I was an Anthony Robbins junkie years ago when he first released his course called Personal Power. I never attended a seminar but I listened to his audio teaching over and over. There was so much to absorb; I would have missed many nuances if I had listened just once. Many would call Robbins the most effective personal coach in the nation (apart from the Holy Spirit, that is.) He is an innovator and manages to stay relevant and effective year after year. How did he learn to become a master? He began by reading tons of books and attending conferences. Robbins took massive action and immersed himself in mastering his own life first. He learned from his mistakes. When setbacks—or downright devastating things—happened, instead of asking, “Why me?” he learned to ask better questions like, “What can I learn from this?” That question from Anthony Robbins stays with me whenever my life takes a turn I didn’t anticipate.

I’ve started several small businesses in my life, some of which were complete failures or barely got off the ground. I tried one business that involved going out to homes and selling a product. It was an MLM (multi-level marketing) business. Of course I was provided with training from others in the field, but the work didn’t really fit my personality. Deep down I knew it, but I got involved because I liked their product and was presented with an opportunity to earn money. Many entrepreneurial types have tried this kind of venture at some point. Sometimes we’re merely hoping we can do something, but it’s without any true love for the particular business.

Early in my little MLM business start-up, one of the men who brought me into the organization was encouraging everyone to get some personal coaching. He wanted to help us succeed. I certainly could see that I needed help, so I signed up with the mentoring organization that he recommended. It was a year-long program with weekly group calls, several coaches, thought-provoking teaching, goal-setting exercises, and sometimes soul-searchingly painful homework assignments. As you can imagine, it costs thousands of dollars for this level of mentoring.

Each student was paired up with a different student every week so we could get to know our classmates. Once a week we were to call each other to discuss the assignments and how things were going. This was a brilliant aspect of the course because we learned to coach one another on these calls. We often worked through homework together and encouraged each other in our strengths. I thought I would hate the “buddy calls” but I’d grab a cup of coffee or a glass of red wine before I picked up the phone. I learned to loosen up and talk about deep personal issues with my buddy of the week. We all learned how to share our progress in the weekly group calls with our coaches and the whole class. Through this, I developed some new friendships that lasted beyond the course and I learned some very critical things about myself.

About a month into the course—after goal-setting and looking at our gifts and talents—my coach and I came to the conclusion that I was in the wrong business. My coach encouraged me to pursue my creative life more deeply. When I told my MLM leader, he was not happy at all. In fact, I’m pretty sure he had a heated conversation with my coach and was doubting if he would ever again recommend this coaching to his new recruits. But my coach was absolutely right. I had graphic design skills and experience that could easily be marketed and further developed. And I was not going to be happy in a sales career even though I probably could have learned how to do it.

Some students dropped out of the coaching program because they were being challenged to make changes. If you resist getting out of your “stuck” situation, you have to realize that nothing will change until you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone and take different steps. It doesn’t have to be all at once. Coaches are good at helping you break big changes down into baby steps. But the coach is not there to make you comfortable. On the contrary, a good coach will in many ways kick your butt and push you beyond what you think you can achieve—and that was a good thing for me. A good coach will see your full potential when you can’t see it. In the end, I was actually invited to become a coach by my own coach; he would have hired me. That was very encouraging. But I knew I didn’t have to go into the coaching business to be an encourager and make a difference in the lives of people who wanted to learn something.

To this day, I still like to have coaches and mentors to push me forward. Today, coaching doesn’t have to cost thousands. It depends on what you want to accomplish and what you’re willing to invest in your life, yourself and your ventures—personal, spiritual or business. You can get short-term coaching in one particular area like your business or in relationships—or you can invest more and go deeper. You might explore all aspects of your life and learn to take actions that improve everything. You don’t have to hire Anthony Robbins, obviously. There are many coaches with good programs—but it’s important to find one that fits for you.

During my full year of mentoring, I was turning 50 years old. Instead of being anxious about getting older, I called it my Year of Jubilee because I moved forward into a new level of confidence and freedom in nearly every area of my life. I lost weight and started exercising regularly. I met the man of my dreams online. Even though he lived 3000 miles away, we were married six months later. And we’ve been happily married for almost nine years now. I ditched my boring sales business and started a freelance design business. I painted the interior of my home and sold it during the start of the housing crisis in 2007 when no one was looking at homes in my area (using creative networking ideas that I gained from my mentor.) Then I moved across the country to join my new husband. We grew together spiritually and were encouraged by a group of new friends. A few years later, I encouraged my husband to start a business himself using his talent as a writer and teacher.

So maybe you need some encouragement. Do you feel stuck and unable to move forward in an area of your life or business? Maybe you’re missing something that a coach or mentor could help you uncover. Do you need to be held accountable to working on a project, mending a relationship, or exercising? Maybe you want to quit your day job to pursue your dream career. Don’t let more time pass and look back on your life only to say, “I wish I had done that.” Find a coach, a mentor, or buy a book and get committed to a path of growth and change.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or comments.