Yesterday was my first session with my coach. The first session is called the intake session, where the coach first introduces the coachee to coaching and how things will proceed. We had already agreed fees and I had signed a coaching agreement, so Elizabeth proceeded to tell me more about how things would proceed in the future (wearing her mentor hat as well as her coach hat). After all the formalities and explanations, we began our session.
We reviewed my progress since the last session, and she asked me what I wanted to talk about in this session. A few days before the session she had sent me some forms, interviews and surveys to fill out which had really helped to clarify my thinking about who I am and what I wanted. They asked questions such as, "what accomplishments, in your opinion, must occur in your lifetime so that you will consider your life to have been completely fulfilling and well-lived with few or no regrets?" and, "if you had a five-year goal and you had the continuing services of a coach to help you make it happen (and money was not an issue), what would that goal be? What difference would you like working with a coach to make?".
Those surveys were great because they really got me thinking!!
I decided that I wanted to carry on with the "Wheel of Life" exercise. In this exercise, you draw a big circle and then divide it up into slices which signify the most important areas of your life and how satisfied you are with those areas at the moment. So far we've covered Career, Health and Relationships! That has been realllyyy interesting...
When I finish a coaching session I feel energised and uplifted and I also feel motivated. Also, importantly, I start looking at my motivations and reasons for why I want what I say I want. And I start to think of what do I REALLY want.
Coaching is such a great process, I would suggest anyone who needs a little bit of help seek a coach out because you will find yourself achieving things at a greater speed and with more efficiency and happiness than if you rely on yourself to keep yourself motivated.
Also the really great thing about having a coach is that (unlike having a friend to talk to), a coach will ask you the difficult questions and will challenge you to do more. For example, one of the challenges Elizabeth has set me this week is to coach somebody. Now, I have not studied coaching at all and I have only been coached twice. So the prospect of asking someone if they mind me coaching them is really scary. But I would love to give it a try anyways! Because I think I would have an idea of what I should be doing. And it doesnt have to be for long or on a complicated matter, and I certainly won't be charging. But it would still be a great opportunity for me to see how it feels to be a coach. And it will help me fix the idea in my mind that I am already the great coach that I want to be :)
Quote of the Day
"Anyone can dabble, but once you've made that commitment, your blood has that particular thing in it, and it's very hard for people to stop you."
— Bill Cosby
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Progress!
Oh my goodness, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted and SO much has happened in such a short space of time. So I will try not to ramble too much :-)
First of all, I spent the last two interviewing potential life coaches. It was an interesting process because I got to see that there’s no such thing as a ‘typical coach’. Each coach was unique, and each approached coaching according to their own style and personality. Although they all had the main idea of what coaching was in mind, each of them seemed to take their own route of achieving that goal. When I finished my interviews I realized that the best way to choose which life coach to take on was to pick the one I felt most ‘connection’ to. That is, I trusted my instinct and asked myself which one did I resonate with most. The answer to that was simple, it was Elizabeth (see http://www.the-global-citizen.com/ ). I am sooo excited about working with her because she has a lot of positive energy, she can point me to all the right resources and she’s a great leader. I had a free trial coaching session with her for 40mins and it brought me so much clarity and motivation. After finishing that session I decided that coaching really was the right decision for me. I want to be able to help people get that same clarity, vision and motivation.
My first real session with Elizabeth starts on Wednesday and I am super excited. I think I’m finally going to start to make some real tangible progress in my life. And I’m so grateful that I’ve finally reached to this part of my journey. I feel like I’m at the beginning of a long journey, but when you really think about it the beginning isn’t now… it started before we were even born! And even though it feels like we haven’t done much until the point when we decide from here on out I’m going to control my life… the truth remains that the journey started a long time ago.
I’ve started making myself a 5 year plan for what I want to achieve in my life. I’ve decided that by the time I reach 30 I will start working for myself full time. I’m so excited!
