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I received an email last week from a woman inquiring about coaching. She questioned the cost of coaching, and wondered what people can do when they are not able to afford a coach. This is a great question, and one of the answers is 'coach yourself.'

Coaching is an important part of self-development. If you can't hire a professional coach, you can 'coach yourself.' There are many things that people can do to develop themselves personally, and they don't always require an outlay of cash:

Read one hour per day in your chosen field or in the area of personal development, or both.

Because most people read very little, you will become an expert in your field in just three years. Your local library can provide most of the books you need, and they are provided at no cost to you.

Listen to audio tapes, or CDs, in your car.

If your commute to work is 15 minutes one way, then you will be in your car for 125 hours per year. This is the equivalent of three 40-hour work weeks. Imagine what would happen if you turned your car into a 'university on wheels,' and invested that time in your personal growth and development. Many libraries have books on tape, as well as audio programs in various areas of personal development.

Identify your values, and align your life around those values.

Many people's lives are not oriented around their values, and they are frustrated trying to determine why they aren't happy, or aren't reaching their goals. When you are expressing your values, you are being true to yourself. Pursuing goals that aren't in line with your values leads to frustration. Living in alignment with your values leads to fulfillment.

Attend courses, workshops and seminars regularly.

The design of such materials requires hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of hours to create. When you attend a seminar, you benefit from someone else's efforts to distill the most important information on that subject. Although some events can be very expensive, many are also quite reasonable.

Surround yourself with support systems.

Getting independent, objective feedback is a great way to fuel your personal growth. Built-in accountability is another benefit to such a structure of support. Create a mastermind group, or find a friend who is also interested in such an arrangement.

Develop the habit of extreme self-care.

Treat your body as a temple, and it will support you in producing extraordinary results in every other area of your life. Exercise regularly, in the form of strength training, as well as cardiovascular workouts. Drink lots of water. I know half your body weight in ounces sounds excessive, but it isn't. Finally, give yourself the gift of solitude. Enjoy quiet time every day.

Keep a journal.

Keep a permanent record of what you're noticing in your life. This could be a gratitude journal, where you record what you're grateful for in your life. Or you could record events'daily happenings'in your life. Jot down observations about what is occurring around you. There is no wrong way to write in a journal, and the process can be incredibly rewarding.

Design your ideal life.

If life were perfect, what would it look like? What would you do, be and have if you could wave a magic wand, and make it so? What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Your ideal life is contained within your answers to these questions. Begin today to paint the picture of what this ideal life would look like.

Create a plan to get from where you are to where you want to be.

You know where you are currently. And you've designed your ideal life. Now determine what it will take to get from Point A to Point B. Write down everything that will have to happen to make this a reality. What will you have to do that you're not doing now? Who will you need to meet? What support structures will need to be in place? When will all this take place?

Just do it.

At some point, you will need to 'jump.' It will not always be comfortable doing so, yet it is only when you move outside your comfort zone that breakthroughs can occur. This is where fear usually steps in, and puts up that big wall in front of you. So climb over it, go around it, dig under it, or knock it down. If you continue to take action in the direction of your ideal life, your fears will eventually go away.

I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. The best investment that you can make is an investment in yourself. Make the decision to invest 3-5% in your own personal development, and 'coach yourself. Soon you will find yourself living your ideal life!