By definition, coaching is a collaborative relationship and cannot be done alone. The coach provides the supportive environment and structure to help you to develop, refine and achieve goals. A coach can help you to navigate through the inevitable obstacles that appear when you enter new arenas. A coach is an accountability partner who knows your goals and dreams and reminds you of them at just the right time. So what can you do to "coach yourself"

The Internet has some resources which can help you to sort out your dreams and goals and figure out where you what to go. I recommend that you develop a Mission Statement with the help of the interactive site http://www.franklincovey.com/missionbuilder/. Franklin Planner will mail you a copy of your statement. Print out a copy and save the email in a coaching file so you can find it. Note any immediate changes on your hard copy as you read it. Plan to refine your mission statement as you work on your goals.

Franklin has other resources that can provide more structure and organization. There is an online planner located at http://www.franklinplanner.com/

Pick a date to review or rewrite your Mission Statement using the Task List. Don't forget to prioritize this task. You can set up to have the online planner email you a reminder of appointments or tasks scheduled.

If you find the online planner useful I suggest that you download a 30-day free trial of the Franklin/Covey Planner software. This is a planner that resides on your hard drive and doesn't require you to be on the Internet. This software is much more powerful than the online planner and is available from your desktop. You can easily schedule repeat tasks and repeat appointments. If you decide to purchase the software, for only $99 you can get a brand new entry level Palm Pilot (m100) and the software. If you only have a $100 self-improvement budget, the software with the Palm Pilot is the best place to spend it. You can easily schedule a weekly reading of your mission statement using the repeat task utility. You can develop a new Mission Statement, explore your governing values, create a master task list, and identify your roles. Doing these tasks can help you to focus upon what you really want to accomplish. The weekly and daily planning wizards can simplify your planning.

These are helpful resources but don't expect that you can completely coach your self. Most people don't get past the third chapter of a book and most people don't start what they finish. You can set reminders but email reminders aren't the kind of accountability partner that a coach is. Michael Jordan is legendary for his self-motivation, drive and excellence. But even Michael Jordan still has a coach so that he can optimize his performance. Why shouldn't you?