Coaching Information

Are YOU a Dreamer?


This morning I watched a news article about a young woman who had just set a world record for sailing across the English Channel. What was special about this Channel crossing? The sailor, Hilary Lister, is a quadriplegic who steered the boat by blowing through two straws. She completed her crossing in 6 hours.

In her own words, speaking to BBC Breakfast: "If you want to have your dream badly enough you can do it." According to the BBC, she took up sailing two years ago as a way to boost her self-confidence.

And what a way to boost your self-confidence!

How is it that there are some people who seem to have exceptional determination and who drive them selves to succeed against all the odds, and at the other extreme there are people who don't even think about the what if's?

It's all about attitude. If you believe that something is possible, you can almost always find a way to do it. If you believe that something is impossible, you'll almost always find a way NOT to do it.

As we grow up and experience set backs in life, we start to form beliefs about what we are 'allowed' to do and what we aren't. And these beliefs can stop us from dreaming, from doing the things that could make us happy, from taking a leap into the unknown.

For a number of years I held the belief that my husband and I would never travel the world. We had a mortgage, steady jobs and a comfortable life. And we told ourselves that we didn't really want to do it anyway - traveling was either for students or wealthy retirees. It was only when I bumped into an old school friend who simply said ,"just rent your place out and go" that I realised we'd both been finding reasons not to do it.

Once I'd made the shift in my mind that it might be possible, I soon discovered how easy it was to arrange! We decided to go away for a year and to make it a honeymoon. In February we set the date for a June wedding (we'd been engaged for 12 years!) and organised the wedding and reception in my spare time within 3 months. But, as the wedding magazines argue, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! You need at least a year to organize a wedding... don't you?

If you really want to do something, you can find a way to do it.

But the first step is opening your mind to the possibilities. What would make you really happy right now? What would give you a sense of achievement? To have a better relationship with your loved ones? To learn to dance? To have more responsibility at work? To go to a concert? To laugh?

Spend some time this weekend thinking about what would make you feel happy and alive. Dream, play and give your mind the chance to wander. Every time you hear yourself saying 'but' or 'I can't do that because..', ask yourself HOW you could do it. Those obstacles aren't so big and scary when you start to think about how you can overcome them.

And it's never too late. Colonel Sanders was 65 and living off social security checks. But his unwavering belief in his recipe for fried chicken drove him to start the franchise business that became the KFC we know today. Whether or not you like KFC, you've got admire his courage!

Hannah McNamara is the Managing Director of UK-based coaching company HRM Coaching Ltd. She can be contacted by calling +44 20 8544 8024 or e-mailing info@hrmcoaching.com

With the sheer numbers of people operating as coaches, HRM Coaching offers an invaluable service matching clients with the coach who they are most likely to get along with.

Subscribe to Hannah's FREE newsletter by visiting http://www.hrmcoaching.com and you'll get regular coaching hints and tips delivered to your inbox.

We hate spam as much as you do, so your details are safe with us.


MORE RESOURCES:

USA TODAY (blog)

Coaches Agree; It's a Tough One
New York Times
You are coaching the team that is on offense and is trailing, 17-15. Both teams have one timeout left. What do you instruct your players to do? DAN REEVES Former coach of the Giants, the Broncos and the Falcons “No question, I would use the clock and ...
Super Bowl Champion Coach Started Career in WNYWROC-TV
The Giants Coaching StaffG-Men H.Q.
Super Bowl 46: Bill Belichick's Coaching Errors Leave Patriots On Losing EndSB Nation
USA TODAY (blog) -Bleacher Report
all 20,263 news articles »


USA TODAY

Charleston coach Cremins says he was physically exhausted
USA TODAY
20, 2011, file photo, Charleston coach Bobby Cremins signals to his players during the first half of their NCAA college basketball game against Louisville, in Louisville, Ky. By Timothy D. Easley, AP In this Dec. 20, 2011, file photo, Charleston coach ...
Cougars' Cremins says physical exhaustion, doctor's advice led him to step ...Washington Post
What does C of C do post-Cremins?Charleston Post Courier
Bobby Cremins: 'Team play has lifted my spirits'Live 5 News

all 47 news articles »


