client feedback, we’ve unequivocally affirmed that habit-focused coaching is helpful. We see the proof in thousands of daily check-ins and unbroken streaks. We are energized by the stories and testimonials of life-change that are shared in client reviews.
We know that habit coaching helps people build momentum and achieve their goals.
In fact, we believe that it provides an ideal starting point.
The Trifecta
Habit Coaching creates a unique trifecta of benefits that support behavior change and specifically help us overcome the most challenging obstacles to our progress.
1. To get started, the key is identifying the first daily action that will create initial momentum. We call this the keystone habit, and we’ve learned that the best ones are rarely obvious.
“People often think it’s weird to get hyped about reading one page or meditating for one minute or making one sales call. But the point is not to do one thing. The point is to master the habit of showing up. The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can’t learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize.”
– James Clear, Atomic Habits
Our certified coaches use habit research and focused work with their pilot clients for several weeks to identify the most ideal starting points — factoring in anchors, triggers, and common pitfalls.
By working with a coach, clients gain the benefit of this experience without the accompanying delays and frustrations.
2. The second benefit is the awareness and real-time information capture that happens with the daily check-in.
I swear the me that buys groceries and the me that actually has to cook the meals are two entirely different people
We can all giggle and relate to this meme. It’s tough to predict our own behavior and preferences, especially when we’re trying to make better choices.
With the daily interactions facilitated by habit coaching, we can forget about that headache and focus on being present. We simply commit to attempting our keystone habit each day and making quick notes about how it felt. The process does the work.
3. The layer that compounds the benefits of the other two is the accountability and insights that the coach provides.
In the first phase, coaches help us set our expectations for consistency versus bursts. This mindset is essential. If we rely on making progress only when conditions are favorable, we’ll often be stuck. If we can take intentional actions consistently, we’ll build confidence and resilience.
If there’s a miss or a difficult stretch of days, that’s okay too. That information and context helps coaches identify closed gates and recommend adjustments that could help. By using small daily experiments, we can quickly test new ideas and build on what’s working.
“As an indie romance writer, my career is nonstop creative work, and a year after going full-time, the pressure of being a professional and turning my passion into my work wore me down and ground my productivity and my personal well-being down to nothing.
Cherry got right to the heart of it in coaching, and pinpointed my specific issues, laying out a development plan for me. She was simultaneously broad-ranging and practical, giving me tools and actionable advice to dismantle the mental blocks that were holding me back, and through it giving me a broader understanding on how to lift myself up out of my creative blocks altogether. Now, I feel like I’ve not only unblocked my creative work, but built a toolset to guide me through any similar roadblocks in the future.
After 2-3 months of coaching with Cherry, the difference is enormous. I’m more productive, the work is more enjoyable now than ever, and my mental health is the best it’s ever been as a result of taking charge of my own attitude and mental state. I’m back to turning out books just the way I love to do, and I and my readers are all grateful!”
– From Lily for Coach Cherry Jeffs
Through cumulative data, we can see that most clients need a week or 10 days to find their rhythm, and then another couple of weeks to perform the habit through a variety of circumstances.
At around four weeks, momentum is strong.
Then it’s time to grow the habit and repeat the cycle.
“I finally figured out that I needed external accountability to form an exercise habit. I was starting from zero. Laura is exactly what I needed. We started with a small habit, 10 squats. We talked about ways to incorporate my new habit into an already existing habit. In just six weeks, I am up to 3 rounds of 6 difference exercises and I am enjoying my new habit. Laura meets me where I am, she understands when I need a rest and she is so encouraging when she adds to the routine. Laura is very easy to talk with, even though I’m sure she is much younger and more fit than I am, she relates to this 57 year old out of shape woman. Don’t hesitate, get started with Laura. She is life changing!”
From Tina for Coach Laura Tejerina
At Coach.me, we’re grounded in habits and all-in on coaching. We’re passionate about helping change-seekers match with supportive coaches and unlock their potential.
If you’re ready to experience the magic of habit coaching, you can visit our directory to get started. For a free week, use promo code NY2023WEEK.
If you’re thinking about becoming a coach, click here to learn more.
