Could have, should have, would have are some of the phrases many people find themselves saying at the end of a day, month or in so many cases, each year!
I recently met a man who had been in a job he said hated for 32 years. I asked him what he would have liked to have done instead and all he replied with was “could have, would have, should have!”. No one means to put their life on hold or stay in a bad situation that is less than desirable but it can just creep up on you. Then before you know it a month, year or even a lifetime has passed you by.
As a coach I get to meet many people who want to make a positive change in their lives. Most people come to me with a set goal that they want to achieve but it’s also natural for many to know that they want something different but don’t yet have the faintest of ideas what that something different will look like!
Sometimes identifying what you don’t want is actually a good place to begin. Often, what you do want may just be the opposite of what you don’t want. Simple enough.
We are not machines so going about achieving your goal is not going to be purely systematic. So many times, self doubt and confidence levels impact our ability to follow through and get things done.
The good news is that the New Year a great opportunity to start afresh and here are my top tips for getting this year off to a flying start:
1. Reflect on 2015 and acknowledge your podium moments - the times when you were really pleased with your achievements.
2. Consider what you would have liked to have achieved but didn’t. Ask yourself the question “if only I’d….”. This exercise isn’t about regret but about acknowledging specifically what you could have done to achieve a different outcome. It's about learning from your experiences and asking yourself, if you could do it again, what would you do differently?
3. Be clear on what you want to achieve in 2016. Next to each goal you have, list the skills, behaviours, actions and contacts that you will need to make it happen.
4. Ask yourself, how important each goal is to you on a scale of 1-10.
5. List the benefits of achieving your desired outcome. What will happen when you achieve each goal?
6. Consider what the consequences will be if you do not achieve your goals for this year. how would that make you feel?
7. If it’s something that you have wanted to do for some time, what has stopped you from doing it up until now? How will you make sure this is not going to be a problem in the future?
Life Coaches / Personal Performance Coaches exist to help people set clear goals, stay on track, achieve set outcomes and help remove any barriers that may be standing in your way. Having a coach in your corner can be the difference that makes the difference – the difference between goal completion and non-completion. Or to put it another way, the difference between success and failure.
The Coaching Academy exists to train and later on, mentor outstanding Coaches. We have an amazing track record of success and I'm incredibly proud of how our students on graduating are highly capable professional coaches who make a positive and lasting difference to their clients time and time again.
It’s always amazing to hear about the difference we have made to our students lives but it’s even more amazing to hear about the difference that our incredible students and qualified coaches have made to others.
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
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