Embrace Your Numbers

The essence of coaching is in identifying the gap between
where you are and where you want to be. There are many ways
to get from Point A to Point B, and many of them ask you to
suspend your addiction to numbers. However, it is
practically impossible to move from Point A to Point B if
you can not clearly articulate where Point A is. For most
of us, that involves numbers of some kind.

This is even more critical for those of us who fear being
trapped by numbers. We usually prefer to 'go with the
flow' or 'fly by the seat of our pants'. If this is your
natural style, as it is mine, the idea of getting intimate
with the numbers that make up our lives can be a little
scary.

So often, we feel that 'what we don't know can't hurt
us'. This is simply not true. Not knowing that your blood
sugar levels are over 400 doesn't mean that you can't go
into a coma or have some other life-threatening
complication. The trick is to embrace your current numbers,
identify your ideal or goal numbers, and work from there.

Here are some examples of the 'numbers' in our lives.
Embrace them!! So often the fear associated with them just
goes away once we admit to ourselves what they are. (This
is very similar to another fear I frequently see with my
clients who are afraid to go to the doctor because they
might find out that something is wrong. And is also related
to the relief they feel, once they do go, when they find
out what it is, regardless of the seriousness of the
illness involved.) We have a very strong 'need' to know.
Get yours met!

Remember, these are only some ideas to get you started.
Figure out what are the important numbers in YOUR life. To
be successful, and to get to where we want to go, we must
know our starting point. And we must know what numbers
represent our success, or we will find it difficult to
attain our goals. However, there are many ways to define
our goal so that it is comfortable for us. For example, if
you know you are over weight, which of these sets of
numbers 'turns you on' more?:

Going from 200 to 120 pounds (80 pounds) Going from Size 20
to Size 10 (10 sizes) Going from 'can't do it' to
walking up one (or two) flights of stairs without getting
winded or in xx minutes?

Frame the goal in the way that is most comfortable for you.
Then, keep asking what your current numbers are. That is
one of the secrets to getting where you want to be.

Examples of Personal Numbers You Want to Know:
Weight, Blood Sugar/Cholesterol/Blood Pressure, etc.,
Vision, Budget: Income, Expenses, Savings, What's Left,
Dates/Birthdays, Number of times a month you wash the
car/floor/etc., Number of visits each year to doctor and
dentist - (and when the last one was!), How long it takes to
get places, How long it takes to get ready

Examples of Business Numbers You Want to Know:
Salary, Taxes , Sales per Week, Month, Quarter, Year, Return
on Investments Clients per Month, Speed of Processing,
Business Forecast / Projections, Budget: Income, Expenses,
Savings, What's Left, Turnover Rate, Cost to Hire and Train
Staff vs To Keep Staff, Quality Numbers (Error Ratios, etc),
Client Expectations / Quotas, Boss Expectations / Quotas