I woke up in a cold sweat. Tense. Nervous. A pit was forming in my stomach as I thought about all the marketing that “had” to be done today.

My mind was on my business. I was thinking about me.

How can I grow my list, get more “likes,” write better articles and speak more often? The more I brainstormed, the more anxious I got.  It was overwhelming, discouraging, task-oriented, mechanical, mercenary and cold.

All this before I even got out of bed.  It wasn’t going to be a good day.

Why? Because the questions I was asking were all wrong.

As coaches, we know that the question is everything.

I’m not the only one who started my day this way.

Everyday coaches all over the world wake up and ask themselves a variety of marketing questions. Should I be on Facebook more often? Begin Twitter? Write another article? Try to drum up another place to give a speech?

Stress mounts. Confusion sets in. The desire to roll over and go back to sleep is strong.

Why? All of these questions have one thing in common. They assume that adding more and doing more means getting more. More clients. More business. More Cash.

More. More. More.

Hmmmm…  not exactly the Christ-serving, other-centered life.

My questions, these coaches’ questions, all share an underlying assumption, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.”

Not a great place to start.

What if we asked a different question? A deeper question? A more Christ-like, other-centered marketing question?

What if we asked, “What does God want me to do today to better love those He has called me to serve?”

I like this question.

It starts with God and not me.

It is focused on others, not on me and mine.

It calls me to serve with all my strength and then trust God to provide my needs.

This question fills me with a purposeful peace. A desire to work hard and then wait to see God do what only God can do.

It’s time to rewind and start my day again.

I open my eyes, breathe the air of faith and look for ways to serve others and please my God knowing that my loving Father will meet all my needs.

Ahhhh… today is going to be a very good marketing day after all.

Kim Avery