• Banks and large finance companies are going under.
• Governments everywhere are scrambling to contain the economic fallout.
• The global stock markets seem to be in free-fall.
• There are constant comparisons to The Great Depression of the 1930's.

Now, more than ever the world needs the perspective that life/executive coaches can offer!

I know that some of us who make our living in the coaching arts might be tempted to buy into the hype. Perhaps some of the following thoughts have crossed your mind:

• “How will I ever find new clients in this economy?”
• “I'm going to have to slash my fees because people are going into 'save' mode and won't pay my usual rates.”
• “There go my plans to work with the corporate world! What company is going to pay for an indulgence like executive coaching?”
• “What am I doing trying to run my own business in this economic climate? My (spouse, mother, father, sibling, friend, ex-boss) was right, I'm not going to make a living as a coach.”

Well, if you've had a late-night visit from any of these negative thoughts, I invite you to remember two things: 1. they are only thoughts; and 2. the negative angle of this situation is only one possible perspective.

Yes, the global economy is going through some unprecedented challenges. But as coaches, we are aware of some fundamental truths that will help bring us, and our clients through this situation. In this article, I would like to remind you of two of those truths.

You Are Not Your Money

A financial advisor focuses on their client's finances, while a personal trainer focuses on their client's physical fitness. But as life/executive coaches, our role is to continually remind our clients that they are beautifully complex people with many different facets. They are not defined by their net worth. Now is the ideal time to remind our clients about the importance of their health, their relationships, their emotional state of being, their spiritual connections and their higher purpose in life. The more we encourage them to examine the meanings they are assigning to the various aspects of their life, the more we will be empowering them to break free of the financial tunnel-vision that is gripping us today.

Lately I've run into a number of people who are extremely concerned about the stock market, yet when I ask them about their portfolio they admit that they don't actually invest in the stock market! Or people who are in their 20's and 30's and are worried about their retirement savings plans. Because of all of the intense media attention, people have become more and more identified with their financial picture. Their relationship to money has taken centre stage in their lives and is causing tremendous stress. This is where a simple shift in focus can be the difference between living a stressed-out life glued to CNN, and a life that is determined to be joyful and fulfilled regardless of the daily headlines.

Perspective! Perspective! Perspective!

We have probably all heard that in real estate the three things that matter most are: location, location and location. Well, in coaching what matters most is perspective. At present, the media is full of doom and gloom. Not a very attractive perspective, is it? I believe that this 'crisis' is a tremendous opportunity for coaches to step in and offer some fresh new perspectives to our clients and to our would-be clients. And I also believe that because there is so much Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (aka: FUD) in the air, people will naturally gravitate to coaches who are offering alternative, empowering perspectives.

If you want to prove this for yourself, try this. The next time you are in a social situation where the conversation turns to fear-based crystal ball gazing about the global economic future, casually announce: "Really? Recession? My business has never been better!" I guarantee you that you will have everyone's attention! And when you tell them that your business is booming because you help your clients find new meaning in their lives simply by shifting their relationship to money... I wouldn't be surprised if you leave that conversation with a few new clients!

As I said at the beginning, what an exciting time to be a coach!

Patrick Mathieu is a Certified Master Coach with the CCF and a Senior Vice President with Healthy, Wealthy and Wise Corporation. As a motivational speaker and author, Patrick has been impacting people’s lives for the past five years. He was featured on Oprah & Friends, discussing his book “What’s Your Expiry Date? Embrace Your Mortality – Live With Vitality”. Patrick brings a very powerful sense of perspective to his role as a Master Coach, he brings eleven years of experience as an IT sales professional to his role as an instructor of the Sales Mastery Course, and his years of experience as a professional keynote speaker to his role as an instructor of the Speech Mastery Course. Patrick is responsible for overseeing operations in Southwestern Ontario and Ottawa and is also responsible for conducting our classes in French nationwide.

http://www.mathieu.com
patrick@mathieu.com