As a Life Coach I get to spend my work days with incredible people who desire to reach their full potential. We talk about past challenges and changes that need to be made.  We establish the best practices to achieve fresh goals and to establish routines that produce great fruitfulness in their lives, families, ministries, and businesses. As a Life Coach I help my clients to calendar activities according to their key priorities so that their schedules aren’t eaten up by low paying activities!  I have to admit that it gives me pure joy to see my clients experience so many “wins”!  It is truly exhilarating!

But~ here’s the catch…if I want my leaders and clients to have authentic change then I must lead by example! Yikes, right? There’s the kicker! I have to take my own advice and apply the same suggestions I give others into my own choices and routines!

Over the years I have heard folks say to me, “It must be easy for you to maintain life balance and good choices because you are a Coach.”   Wrong!  I still have to talk myself into my workouts; working past the thoughts of “I’ll do it later today, the roads aren’t safe, I worked out enough yesterday!”.  As much as I love the Lord I have to wrangle myself to sit down, read, pray, and reflect each day!  In the area of good food choices I still have to be mindful about making sure I have a healthy breakfast and being careful about late night snacks, among other challenges!

The verse in Romans 7:19 talks about the conflict between doing what I know is best; “For I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil which I do not desire, that I do.”  Even though this battle rages on inside I must continue to pursue doing what is best, what is right, and what it fruitful if I want to be a leader.

James 3:1 states the challenge this way, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

I recognize that I am still growing and learning as a person and as a leader, yet I clearly understand the challenge and responsibility of applying the very principles I am challenging others to apply.

How about you?  You may be a parent, school teacher, pastor, Department head, Or CEO.  Those you lead are watching you.  Those you “teach” to make choices are watching the choices you make.

I encourage you to continue to pursue excellent in your life so that your leadership has a positive and consistent impact on those who look to you for wisdom and guidance.

As leaders, we may not hit a home run every day but if we keep our best practices in place we will have more wins than fails as we walk out the lives God has given us!