The Power Of Self Coaching
What Is Self Coaching?
How do you self coach? I believe that self coaching is slightly different to normal coaching. When you’re working with a coach you usually start by setting a goal / focus / session outcome. In self coaching it can be hard to do this on your own so I recommend you to instead start with assessing where you currently are and exploring what is going on for you both internally by looking at your thoughts and emotions and externally by assessing your environment.
A great starting point is to use a tool like the Wheel of Life. Get a piece of paper and draw a circle, separate it into 8 equal parts each of which is an area of your life which is important to you e.g. health, money, career, relationships, personal growth, religion etc. Then for each area identify if you were a 10/10 in that area what it would look like, feel like and what you’d be doing. Next look at where you currently are on the scale of 1-10.
This snap shot can help you to take a reality check and decide where you’ll focus first. One thing many of us do is think we need to change everything at once which can be overwhelming therefore choosing one area can help you narrow down your focus and enable you to start small.
The great thing about using a tool such as the wheel of life is that it gives you a baseline from which to build. Alternative ways to explore could be by asking yourself some question and writing or journaling the responses for example:
- How do I currently feel?
- What is working out well for me?
- What areas of my life would I like to change?
- Where am I feeling stuck?
These exercises can help you decide your focus.
The focus or goal is like the sat nav on where you want to be. Then it’s time to explore what you can do to close the gap: or the actions / plan to get there. Consider the ways you can navigate towards that desired future state by exploring what you’ve done before, considering who you can ask and looking at how others have achieved it: if you’re not sure it might be that your action is to get support or to research the best way forward.
The final step is all about integration : we learn when we are doing and you can adjust the plan to ensure that you’re on track : reflect on what is and isn’t working and where you might need to adjust. Change is not an overnight thing: self coaching is all about building new neural pathways so you transform the way you think, feel and act.
How do you do this?
Probably the simplest way to self coach is to journal. Imagine that you are having a conversation with yourself and you might want to use prompts. You might want to free write or if you are not a writing person, record your answers. You'll learn to recognize your thoughts and your emotions around things, and it will mean that it can be easier for you to self coach.
This process is detailed in my book “How To Feel Better”. To buy my book click here
Self coaching is one of the most powerful things we can do.
But how exactly do we do it?
What is it that we want to change?
I’m going to share a four step self-coaching process that will help you figure out how to self coach and how to get the best results from it!
Highlights:
(02:10 ) Reality check
(02:24) Recognise patterns
(05:43) Integration and growth
(09:11) It takes time!
(09:41) Committing to changing
To find out more about our Associate Coach Diploma ICF Level 1 - Click HERE.
To find out more about our Professional Coach Diploma ICF Level 2 - Click HERE.
New To Coaching? Listen to recent graduates who were in your position and hear their experiences first hand
" There is a huge amount of support from the teachers on the course and really great support in the sessions... And then you've got this bespoke service from your mentor where you can really get into some detail on your own journey in coaching. And then the unexpected big element for me is about finding this community of peers who are going through the same journey with different approaches, a real diversity of professions and expertise and ages and so on" Tess Nixon Speller - Coach & Fundraising Consultant
"It’s opened my eyes actually to all different types of coaching and that was part of the reason why I chose to go on the Optimus course. When you do it in a corporate environment, typically, you come across Grow and some of the other more basic, more transactional type models, whereas having the opportunity to learn about things like positive psychology and neuroscience and transactional analysis and how that all links into how you can approach stuff as a coach has made a huge difference." Chris Roberts - Leadership and Team Coach
Existing Coach ? Discover the impact our training has had on other full-time coaches and how it has benefitted their work!
"The financial impact has been quite significant actually. I am charging way more than I would have been comfortable doing before. I've well and truly more than earned back the cost of the course. So the ROI for me is well worth it. I think as well from a credibility perspective, I am able to work with organisations in a different way and at a different level " Ruth Wood - Executive and Leadership Coach
"It's an outlay, but I've always been that person who loves learning. You'll make back the money with how much you can charge because you're actually somebody who knows what they’re talking about. You're coming from experience as opposed to just making it up as you go along....I met so many different people who I'm still in touch with some of them and then the fact that you've got the alumni. Phyllis Woodfine - Resilience, Mindset and Business Coach
I’m honestly shocked by how useful this training has been. I really didn't think I needed it, but I’ve totally changed my mind on that now. It was exactly what I need and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to maximise their coaching potential.”
I'd say, yes, it's an investment. And you know, everyone has to think long and hard about where you put your time and your money, but the me. If you want something comprehensive, well rounded, you want an experience to be able to grow as a person, to grow as a coach, to be more business minded, and to have a community of people around you and great trainers and mentors. This for me, hands down is the best training out there. And I think just three months down the line, I don't regret it at all, if anything, I'm happy to sort of encourage other people to jump on it and do it, it's really worth it is more than worth it.”
I think if you want to be a coach, work as a coach, be successful as a coach, be confident as a coach, then this is the course for you. It's unlike any training that I've ever done before, it's just great. I never worry about coaching someone now. I feel like I always know where to go. I can respond and I don't go in thinking what I am going to ask them. I can be completely curious and open to what they want to do in the session and it works: it is so much better for them and I just love it. I'm so happy to take the full joy out of it.”
Looking for more information?
Download our course brochure for a further breakdown and overview of our best in class, accredited (ICF, AC) training programmes