goals


Getting Your Client’s to RACE towards their dreams in 2014 (beyond the second week of January!)! 1

In the first guest post of this year coach Charlotta Hughes uses her experience and knowledge to focus upon:

"Getting Your Client’s to RACE towards their dreams in 2014 (beyond the second week of January!)!" A guest post  by  Charlotta Hughes

Getting Your Client’s to RACE towards their dreams in 2014 (beyond the second week of January!)!

by Charlotta Hughes

Of course there’s no surprise that people tend to start out the New Year hoping that this will be the year when those changes will really happen. They’ll lose the weight, land the perfect job, develop a great social life, find their life partner or leave the one who isn’t making them happy.

The list goes on and I’m sure you agree that for us coaches, there’s lots of opportunities to help clients change their lives for the better around this time of year. They have the motivation, will and determination to invest in themselves and their lives.

Yet, despite this surge of energy and optimism, so often people soon lose sight of their goals and ambitions. They get busy with their day to day lives, old habits kick back in and once again their comfort zone is keeping them prisoners of the same reality they’ve been experiencing, probably for quite some time.

Having a life coach can, of course, make a huge difference. However, for many it turns out not to be enough. What started out as an exciting journey for the coachee and rewarding and energising work for the coach, then turns into a disappointing and frustrating experience for both of a ‘stuck’ client.

So why does this happen, when the person seemingly really wants the changes they set out to achieve? The problem might very well lie with the goal, not with the dedication or ability of the client. In my coach mentoring I help coaches decipher whether their goal setting actually empowers the client enough to make the desired changes their new reality. Frequently I help them see how the main tool used in goal setting today isn’t enough. Namely, the acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely).

I totally agree that the rules applied here are sound, however, SMART only deals with the goals. Not the person who’s going to achieve them. This is where RACE comes in. RACE is to the person, what SMART is to the goal. Here’s what it stands for:

Responsibility – this is about the fact that unless a client takes full responsibility for their own goals and dreams, they will never reach them. That ownership is pivotal! People tend to blame others or the circumstances they’re in for their own failings – it’s only by taking complete responsibility that they are in control of reaching their goals. Similarly, people often put their own happiness and ambitions in the hands of others. If a client’s dream or target involves someone loving them more or someone saying sorry to them, they are really setting themselves up for failure. They are in no way in control of this happening and they therefore can’t take responsibility for it or make it happen.

Action – people tend to plan, analyse, discuss and make decisions on how they’ll improve things and what they’ll achieve in their minds and with those around them. In the process of doing so, they can almost feel like they actually are moving closer to their goals. However, it’s only when they take actual action and DO something that they start moving towards them. Many little things will add up to the big stuff – get clients to focus on at least taking one small action in the right direction every day.

Commitment – if they aren’t dedicated and committed to achieving their dreams they’ll quickly lose sight of them. Ultimately, growing as people and instilling positive change in their lives will involve some degree of discomfort. After all, it has to involve them pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. To stick with it when the going gets tough (maybe when the ice cream craving sets in, when the unknown feels scary, when letting go of control is daunting, and so on …), they must be completely committed to themselves and they own goals. Wanting something isn’t enough, they must be 100% dedicated to accomplish it!

Emotional – clients must be emotionally attached to their dreams and goals. This is so pivotal for personal success as if they don’t care sufficiently about them to stick with them when distractions or challenges come along, they’ll be long gone by the time February arrives! They must be perceived as friends. This is also why it’s vital that the motivation for their goals comes from themselves in the first place – if they are developed for the benefit of someone else, such as to please their partner, boss or parent, they won’t have this important emotional connection to them. The goals may sound great in theory but they could soon feel more of an enemy than a friend, and that’s never going to work!

I hope you have lots of exciting work coming your way this month, and when it does, make sure these four ingredients are in the mix when establishing your clients’ goals, and once you, and they, are confident that they are, set them off to RACE towards their dreams!

About Charlotta Hughes

Charlotta HughesCharlotta has been coaching professionally for over 12 years and in March 2013 she won Life Coach of the Year, awarded by the national body Association of Professional Coaches, Trainers and Consultants.

Her background is within Human Resources and she started her busy coaching practice, be me life coaching, in January 2007.

Charlotta specialises in coach mentoring, confidence, direction and entrepreneur coaching.

