Growing as a person
Coaching grows your way of thinking by builds on what is already there. To get even more out of the process, it is key to expand your knowledge to maximize the impact of coaching over time. Think of it like going to the gym. If you go to the gym every day and eat junk food, you will get stronger, but your energy levels will be lower than they should be and your physique is unlikely to become lean. By reading, watching or listening to valuable sources of science based knowledge, you are doing the equivalent of eating a well balanced meal to compliment your workout. So, lets get cracking with some good quality brain food!
What is Positive Psychology
The science of Emotional Intelligence and Positive Psychology
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
Sprouts provide us this great video based on the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
What makes a hero? - Matthew Winkler
TED-Ed brings us the summary video of the concept of the hero's journey by Matthew Winkler
The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | TEDxHouston
TEDx Talks brings us this fantastic talk by Brené Brown
So what is this all about?
As a coach I believe that you are intelligent, capable, resourceful and able to find the best solutions to the problems you face. So my job is not to give you solutions. My job as a coach is to help you gain awareness of the challenges, uncover the gap between where you are and where you want to be, and then to help you design accountability for yourself in addressing it.
Metaphor: Your mind is like a Bonsai tree
Bonsai image sourced from lovethegarden.com
Like a bonsai, during a coaching session we cultivate your thinking habits. Sometimes you might want to make major structural changes, and most of the time we are carefully shaping and supporting your mind to grow towards your purpose.
What topic can I bring to a session?
One great way to find topics is to ask yourself, "what is the cave you fear to enter?"
Maybe you have a behavior you want to change which has been holding you back?
Maybe you have been conflicted or putting off a decision you need to make?
Maybe you find it hard to get motivated or secure a new habit in your life?
Maybe there has been a particularly difficult conversation you had or need to have?
Maybe you find yourself doing or saying things that don't serve you in certain situations?
Another area is to ask "what new understanding would you like to have?"
Maybe it is to gain some clarity on the future?
Maybe you want to explore what a certain decision might mean to you?
Maybe to consider the results of a decision you already made?
Maybe you want to learn from an events in the past so that you can incrementally improve yourself?
There are many more topics you can bring. Everything you do is the result of your thinking process. Coaching helps you to redesign that thinking process.
So what would serve you best?
How do we work towards a goal?
Once we have done some initial coaching to gain familiarity with the process, we set out to understanding your purpose so that we can align with it in the goals we set. I generally use the concept of Ikigai for this. The idea is to understand what sits right at the core of four overlapping circles. What you love to do, what you are great at doing, what you can get paid to do and what the world needs.
Like I said above, coaching is like going to the gym. Repetition is a given to work through big ideas. A topic once discussed won’t magically correct itself, we may need to revisit a topic more than once to fully come to grips with it.
How do we work towards a vision?
Great visions take time to think about and we will revisit and refine one you already have or a brand new one we discover together. They are long term projects that are aspiration in nature. The point is not to achieve a vision, the point of a vision is to die trying to achieve it. With your vision as a beacon in the distance we take steps toward it with every goal you set and complete. When the path towards that vision takes unexpected turns, we can be prepared to discover, reflect and respond in the best way possible.
You are ready for your coaching session.