Don’t be afraid to be a beginner! When you start something new no matter who you are you are probably going to suck at first. But the good news is that no one expects you to be amazing right out of the gate. The pressure is off!
Put in the Work
You just need to keep working and failing forward. Most people are cheering you on as they watch you try. For those that don’t they are more than likely sitting on the sidelines and their opinion doesn’t count.
My daughter Lauren and husband Brady are both competitive athletes. They love playing sports. Basketball and softball/baseball are their favorites. Lauren got the opportunity to learn handball at Texas A&M. She signed up for the class thinking it was the team handball game she’d seen in the Olympics. Instead it was an individual game played like racquetball without racquets.
She practiced a lot the first semester and entered her first tournament after playing about 4 months. She didn’t have a good feel for where the ball was going and scored very few points. The other handball players kept encouraging her and teaching her.
The next tournament she got a little better. Then she traveled to Minneapolis for the collegiate handball tournament. Having only played for about 5 months, she didn’t think she would last in the tournament very long. She kept playing hard and kept winning. The last day of the tournament she played her teammate and won the national championship in her division. Not bad for a beginner!
She has wonderful coaches that have stuck by her. They teach her and encourage her. They helped her make progress so much faster.
Brady is learning to play with her. He’s struggling not being competitive right out of the gate, but I know it won’t take him long. Lauren loves being able to coach him.
My Beginning as a Coach
I have been a beginner health coach this year and it has been a huge learning experience. I know I want to help people feel better so they can live an active full life. This pushes me to keep figuring out the next step!
I still have moments where I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. I just keep trying to fail forward and learn. I find most people admire you for trying and continuing to persevere. Those that judge you are usually on the sidelines and their opinion doesn’t count.
“A lot of cheap seats in the arena are filled with people who never venture onto the floor. … For me, if you’re not in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”- Brene Brown
The business side of health coaching is where I struggle the most. I’ve never considered myself a business/ salesperson. I’m learning more each day. I had to stop that limiting belief that I couldn’t sell or run my own business!
Invest in a Coach
This past year I have gotten to be coached by Jenna Kutcher and a private Facebook group she leads. This has helped me learn so much! Jenna remembers what it was like to be a beginner and has been teaching us and encouraging us with the next steps in business.
A coach can make such a big difference for a beginner. What Jenna and her group has taught me, would have taken years to learn on my own. I learned a lot about an online business but also a lot about how to be a better coach. To get in on some free training and learn about this course click HERE.
I was a beginner with videos for social media. I was so scared to do them! It took me a couple hours to finally get a 5-minute video recorded the way I liked it! Some of my first videos, I used a teleprompter app to help me. Each time I got a little better. I’m not where I want to be, but I am not where I started. I get better with practice!
Check out my cooking videos on YouTube here!
I even got the opportunity to do a live interview on Instagram with a lady from my group. She is a life coach from Scotland, and we talked about getting out of your comfort zone to find contentment and fun in your life. She had to show me how to do it, because it was new to me. I was so nervous, but also very excited! Stay tuned because I plan to do more of these! Follow me on instagram here!
Do Hard Things to Help Others
There’s also less pressure when you’re a beginner. No one expects you to be great yet. I keep practicing these new things, so I’ll be ready when my audience is bigger!
Jenna has been such a great coach encouraging me to not let my fear stop me from serving those who need my help. Sometimes it’s helpful to do hard things for someone else instead of yourself. She reminds us that if we had the cure for cancer there is no way we’d let anything get in our way of sharing the news! I know how important health is and I want to help others feel better!
Keep Practicing
I don’t have it all figured out yet! My blogs, emails, videos, etc. aren’t where I want them to be, but I’m going to keep practicing and getting better!
I know it’s hard to learn something new! The first time is always the scariest! Don’t let other people’s opinions be a part of the equation. Most people ahead of you will be cheering you on because they remember being there!
I see people nervously come into a new class at the gym. They are scared they’ll mess up and that everyone is judging them. Quite the opposite! We are all so glad they’re there. We remember being the new kid. We’re cheering them on! You always beat the person who stayed home on the couch!
“Starting small and sucky beats staying stucky!” Marie Forleo
I want to encourage you to be a beginner! Try something new! If you really want to jump start your progress, hire a coach. Someone who is a few steps ahead of you can guide you and teach you. Whatever you do, just get off the bench and get in the game! The world needs your gifts!