Changing Your Life On A Budget

Something I find difficult about working as a coach is the number of calls I receive from people I could genuinely help but who simply cannot afford to hire me to work with them.

It’s frustrating for both of us.

I could fill my practice with clients who can’t pay – but I wouldn’t be practicing very long if I did that. One of the most  important reasons we all write at FionaHarrold.com is to provide inspiration to anyone who is not in a position to hire a coach.

Dealing with money, dealing with life

The subject of money is a thorny one though and how we each deal with it can be enormously revealing about how we deal with ourselves and our life. If we’re honest with ourselves, feeling unable to afford to hire a coach can sometimes point to underlying things:

• I don’t value myself sufficiently to spend my money on hiring a coach to help me
• There are more important things to spend my money on
• I’m not prepared to stop spending my money on ‘x’ and save up so I can spend it on a coach instead

And sometimes, it can actually be a welcome smokescreen for the fact that we don’t really want to change our lives. Maybe it’s simply not our true priority.

Desperate to change

HOWEVER, what if you DO want to change your life but in all honesty you cannot afford a coach? What if you are desperate to leave your job but you simply cannot afford to resign tomorrow?

What if, for instance, you’re a single parent and the sole breadwinner and your job pays the bills but nothing else? What if you feel trapped by your job because you hunger for something more but you can’t put your finger on what that ‘something’ is – how, you might ask, does a person like you find what they are meant to do; where do you start?

Right here!

1. Read. Voraciously!

There are hundreds of excellent books to help you. Look at Fiona’s recommendations on this site. Browse the bookshops, browse online at amazon.co.uk. And then pay a visit to your local library. You can get an incredible selection of books for free. If you want a book that your library doesn’t have, ask them if they can order it for you. If you don’t know what you want to do, SEEK. Seek information to begin with, expand your horizons about what’s out there.

2. Ask for what you need

Don’t assume coaching is out of your reach – many coaches are willing to offer a sliding scale of payments if you ask them, and group workshops make an affordable introduction to coaching. Don’t think of a workshop as one afternoon of high-octane motivation which will fade – good workshops generally provide you with enough material to continue with an action plan for the next few months.

3. Look out for low-cost opportunities

Investigate the growing number of opportunities that now exist for free training and advice. If you’re not sure what you want, or you don’t feel you have enough qualifications, finding out about and learning new things is a superb way to move forward.

Again, check out your local library for information, or pay a visit to your local job centre. Keep your eyes open for exhibitions you could go to about subjects that interest you. Look into Business Link if you’re dreaming about setting up your own business. Explore low-cost options like evening classes or distance learning or Learn Direct courses where you may be eligible for discounted fees.

Be a sleuth and track down the wealth of options open to you they really are out there! If you’re interested in writing, investigate correspondence courses that guarantee to give you your money back if you’ve not earned the course fee through your writing by the end of the course.

Unemployed? A couple of years ago I had a client in her 30s who found that because she was unemployed she could do college diplomas for absolutely free. A year later she was a fully qualified holistic therapist and sports masseur running her own business from home.

4. Buddy up!

Buddy up with a friend who’d like to do some personal development work. Work through your books or courses together, (Reinvent Your Career could be a good start!) and be a coach for each other.Agree these two fundamental ground rules first that you will each focus on the other, and give equal time to each other.

5. Stay tuned in

Tune in to all sources of information about other jobs. Counter any feelings of helplessness and paralysis and feeling a victim – by taking control and taking action. Find out what jobs are out there.

Make a point of reading the job pages in local and national papers regularly for ideas. Find out what other people do, find out what their sisters and brothers do, their mums and dads their(you get the picture). Talk to recruitment agencies about the sort of jobs on their books. Investigate company websites.

Go to networking meetings for small businesses and, if you’re female, the local women’s network. Attend exhibitions. Go to job fairs. BE ATTENTIVE to every opportunity to hear about jobs one just might ‘click’ for you. Seek and you WILL find!