As a mentor coach and business owner, I am always on the lookout for tools that support coaches to coach better and grow their businesses.
Here are a few of my favorites. They are all discounted for November!
- November Motivation and Mindset Quotes
- 107 Social Graphics for Coaches
- Radical Shifts: How to Shift Your Limiting Beliefs and Tap Into Your Devine Purpose
I’ve added my learning program to the mix too! Use the coupon code NOV2023 to get $47 off.
If, like me, you find yourself behind the proverbial eight ball as 2024 looms, I thought you just might benefit from a few reminders on the plus side of planning.
Procrastination is not my go-to strategy, but I have been known to put off until tomorrow what I know I should be doing today. Even though I get a brief but temporary burst of relief, procrastination eventually causes stress, anxiety, and the disappointment of unmet goals. You know the feeling.
I think it’s safe to say that planning is a much better choice than procrastination if you have the long game in mind.
Here’s what I’ve discovered about coaches who plan:
Planners Get More Done
Planning starts you on the productivity path. When you get a handle on your goals and their associated tasks, you create a realistic blueprint for your day, week, month, and year. The blueprint helps you to spend your time wisely. With a well-thought-out blueprint, you’re much less likely to waste time on stuff that doesn’t matter in the long run.
Planners Are Less Stressed
Let’s face it: putting important things off is often accompanied by stress and anxiety. Those pesky deadlines and the dread that shows up when the clock is ticking on your responsibilities are no fun. Even a few minutes of planning can stop stress in its tracks. Making a quick list of your to-dos, chunking them into bite-sized pieces and putting time to them helps you feel much more in control.
Planners Manage Time Better
A little bit of planning every day creates a habit that helps you consider how you spend your time. Setting priorities and slotting them into a timeline makes you much more conscious of your time management. This awareness can be a game-changer in your daily life. Instead of feeling like you are running from a pack of hungry wolves daily, you are more in balance, knowing that you’ve made time for what is essential.
Planners Meet Their Goals
Ask anyone who has accomplished big things! They will tell you that planning was a big contributor to their success. They set clear goals that could be measured, and they implemented a system to achieve them. Presto, dreams become reality. In contrast, procrastinating results in disappointment hindered progress, and frustrated aspirations. Planning, even the tiniest of steps, means you are moving forward, acting every day, inch by inch.
Planners Feel Fulfilled
Planning may seem like it’s only about managing your to-do list. But running your days according to a plan instead of the chaos of happenstance can be much more fulfilling overall. When you set intentions and devise a plan to follow them, you actively participate in your future. Your actions have a purpose. That provides satisfaction and fulfillment, setting your sights and getting where you want to go on purpose.
As I write this post, I am reminded of the importance of entering my days more planfully. I feel inspired to keep the momentum going. I’ll be dusting off a few things I’ve put on the back burner and creating a mini-strategy to move them forward by the end of the year.
How about you? What will you pull out of the procrastination zone? Imagine the feeling you’ll have when you can say “I planned to do this thing in 2023, and now it’s done.” Bliss.
Remember to check these tools for coaches…all offered at a discount in November:

Cathy Shaughnessy, MCC, is an active ICF Assessor and ICF Mentor Coach Specialist for ACC, PCC and MCC. A graduate of the Royal Roads University Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, Cathy has been coaching since 2008 and brings extensive experience as an executive coach, mentor coach, coach educator and assessor to her work with coaches.
Through Perspective In Action, Cathy provides mentor coaching and creates practical resources for coaches preparing for ICF credentials, credentialing exams, renewal and ongoing professional development. Her courses, exam preparation resources and learning tools help coaches deepen their understanding of the ICF Core Competencies, PCC Markers, Code of Ethics and Core Values, and apply that knowledge thoughtfully in their coaching.
Explore Cathy’s mentor coaching, ICF learning and credentialing resources, or subscribe to Cathy’s emails for practical coaching insights, resources and updates.
