Judson Brewer, psychiatrist and thought leader in the “science of self mastery,” gave a TED Talk back in 2016 about the autopilot decision making process. By making you aware of your autopilot decisions (i.e. your unconscious choices) you can correct your habits in a lasting and sustainable way. Importantly it’s not just for people trying to give up smoking or lose weight, it’s about controlling the urge to say, reply to that email or text message immediately, stop day dreaming or scrolling – ultimately to pay attention to the now.
Judson doesn’t describe some simple, quick step for improving your health and mindset. He outlines a challenging, long-term method that requires somebody to take complete responsibility over themselves and their actions. It’s therefore not surprising that it comes out as the most effective way to quit a bad habit. It is also the best way to make a good habit. Put simply, getting what you want is about having the right habits.
And this is why coaching works, over say consulting or mentoring. For example, think about your last 12 months in business:
- How many times have you had a great new idea, then rolled up your sleeves and given it a go?
- On average, how many of those ideas have lasted and added real value to the company?
- How many times have you had an idea and gone off to fully research all the options, barriers, opportunities, then produced a robust strategy for rolling it out before doing anything?
Once you’ve mulled over these questions make sure you have a straightforward answer for each one.
A consultant could tell you that it’s pot luck trying to implement an idea without a strategy. A mentor would explain how this relates to their experiences, telling you how only ideas that have been put through real rigour first stand a chance of succeeding. But neither of these methods would be as powerful as you working it out for yourself.
If you did answer the three questions above honestly, chances are you had a mini ‘Aha’ moment at some point. This is what Judson Brewer is talking about in his TED talk. Once you’ve had the ‘Aha’ moment, then you can work out what to do with it.
Coaching works, not because of expertise in you or your business per se, but because Shirlaws coaches are very, very good at understanding how behaviour affects your bottom line and have access to the frameworks to change this.
To experience the difference coaching can make, take a look at our range of courses delivered by coaching experts, or book yourself in for a Discovery Session where you can see and learn more about the business growth tools available to coaches and SMEs.
