One of my hobbies is an old Jeep that I sometimes drive and often work on. I’m no certified mechanic, but I can take care of the one thing that the Jeep most often needs: a jump start.

Jeeps aren’t the only things that sometimes need a jump start. The same is true for relationships, dieting, an exercise routine, and, yes, even our coaching practices. If you’re a coach who needs to get a boost, here are 7 ideas for jump starting your coaching practice:

1. Give it away. I once mentored a coach who decided to give away 100 free sessions over 100 days. He worked as hard getting those 100 free clients as most coaches work to get high-paying clients. The end result was a network of people who sang his praises as a coach and gave him a ton of referrals.
2. Go back to the well. Speaking of referrals, go through your coaching log and reach out to former clients to ask how they’re doing and to ask for a referral. Who do they know who could benefit from the coaching you provide?
3. Recharge your confidence. Feeling rusty as a coach? One of the best ways to boost your confidence and get yourself back in the game is to take some training, read a coaching book, or otherwise remind yourself what coaching is and that you can do it.
4. Audit your awesomeness. Think back through the people you’ve coached (paying clients, pro bono, and even your fellow coaching students) and make a list of the positive outcomes they experienced. This list is just for you, so be a bit boastful and paint with a rose-colored brush. Let the list serve as an inspiration to spread some more awesomeness around to new clients.
5. Stick your neck out. If you knew they say, “Of course!” whom would you invite to be a client? Go ahead and ask them. Just sit down with him or her and say something like, “I’m looking at the year ahead and my goal is to coach at least 10 people like you; people who are (fill in the characteristic here) and who want to (fill in the success they’ll have here). I’d like you to be one of those 10. What do you say?” If they say, “Yes,” great! If they decline, review the experience and see what you learned, then try again.
6. Find a promoter. One of my favorite coaches is Jim Smith, a retired Presbyterian pastor in Colorado. Jim approached me a couple of years ago and asked if he could have the privilege of coaching some of the seminary students I teach at Western Seminary. He wanted to do it for free, but I found the money to pay him. Who do you know who could pay you to coach the people you are called to coach?
7. Write it down and speak it out. Did you know that writing down a goal increases the chances of achieving the goal? One study showed that those who wrote down their goals achieved way more than those who simply thought about their goal. That same study showed that sharing the goal with another person boosted achievement even more. Write down your goals as a coach and then share your goal with a friend, a spouse or your social network.

Bonus Idea: Get God’s perspective. Okay, this one is a bonus idea not because it’s an afterthought but because it under girds all the others. Having a coaching practice is not about dreaming big and scheming to make the dream come true, it’s about being an instrument of good in the hands of God. Pray that God will help you see your coaching practice the way God sees it, namely, as his coaching practice! Prayer reduces stress, boosts conviction, and reminds us that it’s not about how many or how few clients we have. You are a coach, but more than that you are the beloved child of God in whom God is well pleased. From that identity and that reality, let your coaching flow!

Want some more help with jump starting your coaching practice? Consider CAM 511 Growing Your Coaching Practice, which starts next week.