- Silvia Johnson
I picked up this technique from a master coach I’m working with, who is helping me as I aim to gain my own master coach certification. It is a technique I have used with a number of clients and for myself.
Sometimes I walk through each question, other times I pick and chose based on their state and the particular problem they are having. Try it out the next time you feel you or a friend, colleague or client has reached their own perceived impasse.
1. What’s great about this problem?
2. What’s not perfect yet?
3. What am I willing to do to get it perfect?
4. What am in not willing to do to get it perfect?
5. How can I enjoy the process?
I guarantee if you ask these questions you will find yourself with a different mindset and state of being by the end.
What are you willing to do to move from floating like a feather in the wind to flying like a bird using the wind to get you to your final destination?
Evelyn James – The Parenting Coach
I took my three kids to the National Zoo and was pointing out all the interesting animals and exhibits. We came upon the area marked “Cheetah” only to discover that there were none to be seen. As I was scanning the enclosure looking for the cheetah, the children found that there was a small pond immediately on the other side of the fence. There were frogs in the pond, plenty of them! There were goldfish in the pond. There was a dragonfly that flitted from reed to reed.
At the end of the day, with all the other exhibits they saw, the children actually spent the most amount of time at the “Cheetah” enclosure enjoying what was there without looking for what should have been, but wasn’t. They delighted in each new frog that was discovered. They enjoyed watching the fish swim about. The dragonflies became fairies about which they made up stories as they walked to the next exhibit.
I found myself wondering how often I spent more time looking for the “Cheetah” when the frogs, fish, and dragonflies were there for my enjoyment.
I looked in the rear view mirror – trained on my now-sleeping kids, not traffic – and wondered how often I looked for the Cheetah when it came to them. What were all the things a five year old girl should be? A three year old? A husband? A marriage? In particular I wondered about my darling one year old daughter who has Down Syndrome.
I thought that perhaps the Cheetah would have been impressive, but from now on, I was going to look for things that weren’t on the label and enjoy all the frogs, fish, and dragonfairies that come my way.
- Scott Shute
Topics that coaches work with range from relationships and communication issues, health and fitness (weight loss is a huge one), to specific topics like starting a new business or managing personal finances more effectively. To help attract clients, most coaches have developed very specific niches.
Regardless of the topic, there are usually very similar underlying issues that get in people’s way. Here are a few examples
Top 4 great reasons to hire a coach
1. “I’m stuck and I’m not sure what to do next.”
Sometimes we’re just too close to it. We’re wrapped up in the emotion, the drama, and the details. It can be overwhelming
A coach acts as a neutral third party who can easily see through the fog and help us map out what success looks like for us
2. “I know what to do….I just can’t get myself to do it.”
We’ve all been there. We already know the answer. Take weight loss. The equation for losing weight is extraordinarily simple: burn off more calories than you consume. So…why is it so freakin’ hard?!!!
A coach can help us determine what really, truly motivates us, then guide us through developing a plan that centers on that motivation and helps us build positive, lasting patterns that get us what we want.
3. “I need to make a decision, but I’m conflicted.”
We are often stuck between two choices. They’re both so much a part of us that we feel them in our bones! We even use language that says so…. “On the one hand I want to spend more time painting, because that’s what I really love. On the other hand, I really need to focus on my day job because I need to pay my bills”
A coach can help us work out what’s really important to us about each choice and help develop a plan to get what we want.
4. I’m trying lots of things, but I’m still not getting what I want
Paddling really fast with our oar out of the water doesn’t do much except make us tired.
A coach can help us see the impact of our actions and can help us get out of our own way.
Have any other favorite reasons to hire a coach? Let me know.
- Scott Shute
Sure, all the news seems bad. Really bad. Financial markets roiling, war simmers and flares, politicians point fingers, natural disasters threaten to snuff us out. If you watch the news channels long enough you could convince yourself that the end of days is near.
The overall truth is something different. The human spirit continues to triumph. Across the world, less people are living in poverty than they were 30 years ago. More kids and adults can read. Prejudices against those that are somehow different are fading. Violent crime is down significantly. Automobile fatalities have dropped. The environment is cleaner. We are living longer, healthier lives. Divorce rates are dropping. In fact, nearly every aspect of our lives is steadily improving with each generation.
Life is better, but people want more from it.
It’s within this confused environment that we’re launching our new business, My3Goals. Overall, the mission is to give people the skills, resources, and connections to live the life they really want to. It’s part social network, part interactive learning center. It will also be a way for life coaches and experts of various kinds to connect with people that are searching for something better in their lives.
We’re gathering everyone we know who is ready for a positive change to help create this new community.
Please join us in the journey.