Her academic qualifications include professional Life and Corporate Coaching qualifications. She also has a BSc (hons) in Psychology & Computing, an MA in Human Resources Management and she is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

ch*******@be**************.com

+44 (0)7720 839773

www.facebook.com/bemelifecoaching.com

@charlottahughes

 


“Without a vision people will perish” 1

In today’s guest post Andrew A Faccone combines his personal beliefs and experience to share some thoughts around success.

"Without a vision people will perish" A guest post by Andrew A.Faccone

“Without a vision people will perish”

By Andrew A.Faccone

“Where there is no vision the people perish.”

(Proverbs 29:18)

The majority of our modern society is removed from many of each day’s activities, caught in the cycle of keeping up with what everyone else is doing and not focusing on themselves or their own long term goals, which will impact their life personally and professionally.

Having a greater vision of where you want your life to be at any given moment is within reach of every person who is envisioning the end result, where they want to be. What mark will you leave on this world?

Each day is truly a gift and with the gift you and you alone are allowed to determine the outcome of your actions. Think back to a time in your younger years when you were asked if you wanted a special gift for your birthday, graduation from school, or from Santa Clause.

The young child will make grandiose requests for a shiny toy, a certain electronic gadget and the more important clothes item that “all the other kids have”. Then after a lengthy sales pitch, prolonged reminders and constant communication by the child that desires it, the item will ultimately find its way into that child’s possession.

The teenage years bring about the same types of requests with even more specifics geared toward the latest and greatest item. I am very fortunate to coach both my daughter Juliana’s basketball and softball teams along with my son Drew’s basketball, little league and travel baseball teams. Many of the requests that come from my children are from the sports related, electronic communication devices (can we say Apple) and fashion minded clothing apparel wish list.

We truly need to be more like our children in our thinking and our approach to life. A bigger picture of life with unlimited boundaries with very little stress? Have you ever seen a child under 12 years of age stressed out?

What is our purpose in life? What do we hope to accomplish, achieve, conquer and leave our mark creating our legacy during our life? Some of us will teach, some will coach, be parents, work in the various service industries, trades using your given talents, become writers, bloggers, social media experts and some will even become entrepreneurs based upon the previous mentioned talents.

Paired with our purpose we also create the vision for what our future will be, we determine our future with the words we are saying. Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death. We don’t realize what power our words can have impacting positively or negatively in all situations we come in contact with in our day to day lives.

In preparation for writing this blog piece I was reflecting on many of the various goals I had made for myself, work diligently toward, readjusted my course of action and ultimately overcame the many challenges and achieved what I had sought after. My life has been a series of goals, actions steps and ultimately achievement through a step by step approach. Hard work & determination can achieve anything when paired together to overcome the tallest of challenges and the most difficult of goals.

The hardest part of any journey is the first step. Where do you envision yourself in 3 months, 6months, 1 year, 2 years and even 10 years from the time you read this article. What do you picture yourself doing, how detailed are you in that vision of success?

Another key element to fulfilling that vision of success is having a burning desire. A desire that burns to your inner core, that same desire that will reinvigorate you on the darkest of days and make the brightest of days even more meaningful because you are one step closer to achieving that goal. Your vision is your picture of your future – your desire is what will transform your dream into a reality.

My career is in healthcare sales. My day to day activities are different than many people in other career choices. In sales, you and you alone have to motivate yourself, execute your plan, readjust your plan and then repeat the successful part of that plan daily. Day after day, week after week and year after year. The sales goals will get bigger and the demands of the position will increase. It takes a time tested approach, a vision and a burning desire to achieve what you truly want in life.

When you finish reading this article, think about something that you have been putting off, something you would like to do, but haven’t gotten to it. When its important enough to act upon and follow through on, that is when the vision will become a reality.

Most importantly believe in yourself, your abilities and what you are truly capable of. You have been successful throughout your life to this point, why wouldn’t you continue to achieve greater things as your progress forward. When the challenges become more demanding a more creative plan is required. That creative plan will enable you to achieve that desired result. Just as we have all found this blog site from various parts of the world, that same vision and desire will allow you to explore new boundaries of opportunity within yourself creating greater outcomes and endless opportunities for greater success.

Make that goal, be daring, really stretch yourself, have the desire to see it through and you will amaze yourself in what you will be able to accomplish. Make it quickly because tomorrow is coming faster than you think.

I look forward to hearing of your successes and accomplishments. Can Do! Yes, you Can!

