If you look around at the top performers today in any field - sports, sales, or even coaching itself - you'll find that almost all of these top performers have at least one thing in common. They all had a coach at one time or another in their professional careers.

Whether your field is golf, tennis, running, sales, business management, or writing, a coach can help you perform at a much higher level. Here's how:

1. A good coach will keep you motivated. Since you'll have to report regularly to your coach, you'll get constant feedback and encouragement, which will keep you motivated to achieve your best.

2. A good coach will offer a system for success. With a system in place, you'll be more likely to stick with it. Plus, you won't be taking just a hit-or-miss approach to success.

3. A good coach will help you learn to plan. Your coach will help you set goals that are realistic and design training that will help you achieve those goals. In other words, a good coach will keep you focused.

4. A good coach will offer you professional advice. After a while, you won't rely on your coach for every decision you make about your career or performance. But you'll still want the coach around when you need a little professional advice.

5. A good coach will help you get beyond certain plateaus when you no longer seem to be moving ahead and improving. Working alone, you might feel stuck at a certain point in your career. But a good coach will help you overcome those plateaus and move ahead to the next level of performance and accomplishment.

6. A good coach will help you accurately evaluate your progress. Sometimes it's difficult to evaluate our own progress. We tend to focus on the negative, and only see our faults and failures. A good coach will help you see things more realistically.

7. A good coach will make the process fun. Let's face it. What's the sense in striving for your highest level of performance if you aren't going to enjoy the process? Your coach will help you design a working schedule that won't overwhelm you, so you'll enjoy the entire process of achieving your best.

Top performers in all fields would probably tell you they wouldn't be where they are today without a good coach.

Everyone needs a coach. So find a coach who is right for you. Then get ready to enjoy the climb to your top level of performance.