5 Rules That You Can Break When Building Your Coaching Business

Breaking some societal standards can create better opportunities for your life coaching business. 

Growing up, most of us have had some rules ingrained in us by parents, friends, and society. 

Some of those rules are good for us in that they promote our well-being and success. At the same time, there are other rules which have become obsolete and may not serve their intended good purpose anymore.

As a disruptive entrepreneur and life coach, it can be liberating for you to challenge and break some of those rules on certain occasions. Doing this can help you create greater possibilities for your coaching business. It could help you achieve great results for yourself and for your clients. 

But first, you need to know which rules to break and how exactly you should “break” them.  

In this article, we’re going to examine five of those rules you can consider breaking. But before we do that, let’s briefly touch on what it means to break the rules. 

What Does It Mean to Break the Rules? 

To be clear, breaking the rules does not mean breaking the law. The rules we’ll be discussing here are those formulated by society for building and growing a business. It’s not the laws that are put in place to protect us. 

Shunning those societal standards won’t only make you feel liberated but will also set you apart from others. 

And as an entrepreneur and life coach, you want to be unique and not follow the crowd, right? When everyone else is zigging, you want to be zagging. 

Breaking the rules, in this context, is a little bit about zagging. 

Are Rules Really Worth Breaking?

As you know, there will be consequences for breaking rules and standards set by society. In some cases, the consequence might be as simple as a raised eyebrow. At other times, it could be a smattering of disagreements from others. 

Remember, breaking the rules isn’t meant to cause chaos. The whole point of doing that is to add value to yourself and your life coaching business. 

That’s why if you break a rule that makes you depart from your traditions and the beliefs you hold dear, you’re not being true to yourself. And that defies the purpose of breaking that particular rule. 

So before breaking a rule, arm yourself with the right information. Particularly if it’ll really be helpful and the effects of breaking that rule.

Keep in mind that although breaking rules facilitates creativity, it also attracts some consequences. Know about any rule before you break them and think of the possible ramifications in doing so. Only then will breaking those rules be worthwhile.

The 5 Rules to Break

Rule #1 – “You Need the Right Qualification to Do That”

This rule might still apply in certain careers, like being a surgeon or a lawyer. But there are tons of roles where you don’t need an official qualification. Being a life coach is one example of such a role.

Yes, you don’t need official qualifications to become a life coach. 

Obviously, there are important coaching qualifications you can get from the International Coach Federation and other authorities. But the truth is that you don’t need them to start working as a life coach. 

Think of it this way. Driving on the road is way more dangerous than coaching. Yet, people are allowed to drive on the road before they get their driver’s license, right? 

Rule #2 – The 9-to-5 Rule

This rule was introduced during the factory age when getting a certain amount of productivity done during the day was important.

Today, people can work on different schedules due to the advancements in technology. That’s why it’s no longer mandatory that you stick to a 9-to-5 rule. 

Of course, abiding by this rule is fine if you’ve got a 9 to 5 work that pays your bills. But as a life coach and entrepreneur, remember that you can do what you want whenever you want. 

That doesn’t mean that you can indulge yourself and be lazy though. It only means that you can choose when to work and when not to. 

And that’s liberating. 

Rule #3 – “Mistakes are a Bad Thing”

Instead of seeing mistakes as a bad thing, you should learn from them. It doesn’t matter how huge a mistake is. Remember that you can always recover and turn things around. 

So, instead of dwelling on those mistakes, learn the lessons and move forward. 

People who are terrified of making mistakes are unable to make any decisions. So, they end up stuck and will refuse to say yes to anything new. They also tend to live in a comfort zone where they control everything. This becomes a mental prison that inhibits their growth and development. 

So, don’t be scared of making mistakes.  Make a ton of them, laugh about them, learn your lessons, and keep moving forward. 

Rule #4 – “Take Yourself Very Seriously”

Some life coaches believe they need to look serious and formal before they can be successful. They also believe everyone should feel important and take themselves very seriously.

That’s just not true. 

If you look around you, you’ll see people succeeding without looking serious. They’re achieving a whole lot while armed with just their mobile phones and internet, for example– and they’re doing it while wearing a permanent smile on their faces. 

You don’t have to take life too seriously. So, have fun and do the things you love. 

Sure, you have to deliver results. And you have to look professional if your market wants it. But the whole concept that you need to take yourself and everyone else very seriously doesn’t enrich your business. 

It’s an old concept—things are not like that anymore. 

Rule #5 – Be Friendly to Everyone

This is one of the traps I see people fall into personally and in business. 

The reality is that you cannot be friendly with everybody and be a saviour for all. If you keep doing that, you’re going to end up tired. Additionally, it may cause feelings of bitterness because you may end up giving a lot and get little or nothing in return. 

To be clear, I’m not asking you not to be friendly. Rather, being choosy helps you focus your time and resources on the right areas. That’s how you can be the best version of yourself and feel fulfilled that you’re helping people.

Don’t Be Afraid to Break Some Rules 

Society has ingrained some rules upon us right from our childhood. It’s for our own good, right?

However, some of them have become outdated and may even be impeding your personal and business growth. As a result, it pays to consider breaking those rules. Start with those mentioned in this article and proceed from there. 

Remember, breaking the rules is different from breaking the law. Before breaking the rules, you have to know the consequences of breaking those rules and ensure that doing so benefits you. 

Above all, stay true to yourself, your beliefs, and your values to know what rules work and which ones no longer do. That’s how you can liberate yourself from the societal rules holding you down and soar to success as a life coach.