Next bit of great news – I finally found the courage to sign up at CoachU (www.coachu.com). I’ve signed up for the Core Essentials Program and Advanced Coaching Program. That’s a total of 175hrs of ACTP coach training. I’m gonna give myself a maximum of 3 years to complete it entirely. After that… I’m gonna aim to get accredited through the ICF (www.coachfederation.org/ICF), first as an ACC (Associate Certified Coach), and then as a PCC (Professional Certified Coach). Eventually, I will aim for the highest accreditation – MCC (Master Certified Coach).
Last achievement – I finally found the courage to tell my mum that I am starting coach training. I was so terrified to tell her this, because I was so scared that she would try to discourage me or would tell me I have too many responsibilities now. I was so afraid of telling her that I was shaking when I called her on the phone. But when I told her she was surprisingly so cool about it and she even encouraged me to do it! I was shocked! And so happy! :-) So now I feel even better about beginning my training.
So that’s pretty much it. I mean… I’m so excited because I’ve finally started to take real big steps towards creating the life of my dreams. I know that its going to be a really tough journey. But I know that its going to be worth it because I’m doing what I truly want to do. So there’s no going back. I am finally becoming my authentic self and I am loving it :-)
Quote of the Day
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."
— Eleanor Roosevelt
First of all, I spent the last two interviewing potential life coaches. It was an interesting process because I got to see that there’s no such thing as a ‘typical coach’. Each coach was unique, and each approached coaching according to their own style and personality. Although they all had the main idea of what coaching was in mind, each of them seemed to take their own route of achieving that goal. When I finished my interviews I realized that the best way to choose which life coach to take on was to pick the one I felt most ‘connection’ to. That is, I trusted my instinct and asked myself which one did I resonate with most. The answer to that was simple, it was Elizabeth (see http://www.the-global-citizen.com/ ). I am sooo excited about working with her because she has a lot of positive energy, she can point me to all the right resources and she’s a great leader. I had a free trial coaching session with her for 40mins and it brought me so much clarity and motivation. After finishing that session I decided that coaching really was the right decision for me. I want to be able to help people get that same clarity, vision and motivation.
My first real session with Elizabeth starts on Wednesday and I am super excited. I think I’m finally going to start to make some real tangible progress in my life. And I’m so grateful that I’ve finally reached to this part of my journey. I feel like I’m at the beginning of a long journey, but when you really think about it the beginning isn’t now… it started before we were even born! And even though it feels like we haven’t done much until the point when we decide from here on out I’m going to control my life… the truth remains that the journey started a long time ago.
I’ve started making myself a 5 year plan for what I want to achieve in my life. I’ve decided that by the time I reach 30 I will start working for myself full time. I’m so excited!
Next bit of great news – I finally found the courage to sign up at CoachU (www.coachu.com). I’ve signed up for the Core Essentials Program and Advanced Coaching Program. That’s a total of 175hrs of ACTP coach training. I’m gonna give myself a maximum of 3 years to complete it entirely. After that… I’m gonna aim to get accredited through the ICF (www.coachfederation.org/ICF), first as an ACC (Associate Certified Coach), and then as a PCC (Professional Certified Coach). Eventually, I will aim for the highest accreditation – MCC (Master Certified Coach).
Last achievement – I finally found the courage to tell my mum that I am starting coach training. I was so terrified to tell her this, because I was so scared that she would try to discourage me or would tell me I have too many responsibilities now. I was so afraid of telling her that I was shaking when I called her on the phone. But when I told her she was surprisingly so cool about it and she even encouraged me to do it! I was shocked! And so happy! :-) So now I feel even better about beginning my training.
So that’s pretty much it. I mean… I’m so excited because I’ve finally started to take real big steps towards creating the life of my dreams. I know that its going to be a really tough journey. But I know that its going to be worth it because I’m doing what I truly want to do. So there’s no going back. I am finally becoming my authentic self and I am loving it :-)
Quote of the Day
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Committment
I’ve started to take that first step :-) I realized this weekend that I need to engage a life coach for my own personal growth, for two reasons:
1) because there are areas of my life that need development, and areas where I need to find a balance and I know a life coach can help me find that
2) because if I truly want to become a life coach myself then I want to know how it works and I want to know how it feels to be the person being coached.
