And the answer is….. YES!
So the next question is …how? Here are a few good tips, which I will also be sharing on WCAX TV’s the :30 show on November 21st at 5:30 pm eastern time!
On my last appearance we talked about what coaching is and how it can benefit anyone. A quick synopsis of what you can gain from coaching are things like performing better, gaining clarity about your life, goals and decisions, making smarter decisions, and all around reaching new heights of success in all areas of your life. Speaking to some of the most successful people around you will hear them say that having a coach is imperative to success for them and becoming more important all of the time.
And the exciting thing is that if you are not quite ready to hire a coach, you can coach yourself.
FIRST be clear about what you want to change or expand in your life.
Coaching is all about asking great questions and here are a few:
-What’s going well in your life, or with your situation?
-What have you already done?
-What works that you could do more of?
-What doesn’t work that you should cut down on or stop altogether?
-What would you like to do differently or better?
-On a scale from 1-10, where am I now? and what would make it a 10?
-What small or big actions can I take to move in the direction of the 10?
-What 1-2 actions could I take in the next 24 hours to get myself moving forward now?
One of the keys to coaching is consistency- you are going to want to do a quick check in on your goals and coaching notes each day and take time for a coaching session each week- plan an hour for yourself. This will help you to stay on track- avoiding getting way off your mark and having to work to get back on track before proceeding. You will want to be checking your progress and deciding on next steps to keep your momentum going. Clients that I don’t work with every week are asked to send me an update each week in between sessions so that I can stay on track with them.
Another crucial key is scheduling your action steps into your planner or date book following your coaching sessions and each week. Once they are in the schedule, following through is the biggest challenge and the most important!
Set bite sized chunks to take action on- breaking down into the smallest steps will likely be the most successful.
Accountability is a hallmark of coaching. Find someone who cares about what you are doing and what you ant to accomplish- no naysayers- you need someone who is in your court to ask you about what you have done/not done. Find someone who will ask you the tough questions!
Lastly, if you get off track, muster resilience and get right back on track. There is no sense in getting stuck and feeling guilty and sad. Assess the situation, learn what you can from what got you off track in the first place. Remember, it is all learning, and so that in itself !