Staying the Course
Or: How to keep going forward when all your 'things' go sideways...
The GCC exists to promote quality and ethical coaching practices, build meaningful connections with peers, and provide inclusive support for coaches across the world. We offer resources, activities, conversations, and collaboration needed for coaches to thrive.
Picture this:
You’ve prepared for Monday like a strategic genius. Calendar? Color-coded. Coffee? Premium brew. Motivation? Through the roof. Then life happens—your kid develops a mysterious rash that looks suspiciously like last week’s finger-painting project, your migraine settles in like an unwanted relative, or your brain goes rogue and files for temporary unemployment. What do you do?
Let’s Get Real: Life happens regardless of how well we plan things. For employees, calling in sick may disrupt things at the office, but you still get a paycheck that month. But for business owners - especially new entrepreneurs, if you miss appointments with paying clients, you don’t get paid for that time. Period. And missing an intake meeting with a potential client who is ready and eager to work with you can set you back in several ways – energetically, reputationally, and financially!
Coaches often struggle with the business side of coaching: building a sustainable flow of potential and returning clients, regardless of your niche. So, this isn’t an area of your world you want being side swiped by life drama.
Some days you’re firing on all cylinders. Other days, the tech crashes, your brain fogs over, and life lobs a curveball straight to your gut. The real question isn’t “Will this happen?” — it’s “What do you do when it does?”
Here are some scenarios that are all too familiar to coaches who are solopreneurs:
Challenge #1 - Obnoxious Interruption: The Technology Tantrum
You’re ready to launch. The confetti is in its proper place. And suddenly, your payment page decides it’s got a little bug that reroutes your funds into a black hole. Your Zoom link turns into a treasure map with no “X.” Or your website has flat-out ghosted you.
Your Move:
Step away from the keyboard before you invent new swear words.
Phone a friend (preferably one who gets off on fixing this stuff).
Learn the 5% you need to know — but don’t start majoring in “DIY Tech Support.”
Develop a handy redirecting battle cry:
“It’s a hiccup, not a heart attack.”
Then, Reset Your Mind:
Breathe box-style: Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4 — twice.
Perspective flip: Ask yourself, “Will this matter in 6 months?” If the answer is no, you’ve got your chill back because this is only temporary. If it is a “yes”? Reach out, regroup, rethink, retool.
Action step: Write down the next single tech task and only do that.
Challenge #2 - Annoyance: The Mid-Project Motivation Meltdown
Let’s assume for the moment that tech is back to being your BFF. You’re humming along creating content for your programs, and halfway through your course/email sequence… you have an urgent need to organize your junk drawer or sort the mail. Your focus went for a walk to the custard stand. You need a coffee break. You can’t sit still another minute! AGH!
Now what? Drop everything, get in the car, head to Starbucks? Head to the gym? What happened to that motivation to get two chapters/modules done by noon?
Maybe - just maybe - you had unrealistic expectations, and you really need to reconsider your current time blocks. Or, consider some time blocks as an option, if you have none
Your Move:
Break it into baby bites. Not “finish module” — just “write 3 bullet points.”
Create fake pressure: tell someone it’ll be done by 4 PM.
Bribe yourself. And yes, wine counts, unless it’s not a thing you do, or it’s still morning.
Battle Cry:
“Done is sexier than perfect.”
The first phones were ugly, but they worked. Your first draft is better than no draft.
Then, Reset Your Game Plan:
The 10-Minute Rule: Promise yourself just 10 minutes on the task. You’ll usually keep going. Getting started is hard. Stopping is sometimes harder.
Micro-win list: Write down 3 quick things you can finish in under 20 minutes to kick-start your sense of accomplishment.
Capability Buddy: Message a biz buddy, “Ask me at 4 PM if it’s done.”
This last idea notifies your inner critic that you are CAPABLE of getting to the finish line, however you define it. “Accountability Buddy” carries an aura of the schoolmarm shaking her finger at you if you don’t get it done. A capability buddy reinforces that you’ve got this, and it’s your shot in the arm without the needle!
Challenge #3 - Stealth bomb: The Procrastination Trap (With or Without a Deadline)
With a deadline, you panic and stall. Without a deadline, you watch Netflix.
Your Move:
Self-Talk that Works: pattern interrupt. You literally change things up. Stand up. Move. Take a five-minute brisk walk.
Tell yourself you will only do a tiny bit. Here’s a sample:
15-minute sprints. Work. Stop. Repeat.
Shrink the time. Parkinson’s Law says tasks expand to fill the space, so give them less space.
Battle Cry:
“Action beats overthinking every time.”
Then, Reset Your Vibe:
Reverse engineer: Start with the due date and work backward and put micro-deadlines in your calendar.
Move your body: Do 10 jumping jacks or a brisk walk to break the mental freeze.
Trigger ritual: Light a candle, play one song, and start. Do the same ritual every time, as it trains your brain to focus.
Challenge #4 - Blindsided and Dazed: When Life Smacks You in the Face
Loss, illness, family chaos — whatever the flavor, it can knock the wind right out of you.
Your Move:
Pause. Breathe. Feel the hit — don’t bulldoze over it.
Tap support resources that can lift you up.
Take a break and say “no” if needed.
Ask, “What’s the smallest step I can take to stay in the game?”
Ease back in. Low-pressure wins at first, then ramp up.
Battle Cry:
“Setbacks are speed bumps, not roadblocks.”
Then, Design A Gentle Re-Entry:
Energy check: Each morning, ask yourself, “Do I have enough in my tank for a baby step or a bold step today?”
Low-hanging fruit: Start with something so small it’s impossible to fail.
Anchor habit: Keep one business habit alive (like posting once a week) so you don’t lose the thread completely.
Challenge #5 - Transition Hurdle: Getting back into the Arena
After a setback, a break, or a full-scale derailment, inertia can feel like quicksand. You’ve been down, or sidelined, and all you want is to ‘get back to normal’ - but that might not be possible...in the same way. It’s time to recalibrate.
Your Move:
Revisit your why. Get crystal clear on the reason you started.
Check in on your values and look for alignment.
Work with your team, coach, counselor, or mentor to explore various perspectives.
Think about ‘New Normal’, not ‘Old Normal’ when necessary.
Battle Cry:
“Courage isn’t born — it’s built. Resilience isn’t born – it’s developed”
Then, Make Your Plan:
3-2-1 Launch: 3 micro-tasks today, 2 bigger tasks tomorrow, and 1 big project by end of week.
Positive action anchor: Tell your audience you’re “back in action” because public declarations create follow-through energy.
Celebrate the return: Treat re-entry like a fresh start, not a shame parade.
The Bottom Line:
Staying the course isn’t about being perfect, perky, or perpetually “on.” It’s about refusing to stay down when you get knocked on your assets. So next time you’re tempted to throw in the towel, remember towels are for wiping the sweat… not waving as a ceremonial white flag.
Summon your resilience: you know you’ve got it, or you wouldn’t be a Coach! Then, breathe in your success and go!
 | A guest post by
|