Why sleep training is like your career

One of the PepTalkHer team, Madeleine, was recently dealing with her son who is a "nightmarish" (her words, not mine) sleeper - slash… nonsleeper!

She did all of the things:

• Darkened the room.
• Let him cry. Soothed him. Repeat.
• Played white noise.

But?nothing?worked (even though she had another bubba who was the ultimate sleeper!)

She’s super smart and really well-read so was frankly cynical about needing additional help. But, eventually, she engaged an (expensive) sleep consultant for their expertise and a fresh perspective.

She asked questions.

Wrote down?everything?the consultant said.

Put the tips into practice…and asked?more?questions!

And before long…progress. He slept through - a full 12 hours!???

I asked her what she reckons was the best part about working with a sleep consultant.

She told me:

"It gave me?one clear plan to follow.

The step-by-step guidance helped me feel ready for action.

And - it worked - It friggin’ worked!!!"

Mads tells me she wouldn’t have achieved these results without the sleep coach. (She wishes she’d done it earlier.)

It can be like this at work right?

You’ve had some successes, kicked a few goals, been rewarded with a raise or promotion along the way.

But then…your progress stagnates.

You find yourself stuck or at a turning point where moving forward is REALLY tough.

Here’s the thing - as you get more senior in your career - the loneliness of leadership can set in. But making hard calls at work solo - is unnecessary.

It's game changing to have an outside perspective and coach - most senior execs do.

It's easy to look at calm demeanor of successful execs like the TIAA's Thasunda Brown Duckett or KPMG's Lynne Doughtie and think they must have a natural talent for handling stress and challenges.

But that's reductive. Champions aren’t born, they’re coached.

Take Serena and Venus Williams - both coached by their Dad Richard, since they were 4 years old.

Oprah reckons ‘everyone should have one’ and praises her coach Martha Beck for much of the success she achieved in her career.?

Recent Australian Open winner tennis champion Ash Barty credits Ben Crowe - her mindset coach - for helping her achieve her best.?

Honestly - I used to be dubious.

Why invest the time or money in coaches? Chatting to mentors, friends and colleagues, reading books is just as good…right?

But - I realized - if you’re looking for deeper focus and quicker progress, you need a dedicated coach.?

In fact, I have 3 at the moment.

2 are specifically for the business - one is for PepTalkHer and our growth and one is for me as a leader and manager.? I also have a fitness coach helping me with my goals this year, she’s a lifesaver!

It’s not cheap - it costs me the equivalent of a full time salary to work with these professionals (Luckily the return on investment is at least 3 times that - well worth it)

Here’s why I bother - and you should too. Engaging a coach means you have someone dedicated to:

• Push you to realize your potential (which is often bigger than you’ve dared to dream)
• Help you see your blind spots and perfect the art of managing up
• Be a sounding board and cheerleader, dedicated to you and your personal and professional challenges

Every piece of advice and learning you receive, is an investment in your future self. Your future salary, your future success.?

At a more practical, tangible level, it can mean:

• You add $35,000+ onto your pay cheque, instead of being low balled in your salary offer
• You quicken your job hunt time frame, so instead of taking 12 months to find your dream job, you find it? in just 3 months, helping you escape your toxic boss asap
• You hit your business revenue goals sooner so you can take the entire summer off work

One of my coaching clients explained to me the other day:

"Rationally - I?know?I have all it takes to be amazing.

But - I used to experience imposter syndrome, causing a lot of procrastination and self-sabotage.

Now after coaching, I feel like I'm in control. I'm clearer on where I'm going and WHY - giving me the confidence to handle my colleagues, my boss and my next steps."

DM me if I can help you.

Meggie