Globe and Mail

Rough day as coaches hit the deck
Winnipeg Free Press
Add coach Lindy Ruff to the list. Ruff sustained three broken ribs in what was described as "a freak accident" after he was upended by defenceman Jordan Leopold in practice on Monday. In revealing the extent of the coach's injuries, ...
Sabres Practice Update: Lindy Ruff Suffers Three Broken Ribs In Practice CollisionDie By The Blade

all 135 news articles »


Bleacher Report

Tampa Bay Bucs Struggle to Assemble Coaching Staff: Fan's Look
Yahoo! Sports
Contributor Network 1 hour, 53 minutes ago Besides prior flirtation with another college coach in Chip Kelly of Oregon, few predicted that the Bucs would target the former head coach of Rutgers University. Indeed, during the lengthy search to replace ...
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Still Silent on Assistant Coaching PossibilitiesBleacher Report
Buccaneers Coaching Staff Search: Florida's Dan Quinn Turns Down Job ...SB Nation
Am I Missing Something?The Pewter Plank
National Football Post -Pewter Report -Bucs Nation (blog)
all 29 news articles »


Boston.com

Belichick: Really enjoyed coaching team
ESPN (blog)
Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed reporters upon the team's return to Gillette Stadium today, and acknowledged that it was nice to receive a warm welcome from fans. "It was great to see our fans out there, that were here, to be here when the ...
Belichick, Wesleyan '75, Coaching to Make (More) History TonightPatch.com
Belichick is 'real proud' of 2011 Patriots teamCBSSports.com (blog)
Klis: Belichick win gives Lombardi competition for all-time bestDenver Post
National Post
all 93 news articles »


The Daily Jeffersonian

Billy Donovan, John Calipari coaching 'em up on hardwood
Florida Times-Union
AP Florida head coach Billy Donovan calls out a play during the first period against Texas A&M on Dec. 17. Don't miss a second of the action when you're away from your computer. Download our Gators app by searching "Jacksonville.com Gators" in your ...
Calipari and the Cats wary of Florida's 3-point shooting, peaking too earlyCoachCal.com

all 126 news articles »


Deaf swim coach teaching lessons beyond the pool
The Seattle Times
By Sandy Ringer Coach Michael Dobner, who has been deaf since birth, addresses his Kentridge High School swimmers. Interpreter Kim Toffstad, right, often assists. Coach Michael Dobner gets through to his Kentridge High School swimmers using a variety ...

and more »


Bleacher Report

Harbaugh, Coach of the Year, Has 49ers Built for the Long Run
NBC Bay Area
By Doug Williams Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers was voted the NFL's Coach of the Year. The question now is, was Harbaugh's coaching magic a one-time wave of the magic wand, or will that magic have staying power?
NFL Coach of the Year: Ranking the 5 Coaches Who Most Deserve TitleBleacher Report
49ers' Jim Harbaugh wins coaching honorChicago Tribune

all 310 news articles »


San Francisco Chronicle

Raiders hire Jason Tarver as def. coordinator
San Francisco Chronicle
Jason Tarver spent 10 seasons with the 49ers before joining head coach David Shaw's staff at Stanford last year. After reportedly striking out with five other candidates for their defensive-coordinator job, the Raiders turned to a man with a master's ...
Oakland Raiders Take Another Coaching Risk In Hiring Jason Tarver To ...SB Nation
Football: Co-coordinator Tarver leaving to run Raiders' defenseThe Stanford Daily
Tarver hire could mean new defensive scheme in OaklandThoughts from the Dark Side
Silver and Black report -Bleacher Report -Just Blog Baby (blog)
all 157 news articles »


After lots of coaching failures, Bulls got right guy in Tom Thibodeau
Chicago Sun-Times
Thibs was born to be a hoops coach. Take the job away from him, and what would be left? Two lidless eyeballs? A puddle? June 23, 2010. ''We talked to coaches, players, everyone. It was evident Tom was really a fit for us and the philosophy of the ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007