A client was asked recently.: “Why are you going to see a life coach?” They told me their response was: “Because there’s no more room under the carpet!”

We all know that carpet. It’s where we sweep those thoughts and feelings we don’t want to look at, where we try to bury the truth about what we’re trying to convince the world (and ourselves) of: I can handle all this; no, I really am that image I do my best to present to everyone; sure, I’ll do all those things I want to … someday; I have everything under control.

There comes a tipping point though, when we can no longer ignore the beast living under the rug.

It starts to creep out and can manifest in various ways: an undercurrent of unexplained frustration or anger, perhaps “the blahs”, feelings of dissatisfaction and melancholy; if it has grown big enough, it can feel like panic or dread or hopelessness.

It often takes getting to this point before we are willing to do something about it, seek assistance, call in some back-up so we can tackle that beast, look it in the eye and decide on practical ways and tools to harness and eventually tame it.

But is the middle of a paranormal apocalypse the best time to call the Ghostbusters?

Or might the first sighting of some unusual activity have been better? How about a regular maintenance schedule to manage any potential issues before they arise?

It might not make for a spectacular movie but, in reality, isn’t it preferable to leave the high drama for the big screen?

Tony Robbins often jokes about being called in the middle of the night by a president saying, “I’m about to be impeached, can you help?”

“Really?” the success coach says. “Now you call?”

Depending on the nature of it, yes, often a coach can help in a crisis, but why wait until the crisis?

Coaching is about performance. Consider all the coaches working with athletes preparing for this month’s Olympics.

They don’t get called right before the big race or only if it starts to go wrong; they have been there at the sidelines helping the athletes set their goals, work towards personal bests, see their performance and where it can be tweaked and troubleshoot potential problems.

They assist in creating strategies and schedules, providing accountability, helping deconstruct the setbacks and celebrating the wins.

Success coaching does the same, it’s just that the game is life. The arenas change. It’s not a race, but a long-haul and a whole series of events.

There’s rarely a medal; the prize is achieving your personal best and your individual version of gold.

So don’t wait for the starter gun, the apocalypse, the tipping point to call. Set yourself up for success with a coach to help you go the distance. And keep sweeping out the dust before it can build up. Like those “fussy guys”, a coach can help you keep your carpet clean!

• Julia Pitt is a success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. Contact 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com.