With that in mind, I’ve spent the last 2-3 days researching different life coaches. I’ve emailed the ones I thought looked promising and have arranged free complementary calls with them, either to talk through what coaching with them will entail, or to actually experience a sample coach session for myself. I think this is going to be really interesting and I’m really looking forward to finally getting my life in check and starting to make a real difference in all the areas of my life. My first call is this weekend, so I hope that will go well.
Other than that Ramadan is continuing to go well. It’s now the 7th day and it feels like we’ve been fasting for ages! But I’m more used to it now and all the headaches, etc. have disappeared. Even the hunger pangs don’t really hit as strongly anymore. It’s all part of the disciplining I guess. The more you work at something, the easier it becomes. My parents fast twice a week, every week of the year, and so Ramadan is not hard at all for them.
Another interesting thing I wanted to write about… My mother, kind soul that she is, is working with my dad and her sister to set up an orphanage in Dar es Salaam, East Africa. My parents are from that side of the world, and they know of a lady who is looking after 100 orphans by herself, without any monetary or government aid. So my parents are working on building them a brand spanking new home to live in, with lots of space and facilities. My husband and I will be creating the website where people can learn more about the project, follow the blog and donate. I’ll post the link once it’s up and running. I’m really proud of my mum and the things she does. It takes a lot to do the things she does, to help people simply from the kindness of her heart, and she inspires me even more to want to help people. When she wants something done, she is so passionate and persistent in it, and she always manages to motivate other people to take part and to see the task through to the end. Now there’s a true leader.
Quote of the Day
"Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day."
— Arthur Gordon
1) because there are areas of my life that need development, and areas where I need to find a balance and I know a life coach can help me find that
2) because if I truly want to become a life coach myself then I want to know how it works and I want to know how it feels to be the person being coached.
With that in mind, I’ve spent the last 2-3 days researching different life coaches. I’ve emailed the ones I thought looked promising and have arranged free complementary calls with them, either to talk through what coaching with them will entail, or to actually experience a sample coach session for myself. I think this is going to be really interesting and I’m really looking forward to finally getting my life in check and starting to make a real difference in all the areas of my life. My first call is this weekend, so I hope that will go well.
Other than that Ramadan is continuing to go well. It’s now the 7th day and it feels like we’ve been fasting for ages! But I’m more used to it now and all the headaches, etc. have disappeared. Even the hunger pangs don’t really hit as strongly anymore. It’s all part of the disciplining I guess. The more you work at something, the easier it becomes. My parents fast twice a week, every week of the year, and so Ramadan is not hard at all for them.
Another interesting thing I wanted to write about… My mother, kind soul that she is, is working with my dad and her sister to set up an orphanage in Dar es Salaam, East Africa. My parents are from that side of the world, and they know of a lady who is looking after 100 orphans by herself, without any monetary or government aid. So my parents are working on building them a brand spanking new home to live in, with lots of space and facilities. My husband and I will be creating the website where people can learn more about the project, follow the blog and donate. I’ll post the link once it’s up and running. I’m really proud of my mum and the things she does. It takes a lot to do the things she does, to help people simply from the kindness of her heart, and she inspires me even more to want to help people. When she wants something done, she is so passionate and persistent in it, and she always manages to motivate other people to take part and to see the task through to the end. Now there’s a true leader.
Quote of the Day
"Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day."
— Arthur Gordon
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Come on weekend...
This week sure is dragging! I am really loving Ramadan at the minute but it does feel like this is one of the longest weeks I have had in a long time. Well at least the weekend is almost here and I will get some much need recuperation and rest time.