About the Author/Further Resources

Andrew A.Faccone, MBA can provide insight regarding his expertise within the healthcare industry. He can also provide valuable business acumen and coaching insights.Andrew is available for speaking engagements for any size business organization as well as personalized business & career coaching.

Email aa****@ya***.com

Linkedin Contact Info www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-a-faccone-mba/24/291/3b2/


Have a Great Year – Get The Basics Right and Succeed in 2013 1

In our first guest post of 2013, business coach Angus MacLennan shares some thoughts he reminds his clients about at this time of year.

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Have a Great Year – Get The Basics Right and Succeed in 2013

by Angus MacLennan

It’s a new year and it’s that time of year when people set their resolutions and think about their goals. As a Business Coach it’s the time of year I remind my clients to go back to the basics. If you don’t cover the basics in your business and personal life then you may find you tend to drift.

Do these basics activities and you will have more control over your business and personal life and have a successful 2013.

1. Set SMART Goals

Goals are critical to success. Make sure you set your goals so you know what you are aiming for and when you will have to achieve it. Having clear goals allows you to put in place the actions needed to achieve your objectives. I recommend SMART goals:

Specific – get very clear about what you want and how it will feel, look, sound, smell etc.

Measurable – make sure the goals can be measured in a meaningful way. You have to measure it to know its achieved.

Achievable – make your goals challenging and achievable. They should push you but should be manageable.

Realistic – goals should always be realistic. Give yourself a something that will challenge you but that you can actually achieve.

Timed – know exactly when you will have to achieve your goal so you have a clear point to aim for.

Goals need to be clear, you must know when they are achieved, they must be a push but achievable and realistic and you must know when you will complete them.

2. Plan you diary for the year

Put all your fixed appointments, meetings you know about, main events and important dates into your diary for the whole year. All those carved in stone and can’t be moved events should go into you diary – for the whole year. This gives you a structure to start with.

3. Create a Weekly Plan

Create a weekly plan so you know what you are doing each week. Use a paper diary or a software diary but make sure you do create a plan that covers when you will be doing what over your week. Once you get the hang of that create a plan that covers 2 weeks or the whole month. This helps you plan ahead and gives you control of your actions and plans.

4. Use a To Do List

Start a To Do List that includes all the things you need to do for the week (personal and business) and put them in a priority order with Complete by Dates. If you tend to have a lot to do each day then break it down into daily To Do lists. Always focus on achieving the top 2 or 3 activities each day and you will make progress.

If you want to have a great year then make sure you cover all the basics in your business and your personal life. Ensure you have the direction and control that will set you on the path to an amazing year.

Have a happy and prosperous 2013!

Take care

Angus

About the author

Angus MacLennanMy name is Angus MacLennan and I am a Coach delivering practical Business Support to Business Owners – specialising in small to medium size businesses.

My mission is to deliver a quality service to help every client develop their business and enable them to have the work/life balance they want.

Over the past 5 years I have had thousands of hours experience coaching and delivering workshops and have had my work incorporated in training programmes across four continents.

I am a Master Practitioner of NLP, a Master Results Coach, a Master Performance Consultant and have a Degree in Industrial Psychology and a Post Grad Dip in Personnel Management.

Blog: http://coachingentrepreneurs.wordpress.com/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/angusmaclennan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngusMacLennan


Recapping January – March 2012 guest posts 1

Over the next few days I’m going to briefly recap the last years worth of guest posts that appear here each Friday.

Today we start by looking at the first three months of this year.

Image showing first January on a diary with pen on isolated color background with fine clipping path.

January

In the first post of 2012 Amber Fogarty shared how she is in the “habit change business” discussing something she talks about a lot with clients in “Developing Better Habits”.

Coach and trainer Lorraine Hurst then followed with a post that could be of use to both yourself and your clients. “Blue Monday – what colour will yours be?” was published just prior to the third Monday of the year – read the post to see the significance of that date!

Coach and author of “Secrets of Successful Coaches”, Karen Williams, shared her expertise and knowledge in the third guest post of the year: “How does your mindset affect your business?” Read how Karen believes mindset, marketing and business knowledge will affect a successful coaching business.

The final post in January saw Karen Wise sharing a personal experience in the post “Relationship drama.” How familiar is this incident in either your own life or with what your clients tell you?

Image showing 14th February a Valentine day with heart symbol & message.

