As you start your transformation process I’d like you to be clear about what you want to achieve. To help you, take a look at the following questions:
My theme is:
Key Insights Gained from Step 1
Quick Wins Gained from Step 1
The Action Steps I Will Now Take
| Action | Deadline date |
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Real Results
(To maintain confidentiality, names have been changed.)
Martin IT director, single, 40s
Martin was in a fast-paced, financially rewarding career, but was feeling run down and demotivated. Successful on the outside, he felt empty on the inside. He wanted to find a sense of satisfaction and achievement in his life, but didn’t know where to start.
The Value of Coaching
To help Martin see the bigger picture of his life, restore his integrity so he had a clear idea of what he wanted to do rather than what he felt he ‘should’ do, and clarify his priorities, so he could move forwards on his own terms.
These made Martin realize how he’d always been focused on his work and bank balance and had lost sight of other things in life. He realized that if money wasn’t an issue for him, he’d start studying a language and learning new skills. Also, he loved photography and would like to learn more about it and maybe become a professional photographer. He was surprised by his own answers and realized he wanted to express his buried creativity.
Martin’s wheel was totally out of balance, with high scores for money and career and low scores for everything else. This was a clear indication that he’d been burying his head in the sand for too long. No wonder he felt empty. I challenged him to leave work earlier several days a week and plan more personal time for himself.
Martin acknowledged he was out of alignment, feeling stressed, drinking too much and running on adrenalin. He realized he was living his life according to quite a few ‘shoulds’, which were mostly based around earning money, of which he already had reserves. I challenged him to think about what he ‘wanted’ to do instead. His list of ‘wants’ included doing more photography, learning to cook and to speak French, playing the stock market and socializing more.
Real Results
Martin started addressing his health and well-being, joined a gym and scheduled in sessions three times per week, with the result that he started to feel more energetic. His physical environment was uninspiring and he’d ignored his home, so he employed a cleaner and his sister-in-law agreed to help him clear out his kitchen, make new curtains and give the place a make-over. This started to get him motivated. He also decided to convert the spare room into an office, so he could spend fewer hours at work. He bought a computer and developed a power-base at home. He looked at improving his social life, planned a dinner party once a month and joined a dating agency to meet new people.
‘I now have a five-year plan that involves leaving work, undertaking various streams of education that will include doing an MSc and an MBA and studying maths and a foreign language and culminate in developing a business plan and doing a PhD. Even if I do not actually complete all these things I still know that the journey will lead to a rewarding change to my life. I feel more positive about life.
Short-term, I have been on a photography holiday, am actively developing photography as a hobby and have framed some prints to decorate my home. My social life is pretty active now and I’m fitter, more energetic and healthier than I’ve been for years.’
