The longer I am a coach, the less I think of what I’ve accomplished. Like, the less I think it’s noteworthy or special. Honestly I’ve almost gotten a little ashamed it’s not more.
A fellow coach asked me a question last night and I realized that I’ve spent so much time comparing myself to others, that I am actually embarrassed that it took me 3 years, to hit the 6 figure income mark.
I don’t usually talk about money, but if people ask, I will tell them straight out how much money I make as a coach.
I don’t think it’s weird to share my income with people that are interested in becoming coaches. I wouldn’t hire someone for a job and not tell them the salary or commission structure right?
So why did I cringe when I answered her income question yesterday?
COMPARISON.
It’s that simple.
As more coaches have come into the business and hit that number faster and faster, or have hit other milestones way quicker than I did, the part of me that used to be proud, turned into a part of me that wondered what I did wrong.
I see people in the business hit my same goals in 1/3 of the time and instead of going “good for them!” I go to “damn I must be bad at this”.
Yep, I was #5 in the company and I still manage to think I’m bad at it.
If I am honest with myself, that kind of money is something that I would have never even considered possible growing up. People “like me” don’t have income like that.
I mean really what career even gives you the opportunity to make over $100,000 in your 3rd year with NO required schooling, NO qualifications, and NO special ideas or talents?
I was the fat, poor, awkward girl with dyslexia and ADHD. Entrepreneur was NOT even in my vocabulary, especially because I couldn’t spell it hahaha!!!!
Yet here I am.
My first year as a coach I make a little over $10,000 and earned a trip to the Bahamas. I obviously was still on my fitness journey pretty hard back then, doing P90X over an hour a day, had a full time job, and was newly dating.
In my second year I made closer to $40K. I was still working, and was still making more at my day job than I was with coaching. I was spending money on leadership training, personal growth, getting to any Beachbody event I could, and seriously investing in training for my team. I was totally focused on taking us to the next level.
In my third year I did it. I hit the “magic” number of making six figures as a coach. I had left my full time job, sort of kicking and screaming, but I knew it was time. I was ALL IN on coaching and I was so afraid of falling on my face and being unemployed, that I was determined to make it work.
It was sink or swim, so I swam, and I swam hard.
I finally had real credibility with my network of friends and followers, I was “still doing that Beachbody thing” and I started to gain real respect instead of eyerolls and unfriends on Facebook 😉
So what’s the point?
Each one of these years is SO distinctly different. Each year cannot be measured in an income number, and it cannot be compared an ANYONE ELSE.
Every year in my business I’ve had a different focus, a different personal journey, and different circumstances.
I had to take the path from point A to point B no matter how many twists and turns there were on it.
No one said that I had to accomplish my dream in a certain amount of time, or it didn’t count. No one said that my goals were any less valuable, because someone reached their goals faster.
Other coaches could have started and been more fit, or maybe already had a huge network, or maybe already had leadership skills.
I am sure other coaches were ready to give up the party lifestyle faster than I was, I am sure many of them didn’t have so many emotional walls up when they started.
I am certain not every coach came in with a history of major eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, a scarcity mindset, and a pretty severe drinking problem.
So I have to wonder, does my starting point make it even more exceptional that it ONLY took me 3 years to create a steady six figure income?
Should I maybe be even PROUDER of what I’ve done?
Should I maybe compare myself to the people who never made a dime because they wouldn’t even sign up? Or maybe to the people who quit when times got tough?
I mean compared to a lot of people, who have been too afraid to even chase a goal or dream, I’m doing pretty amazing right?
NO!!! I WILL JUST NOT COMPARE MYSELF TO ANYONE ELSE.
If I choose to get my validation from people that are doing “worse” than me, than I’ll always be susceptible to looking for that same thing from people who are doing “better” than me.
I will always be measuring MYSELF against someone else’s yardstick, and there is no way for me to ever measure up that way.
We have to stop letting people discount our dreams and accomplishments, but IT STARTS WITH US. We are our biggest doubters, biggest critics, and biggest naysayers.
We look all around to find cheerleaders for ourselves, while we have no real belief that we can do things. No one wants to cheer for a team that doesn’t believe it can win. We need to be OUR OWN BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS FIRST.
As long as you have a goal, or dream, and you are making steps toward it, you are on the right path. My hope would be that you would keep your eyes on YOUR PATH.
It is going to be completely yours, and you alone can walk it. You will get there when you are done with the growth you needed in order to flourish there, and not a moment sooner. JUST KEEP WALKING
Comparison is the thief of joy, so lets please stop willingly giving our joy away <3 Are you in???
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Legal thing I have to include because I talked about my income: Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches’ actual incomes.