February

As we started the second month of the year, coach Marie Yates turned her attention to the action taken to the goals and plans made at the start of the New Year. This post contains a series of questions to assist you to make progress. Read “The warm up is complete… It is time for the main event.” 11 months since this was first published – what would your answers to these questions be today?

Liz Scott loves bringing coaches together to share experiences and knowledge. Her post focused upon “Parallel conversations and coaching”, using her personal experience as a lesson to be used in coaching sessions.

Lenny Deverill-West shared how he has been practically incorporating other teachings into his own work with clients. Read more about what he is doing in “The Coaching Aha!”

Social Media coach Nicky Kriel discussed errors she’s seen coaches make attempting one particular marketing approach. Are you making any of the blunders featured in “5 Big Mistakes that Life Coaches make Networking”?

March

March

Coach Richard Nugent invited you to “Explore Some Half Truths Of Coaching” with the aim of getting you to think about your own professional beliefs that could help you be more successful.

A coaching website is on many new coaches to do list, in the second guest post in March Mei Qi Tan shared her expertise and knowledge about what to focus upon. Read her post “Websites: It’s not just about content – it’s about users.”

Coach Angus MacLennan, who delivers practical Business Support to Business Owners, turned his attention to the subject that can have many new coaching business owners scratching their heads in the post “Niching Has Failed”

How to market your coaching is an often requested topic, in our next guest post coach Cindy Hillsey shared her expertise and knowledge in “Marketing and your Ideal Client”

In the final guest post in March Coach Toni Knights discussed what she considers to decide if it is necessary to refer clients for additional help, in her post “Identifying When Clients Need Counselling”

Visit tomorrow

Come back tomorrow for a post recapping April – June, or if you can’t wait, clicking here will bring a list of every post that has been published on this site labelled as a guest post.

January & Febuary image © Indianeye | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
Visit tomorrow image © Renata2k | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos


New Year’s Resolutions Versus Goals

As we approach the end of 2012 Amber Fogarty uses her expertise and experience in today’s guest post as she discusses:

New Year’s Resolutions Versus Goals, A guest post by Amber Fogarty

New Year’s Resolutions Versus Goals

by Amber Fogarty, SOS Leadership Institute

We hear a lot about New Year’s Resolutions during this time of year. As coaches, people share with us all kinds of resolutions, but we tend to hear the same ones over and over again.

  • I want to lose weight.
  • I need to pay off debt, especially all of these holiday purchases.
  • I want to take a family vacation.
  • I need to save for retirement (or just save money in general).
  • At work, I will increase my sales, improve my attitude, and/or get along with my coworkers.
  • I will spend less time on Facebook.
  • I will spend more quality time with my family.
  • I will try to get more sleep at night.

The reason most New Year’s Resolutions don’t last long is because there is no plan to accomplish them. In fact, a lot of people don’t even bother writing them down. I guess if you know you’re going to abandon the resolutions in a month or two, what’s the point?

Do you encourage your coaching clients to ditch New Year’s Resolutions and set goals instead? Do you help them with the process of developing written goals, complete with action steps and deadlines? What has worked best for you? What tips can you share with the Coaching Confidence community?

As Paul J. Meyer said, “Writing crystallizes thought, and thought produces action.” When you start to put your goals on paper, you give yourself an opportunity to reflect more deeply about what you want and why you want it. One of the things I enjoy most about coaching is empowering and equipping leaders to set goals and sharing in their excitement as they achieve the goals that matter most to them.

The coaches that are part of the SOS Coaching Network utilize a powerful program called Protecting Goals: The Science of Personal Achievement to lead clients through the goal-setting process. This program is particularly beneficial in preparing for a new year that is filled with possibilities.

I’ll close by encouraging you to schedule some time to reflect on 2012. As coaches, we need to always be growing; we owe it to our clients and to ourselves. Think about what you accomplished this year. What brought you the most joy? How were you challenged? What did you learn this year?

Now visualize 2013. What will it take to make 2013 your best year ever? How will your life be better if you achieve the goals that matter most to you? How are you preparing to take your business to the next level in the year to come?

Special blessings from all of us at SOS Leadership throughout the holiday season!

About the author

Amber Fogarty is a Partner and Coach with SOS Leadership Institute, an organization committed to equipping and empowering leaders to make a difference, and the SOS Coaching Network, which unites an elite group of coaches, trainers, and consultants from around the world, providing them with customized programs.

