In a coaching relationship, client and coach partner to put the client at choice.
What does it mean to be at choice?
I have a little story to tell because I recently came to truly understand this concept.
Something came up last week. And I had some thoughts and feelings about the issue. In my work with my coach, we talked about what I wanted out of it, and I was able to distinguish the stand I wanted to take on the subject. In other words, I got myself to a choice point.
How did I get there? Part of the work was figuring out why I wanted what I wanted. What did it mean to me? This thing I wanted… WHAT FOR? Looking at these questions clarified my choice, and understanding what the choice would give me in my life enabled me to empower my choice. That is, from that point I was able to powerfully stand behind my vision and generate action in service of that vision. From this place, I was clear, I was powerful and I was enrolling. And the best part? From the point of choice, the rest of it- even the motion forward, which has historically been a stop for me- was not a struggle. Because I empowered my choice by understanding the meaning of it. I knew not just what I was doing but why.
Various occurrences along the way took place that could have (as they might have in the past) stopped me in my tracks. But I looked at these occurrences as opportunities for two things: 1) to get any support I needed by asking for it, and 2) to revisit and test my choice. And since I did the work to understand why I wanted what I wanted, none of these occurrences got in my way. I didn’t experience my go-to self-doubt, and I was detached from what other people thought about what I was doing. It was a self-generated breakthrough in both leadership and self-trust.
I cannot explain how awesome this was for me. And these breakthroughs I created as a result of my work with my coach.
In coaching, we explore what you want. But that’s really only the tip of the iceberg. We also get very clear and distinguished about the meaning of your goals. Because once we do that work to generate that awareness and understand the “what for,” we can choose powerfully to be in action around what we want.
I realize I’m trying to sell the power of coaching in order to grow my practice. I own that 🙂 But from a place of total authenticity, being coached has been a gift. I encourage you to give yourselves the same gift- either in partnership with me or with someone else as your coach. Please feel free to reach out for a free sample session. With love, J
