As a life coach, you help your clients identify what they want out of life and establish what goals they desire to achieve. Desire is key here. Help them recognize not just goals, but rather goals that are emotionally important to them. Encourage them to close their eyes and imagine the experience of achieving. What are they seeing? Saying? Doing? Together, create a step-by-step plan of action to attain desired outcomes while exploring reality and breaking down obstacles (it’s easier to control and succeed with smaller chunks over bigger objectives).
Get in the practice of asking effective, insightful, and open-ended questions, focusing on the how and not the why. When asking “how,” you’re stimulating creative actions. When asking “why,” you’re stimulating excuses. You want your clients to see their circumstances from new perspectives.
Remain neutral, but help guide them down the right path. Initiate topics for discussions and direct conversations. Push them past their comfort zones while being careful not to push them to the point of shutting down.
Listen intently to them. Understand their feelings, intentions, and behaviors. Don’t jump into conclusions and don’t assume that your view of the world is the same as theirs. In fact, paraphrase what they say back to them to assure that you have a clear understanding.
Feel free to share your experiences, thoughts, and inklings to help steer them in the right direction. And, to increase their comfort in communicating, model their body movement, language, and expressions.
As always, if you have any questions…email me at LBrown@ConsciousStrategies.com. Remember, with your guidance and support, you can help your clients live the life of their dreams!