 

 

New Year clock and glasses image © Dgm007 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos


Goals You Can Control

Early Jackson, shares his coaching expertise and knowledge in this weeks guest post:

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goals you can control1

Goals You Can Control

By Early Jackson

Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker and inspiration to thousands through his books and products once said, “Things are the way they are because we are the way we are.” I have found this to be a tough but valuable truth to live by. Often our largest challenge in life will not come from anything external, but the internal wrestling of procrastination. As a coach, I speak to people about what they wish to happen for them. Usually the reality is a disconnection with what they want and how they act. We spend too much time focusing on what we can’t control instead of what is within our reach.

In the late 1920’s at the turn of the industrial revolution America implemented a system of evaluating employees, especially factory workers. If a person on an assembly line at location ‘A’ was clocked at 85% efficiency, great attention would be given to the 15% that was lacking. This created a unique problem. The person would not get better, but worse. Why you may ask? Because wherever focus goes, energy flows. People do not progress by focusing where they lack, but by emphasizing their strengths. The system of correcting behavior was flawed mainly because the attention was placed on the wrong statistic.

Many do not attempt their goals at all because they see the task of planning for them as a huge mountain they cannot conquer. Half the battle is developing the right strategy and the goals that once were impossible, are easy to obtain. Instead of giving your precious focus to the negatives surrounding your desires, begin to assess what you already possess.

Here are a few things that you can control:

  • Your perception: My mother always said, “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head but you can stop it from building a nest on you.” You and you alone control how you think. No one is so powerful that they can make you think a certain way. People are there to influence, but the end result is yours to handle.
  • Your attitude: If what you think is based on perception, how you think is a result of an attitude. Life goes on even if you have a bad day. How you respond to life is going to determine what you get out of it. It is a proven fact that people with a better attitude live a more fulfilling lifestyle.
  • Your time and schedule: Time is the only currency you can never earn more of. It is far better to lose money then your time. You can always earn more cash, but once time is invested and loss, it is gone forever. It is your responsibility to guard your time and use it wisely.
  • Your circle of influence: We all have wished at some time or another that we could have chosen our family members. But the reality is, you have the family God wanted you to have. What you can choose is who gets into your ‘space’. Focus on who you are allowing into your life because that’s who will have influence.

Actions are simply our response to our motivation. Once the fire has been lit we have to move quickly to implement our goals and use that momentum. Life gives us what we are willing to put into it. Goals aren’t prejudice nor play favorites. Goals show up completed when the person pursuing them employs consistent effort and planning.

See you at the TOP!

Early Jackson

About the Author/Further Resources

Early JacksonEarly L. Jackson Jr., profoundly recognized as a Social Activist, has been laboring to bring balance, skill, relevance and understanding to people of all nationalities. After effectively overcoming a stretch of drug addictions, Early has highly developed himself to become a successful life coach. As a result Early has had the opportunity to speak at such prestigious institutions as Rider University, The University of Phoenix, Jefferson Hospital, The Philadelphia Board of Education, The University of Pennsylvania and even on Carnival Cruiseline. He has also served diligently as an educator, a conference and seminar host as well as a radio and television personality in the Greater Philadelphia area for more than thirteen years. Coach Early was recently featured on The Hampton Roads show and is a regular contributor to “Inside Business” The Hampton Roads Business Journal as well as a writer for ” Examiner.com” a dynamic entertainment, news and lifestyle network that serves more than 20 million monthly readers across the U.S. and around the world. In addition, he is acclaimed for his work as a life coach working with individuals, couples, families and professionals in designing and living extraordinary lives. Early, has a special ability to build leaders, while developing people to a life of happiness, with deep, lasting satisfaction and fulfillment.

Early is known for his passionate teaching, humor and genuine love for people. Drawing from experience as a leader in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm, he proclaims a liberating message of empowerment to those who lack a voice of affirmation. He is known as ‘the constant encourager’ to many who seek a greater experience of true achievement.

Early Jackson, happily married to his wife Cherese, is a heavily sought after teacher and conference speaker; he has been invited to speak both nationally and internationally. He is the author of “Groomed For Greatness: 31 Days To An Empowered Life”, 50 Affirmations For Next Level Living”, “Tweet Your Way To Greatness” and “10 Mistakes I Made Before 30 & How To Avoid Them” as well as a variety of Coaching CD series. His overarching belief “If we are to exercise our full status and potential in this life we must be retrained in our daily behavior and mind sets” is a prevalent and recurring theme in his teachings.

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Background on image above title via: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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