28 Nov Coaching for happiness and success
There’s been a lot of talk and media coverage in recent weeks surrounding Ian Thorpe’s decision to retire from swimming. I don’t like to think that he’s “quit” swimming because someone who’s achieved as much as he’s achieved (multiple world records, Olympic Gold Medals etc) is hardly a “quitter”. But what interests me is all the excitement generated by the discovery that he talked to a personal-coach while coming to his decision.
Why should this be so surprising? Thorpe, like almost all elite athletes, used a coach to perform at his best and stay at the top. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that he might us a coach to help him decide what’s best for his future. A properly qualified and experienced coach is well positioned to teach relevant skills but also, to provide an indepenent and objective sounding board for problem solving and decision making.
At The Happiness Institute we believe happiness is an ongoing project, one that’s achieved in each and every minute but one that also requires constant vigilance and attention. Seeing a coach on a regular basis is one of the most effective ways of clarifying what you want to achieve, determining how you’re going to get there and, most notably, keeping yourself accountable so you do what you need to do.
I hope Ian Thorpe finds happiness in his post-swimming life and I hope too that his experience of coaching encourages others to consider utilising (appropriately qualified and experienced) coaches so they too can achieve their dreams of happiness and success.