Self-coaching, the best way to develop oneself
Coaching is a constant active process of transformation and creation
in which you ask yourself questions, you listen, think, decide and act -
and then you do it all over again - as a never ending story.
It is a process in which the coach brings his passion, desires and
powers to materialize and maximize his abilities and potential to fully
express himself and achieve extraordinary achievements.
Self-coaching is something I do all the time. I always think about
the content of my mind, listen to my body and learn from the environment
around me – and my reaction or response, to it.
This is a tremendous boost to drive oneself forwards, upwards and
also inwards, to make sure the goals being pursued and achieved serve
the heart’s real desires, for as they say in the industry, “Success
without fulfillment is nothing.”
Here are a few suggestions on how to coach yourself. As you read
them, you may come up with other ideas of your own. Write them down and
make sure you use them. There is strong empirical evidence to suggest
that goals that are written down are more likely to be reached.
In fact, the more you write about your goals, the greater your
chances of success.
Self-talk
The more closely you can visualize exactly what you want, the more
likely you are to make it happen. This means not just daydreaming but
visualizing, imagining yourself really in the position you wish to be
in.
There is no point in setting yourself a lot of goals that you think
you ought to achieve, if deep inside, you actually don’t want to achieve
them. If you feel yourself resisting working towards a particular goal,
don’t beat yourself up about it but take some time and space to look
carefully at what is happening.
Why are you resisting? Is that goal what you truly want? Or what your
parents or friends think you would want? It’s a cliché to say follow
your heart but, in the end, this is the only way to be happy.
Once you’ve decided what you really want, focus on it. This focus,
which is sharpened by writing down your goals, will carry you through to
success - provided, of course, you remember you are focusing on a future
reality that you are in the process of bringing about, rather than on
some impossible dream.
The importance and value of positive self-talk cannot be
overestimated. If you’re constantly telling yourself you can’t do it, it
will be exceedingly difficult for you to overcome this. If you believe
you can do it, you can. Again, something of a cliché but it’s absolutely
true.
Take time
It’s a common misconception that treating oneself well is selfish.
Actually, if you spend too long sacrificing yourself for other people,
you’ll find you have very little left to offer them.
If looking after yourself seems too self-indulgent to you, remember
that you need to replenish your reserves if you are going to look after
other people well. And that means regularly taking time for yourself.
Take time alone to be quiet, to pursue activities you enjoy but that
may not be ‘useful’ as such. For example, hobbies, chatting to friends,
going to the theatre. Sort out the little things that annoy you about
your environment. Challenge yourself from time to time.
If you regularly leave your comfort zone, you’ll find it expands, so
that things that would once have scared you, you can now take in your
stride.
There is a great deal you can do for yourself by yourself. You owe it
to yourself and the world to treat yourself kindly and fulfill your
potential. |