SMART goals

Everything starts with an idea, but some of the best ideas never grow to become real. Having ideas is a great and important first step. Making quality goals changes outcomes and ultimately transforms lives.

It has been said that if you aren’t sure where you are going you will surely get there (nowhere) or if you fail to aim you aim to fail!

In order to have a step-by-step plan or leading from God you need to have steps. You can always change them as He leads, but having them keeps in in motion. It is always easier to turn a moving ship, car, bike, skateboard... whatever.

To quote American philanthropist Elbert Hubbard, 

"Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage, but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal."

Dreams are unrefined hope and cost-free aspirations that we might do someday. Converting a dream to a goal is a decision to take tangible steps to pursue it. Goals are specific future...

What's your this?

Each new year is a gift! 

But unlike a gift you receive from someone else, each new year is a gift God gives us and what's inside of it pretty much depends on us! 

What will this year hold for you? 

• Will you finally start that ____________?
• Or finish that ______________?
• Ready to put ___________ behind you?

Traction can walk you through each step you need to take!

Or a good coach can help you define and achieve your goals!

The biggest question is: What is going to make this year different than last year? 

Hundreds of people have used the Coaching Culture practices to move forward themselves as well as learning how to best ask empowering questions, help people make SMART goals and walk them down the Bridges Coaching ROAD to nexts they would not have accomplished! 

Or maybe you aren't even sure what your "this" is? Our Destiny by Design course helps decode the cipher! Your unique...

[Book Review]

In his book The Coaching Habit,  Michael Bungay Stanier promotes a path to "Say Less, Ask More and Change the way you lead forever" in 10 minutes with 7 questions!

Pretty bold offer! Let's dig in, but first a couple of important definitions.

Coaching = getting from one place to another.

• solving problems
• reaching goals
• resolving interpersonal issues

A Coaching conversation, therefore, finds a way to get from here to there.

True coaching is not:

• Consulting – giving you my expert advice
• Mentoring – showing you what works for me
• Counseling – diagnosing what is wrong and prescribing what is right

Instead, coaching draws from the other person what is within them. It asks questions and creates confident forward-moving problem-solvers rather than dependent, stuck, blame shifters.

Sound good?

No more: “Just tell me what to do?” or “If only… then…” rather it is a partnering, releasing, cheering-on way of...

When thinking about a decision it can be helpful to weigh the pros and cons. Personally, I like to write them out and then take them to an "altar" in prayer and talk to God.

I say something like, "Here we go God, this is what I can see, but you know it all. Help me choose wisely and guide me with Your Spirit!"

Sometimes, I think He gives me the choice myself and encourages me to just decide, and sometimes I feel a certain sense of what I should do. Occasionally, He drops something in my mind or heart that is new information that helps guide me toward the wise choice.

Then, I ask myself this question: What's holding you back?

If the honest answer is fear of any kind: fear of the unknown, fear of how I will perform, or fear of first (I've never done anything like this before), then I calm my soul and ask God for the courage to say "yes". 

I can not let fear guide my life choices.

As promised, there are two ways you can use this empowering question. 

1) You can use this...

As I sat down to write this blog many times, I ended up getting interrupted by one of my 4 girls, my phone reminding me of the demands of life… or the laundry buzzer cutting through any ounce of concentration. 

Here I am though at 12:08 am determined to blog away. It’s finally quiet and time to introduce myself.

I could tell you about my really awesome husband, our girls that keep life exciting, the different jobs I work from home or the other important things (well, I sure think they are important) that I do. 

But, really, if there is one thing I want people to hear about, it’s how God poured His love into my heart at a young age, won my affection for life and silenced all wondering in my seeking teenage girl’s heart. He laid a solid foundation of acceptance that has stood strong through many storms.

Because I have experienced such security, I can’t help but want to see others enjoy that freedom as well. What a privilege it is to be loved...

"I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will do the same things that I do. Those who believe will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

I always assumed that the "greater things" in this verse were physical miracles, and maybe they are, but what if....

What if the transformation of hearts and minds is the bigger, better, goal Jesus was talking about?

Is this why He was always telling people not to talk about the miracles they had experienced? Perhaps He valued the kingdom principles he was revealing to the world even more than the physical relief.

Really isn't that the longer play?

All of the people Jesus healed on earth are now gone, but the lives transformed live on forever! 

In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus says, "On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply,...

Saboteurs whisper to us all, they sound like friends, they seem wise, but they infiltrate our minds like a poison that tastes sweet.

Discipleship saboteurs say things like,

• if you don't tell them what to do, they will mess things up, it's just the responsible thing to do
• it will take too long for them to move forward with coaching, they would be better off if you just tell them what to do
• it's wrong for you to withhold your story if you went through whatever they are going through, they should learn from your mistakes and do it just like you

The best poison is only a small percent deadly, but if you take it in you will eventually die...

Using coaching as the Biblical way of discipleship helps people build their own relationship with God. 

Coaching builds disciples not dependents.

Coach training can teach you how!

Saboteurs whisper their hopelessness on the other side of coaching as well. Coaches have helped me discern many of the following as limiting...

“Coaching?! I bet I’d be great at coaching! I love when people come to me for the answers to figure out their life. Because, to be honest, most people’s lives are messed up and I usually know what they should do...”

I look back and laugh now, but I’m pretty sure that was basically my thought when I first heard about coaching. People who are bad at managing their life hire someone to manage it for them, right??

Boy, did I have some perspectives shift over the next few years!

Let me tell you a little of my coaching journey:

I took my first coaching course, Coaching Culture, because of a desire to help other people. But I needed help first.

• I needed to learn to let go - to trust that God is speaking to everyone and that they can hear Him for themselves.
• I had to release my “need to be needed” and recognize that the best coaching empowers and gives support for growth.
• I needed to learn how to listen, how to REALLY listen, with curiosity,...

I believe if you are a believer then you are a leader, because whether you like it or not, whether you realize it or not, people are expecting you to model Biblical living. 

It's not easy, but it can be simple.  

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE PERFECT,  but you do need to be intentionally growing and authentic about your pursuit of becoming like Christ.  

So what was Jesus really like? What did He promote as leadership?  

Matthew 23:11 says, "Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you."  

In my opinion, serving is the best, hardest, and yet simplest lifestyle choice we can make as believers. Let me explain.  

It is best because Jesus called us to it. His Kingdom ways are upside down from the world.  

It is hardest because it does not come naturally, it requires practice and patience as we all learn how to realize who He is to us and reflect Him to others.  

It is simplest when we just let go....

Next Level Coach training is not available to everyone- in fact, it's a private registration page you can't even find on the Bridges website.

But we wanted to share a shout-out to our alumni that this year's Next Level Coach Training registration is open till Aug 20 or the cohort gets filled.

If you are a Bridges Certified Life Coach and you are interested in leveling up your coaching competency, getting credentialed with ICF or CCNI, or working as a Bridges coach training facilitator or associate coach, this course could be for you.

Check out the course details (there's so much in there!) and then check out the discount details below!

Two ways to register:

• Pay full price upfront Total - $2,250.
• Use the payment plan of $600 per month. Total - $2400 

Honestly, I know this is a huge investment but the payoff is huge as well!

Let me know if you have any questions and may God guide your every next!

Building Bridges together,

Cindy

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