Buddying Up

You're ready to make some changes. You've decided to pursue your passion, change directions, and jump right in. You have a wonderful coach who keeps you on course through weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly session, but somewhere in between scheduled sessions you find yourself faltering. Are you looking for a way to stay on course daily?

What about a buddy? A really good friend who is working on implementing some life changes too. Think of the benefits. You will have a buddy who can provide hands-on support, encouragement, and suggestions, and welcomes reciprocating support from you.

When Stefanie and Geena decided to start home-based businesses, they each found coaches to help them through the transition. They were amazed at the clarity and focus that they began to have, and the speed in which they were able to meet important milestones. Although the big things were happening, the little daily things were falling by the wayside and they missed having someone in a similar situation to speak with on a regular basis. As a graphic designer and a copywriter respectively, Stefanie and Geena each gravitated towards a writers group and that was where they met each other. Through an "I need a business building buddy and sanity checker" email, Geena answered Stefanie's plea for help and after about a month of back and forth e-mails, the two decided to "buddy up" on a regular basis off-list. They traded phone numbers, started IM'ing each other, and scheduled regular follow-ups to keep each other on track. The bonus was that because their lines of work were so similar, and yet compatible, they regularly got to team up for assignments. It was also fantastic that they could each talk to someone who understood the work side of things too. Buddying up" was the solution to their regular follow-up problem, they became really good friends, and after over a year of communicating by telephone and computer they finally met each other face-to-face.

Stephanie and Geena's story is not unique. Support and success go hand in hand. An excellent coach and a daily support person or team, can do wonders for getting you on your way. Just think outside the box and wherever you can find the support that you need, seek it, embrace it, cherish it, and if mutually desired, reciprocate it. You can never have too many champions in your corner.

Tips for "Buddying Up" Success

1. Look for someone in a similar situation and ask for their feedback and if it feels right, offering useful suggestions could be just the way to get things rolling.

2. Don't let proximity, or lack thereof, intimidate you. Stefanie and Geena lived over 2,000 miles away from each other and they made it work.

3. Determine how much accountability is needed. Do you need to check in once a week by telephone, or daily via e-mail, or IM?

4. Set goals for buddy sessions too, or determine which overall goals you'd like to focus on with your buddy, and how you will be held accountable.

5. Above all else, enjoy the process. While success is the ultimate goal, enjoy the journey and the company on your way there.