I have to say, I am feeling quite at peace with myself and the world. The amazing feeling that comes from knowing your life is heading in the right direction is really priceless. I have been married now for less than a year but I feel the man I am with is my soulmate. All the things I ever asked for in a partner, he is that and even more. He has brought all the positivity I have been yearning for in my life and he continually gives me support and motivation for all the things I want to do in my life. That is why now, finally, after three years of agonizing over what I want to do with my life, I am ready to take on the challenge of becoming a coach. And I have never been this excited or pumped about my career. For me to become a coach is so important. Because coaches helped me turn my life around and become this strong, motivated, passionate person that I am today and not that weak, lost and confused soul I was 5 years ago. And I want to be able to give others that kind of support. To help them find what’s inside themselves. To help them to help themselves make the most out of this life. And most importantly to contribute to this global community I live in. I’m so very excited about finally taking the first real steps on this journey. The road will be tough and challenging, I know. But this is the one thing I want to do which I am 100% sure about. So wish me all the best! :-)
Quote of the Day
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
— Albert Schweitzer
I have to say, I am feeling quite at peace with myself and the world. The amazing feeling that comes from knowing your life is heading in the right direction is really priceless. I have been married now for less than a year but I feel the man I am with is my soulmate. All the things I ever asked for in a partner, he is that and even more. He has brought all the positivity I have been yearning for in my life and he continually gives me support and motivation for all the things I want to do in my life. That is why now, finally, after three years of agonizing over what I want to do with my life, I am ready to take on the challenge of becoming a coach. And I have never been this excited or pumped about my career. For me to become a coach is so important. Because coaches helped me turn my life around and become this strong, motivated, passionate person that I am today and not that weak, lost and confused soul I was 5 years ago. And I want to be able to give others that kind of support. To help them find what’s inside themselves. To help them to help themselves make the most out of this life. And most importantly to contribute to this global community I live in. I’m so very excited about finally taking the first real steps on this journey. The road will be tough and challenging, I know. But this is the one thing I want to do which I am 100% sure about. So wish me all the best! :-)
Quote of the Day
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
— Albert Schweitzer
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Feeling productive!
Well today is turning out to be a much better day. Now that I've gotten past the first day of Ramadan (which is always the hardest) I have my strength back and I've been totally focussed today on the things I've set out to do so far. The rest of the day will mostly be devoted with spending quality time with my husband and later on with my parents too.
Today I found out that my Toastmasters meetings will be reconvening soon. I am really eager to pick up my Toastmaster's projects again and get back into improving my public-speaking and speech writing skills. I totally love speech writing and giving speeches, because it's the one time I feel I can really share my views, thoughts, feelings and ideas with other people in a way that stirs their hearts, gets them thinking and gives them hope. And that's what it's all about isn't it? :-)
For my next few speech projects I would like to concentrate on giving speeches on individual NLP presuppositions, as a way to educate myself and others about the ways in which we can change our behaviour to get the results we desire. The first speech I have started working on is based on the NLP presuppositions: "The map is not the territory".
For more about NLP see http://www.anlp.org/
I will write more about that later on as my speech develops! For now I will leave you with my...
Quote of the Day
General Colin Powell's Rules:
1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
Today I found out that my Toastmasters meetings will be reconvening soon. I am really eager to pick up my Toastmaster's projects again and get back into improving my public-speaking and speech writing skills. I totally love speech writing and giving speeches, because it's the one time I feel I can really share my views, thoughts, feelings and ideas with other people in a way that stirs their hearts, gets them thinking and gives them hope. And that's what it's all about isn't it? :-)
For my next few speech projects I would like to concentrate on giving speeches on individual NLP presuppositions, as a way to educate myself and others about the ways in which we can change our behaviour to get the results we desire. The first speech I have started working on is based on the NLP presuppositions: "The map is not the territory".
For more about NLP see http://www.anlp.org/
I will write more about that later on as my speech develops! For now I will leave you with my...
Quote of the Day
General Colin Powell's Rules:
1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
Monday, September 1, 2008
First day of Ramadan
Ramadan Kareem to all my fellow muslims!
Today is the first day of Ramadan and I'm really excited! Ramadan is one of the best times of the year, especially if you live in a muslim country because you really feel the whole buzz of it. I will not go into the details of Ramadan and why it is holy for muslims, but I will say my aim is to strive this year to really make the best of it. Every day of it.
To be honest today I am feeling extremely weak and tired (although still optimistic ;-)). It's nice only having to work 5hrs at work during Ramadan, but today has been a totally unproductive work day because I seem unable to focus! Tomorrow will bring me more strength as I get used to fasting.
I've decided to have a "Quote of the Day" for each time I post, that will reflect my mood on that day. Today's is:
Quote of the Day:
"The first and best victory is to conquer self."
— Plato, Greek Philosopher
Today is the first day of Ramadan and I'm really excited! Ramadan is one of the best times of the year, especially if you live in a muslim country because you really feel the whole buzz of it. I will not go into the details of Ramadan and why it is holy for muslims, but I will say my aim is to strive this year to really make the best of it. Every day of it.
To be honest today I am feeling extremely weak and tired (although still optimistic ;-)). It's nice only having to work 5hrs at work during Ramadan, but today has been a totally unproductive work day because I seem unable to focus! Tomorrow will bring me more strength as I get used to fasting.
I've decided to have a "Quote of the Day" for each time I post, that will reflect my mood on that day. Today's is:
Quote of the Day:
"The first and best victory is to conquer self."
— Plato, Greek Philosopher
Sunday, August 31, 2008
What is the lighthouse?
Well today is my very first blog, ever. And after preparing the layout and the titles and stuff, it’s actually taken my mind a while to decide what to write about. So I’ve decided to write about the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is a very symbolic thing for me. Although I have never been in a lighthouse, my father has worked at sea for most of his life and so I do feel a connection to all sea-related things. However that’s not why the lighthouse is particularly significant for me. It is significant because it was the subject of a speech I personally wrote and delivered in a national speech contest, which I won. The speech was called ‘The Symbol of Courage’, and it was about how I suffered with depression for two years of my life and came out of it successfully. I wrote that speech not to win the competition, but to prove to myself how far I had come. To prove to myself that I had made it through difficult times, and I had survived. And perhaps even more significantly, I had thrived! Winning that competition was the icing on top of the cake. But the real victory came in standing there in front of hundreds of people and declaring:
“Contest chairperson, distinguished judges and guests… Today, I stand here and I know that no matter how dark things may get in my life, I will always have light. Because I became the symbol of courage. I may stand on a rocky ground, and I may be beaten by the waves of adversity. But I remain standing strong, and I do not let my light go out. Just like the lighthouse.”
I count delivering that speech as one of the most defining moments of my life. It made me remember who I am, how strong I am and what it is exactly I want to do in my life. I want to act as a beacon of light for all those around me who need it. To help them find their own light, and to help them HELP THEMSELVES to get the best out of their lives. And so it is that I have begun to prepare my journey… to becoming a life and business coach.
The lighthouse is a very symbolic thing for me. Although I have never been in a lighthouse, my father has worked at sea for most of his life and so I do feel a connection to all sea-related things. However that’s not why the lighthouse is particularly significant for me. It is significant because it was the subject of a speech I personally wrote and delivered in a national speech contest, which I won. The speech was called ‘The Symbol of Courage’, and it was about how I suffered with depression for two years of my life and came out of it successfully. I wrote that speech not to win the competition, but to prove to myself how far I had come. To prove to myself that I had made it through difficult times, and I had survived. And perhaps even more significantly, I had thrived! Winning that competition was the icing on top of the cake. But the real victory came in standing there in front of hundreds of people and declaring:
“Contest chairperson, distinguished judges and guests… Today, I stand here and I know that no matter how dark things may get in my life, I will always have light. Because I became the symbol of courage. I may stand on a rocky ground, and I may be beaten by the waves of adversity. But I remain standing strong, and I do not let my light go out. Just like the lighthouse.”
I count delivering that speech as one of the most defining moments of my life. It made me remember who I am, how strong I am and what it is exactly I want to do in my life. I want to act as a beacon of light for all those around me who need it. To help them find their own light, and to help them HELP THEMSELVES to get the best out of their lives. And so it is that I have begun to prepare my journey… to becoming a life and business coach.
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