What's The Problem?
Step 2 in the StoryBrand framework is "who has a problem".
Last time we talked about who the character is, the person being coached, and this time we are delving into the focus - what is the problem?
Having a focus is a valuable way a coaching conversation differs from other types of conversations. Normally, when talking with a friend we wander all over the place. It's kind of like a Sunday drive, the point is not to get somewhere, it is simply to spend time with each other. Nothing wrong with a Sunday drive, unless you ARE trying to get somewhere.
Choosing a focus is foundational for any good coaching conversation. We are not going to talk about all kinds of goals we are going to clarify a specific goal early on in the conversation and then make sure we are focusing on what the person being coached wants and needs.
The conversation is kind of like an Uber driver and the person being coached is the one who decides where the conversation is supposed to go.
Coach...
How Will You Celebrate? (And what will you celebrate?!)
Life is a journey. We have a final destination and lots of big and little milestones along the way.
Unless we don't.
It is possible to just drift through life... Drifting is like living in rote, doing the same things over and over without taking notice - without celebrating milestones, planning for new memories, or moving toward valued goals.
Sometimes I personally miss celebrating and just move on to the next goal without stopping to acknowledge what just happened! How sad. I'm embarrassed to say that living in the moment is often hard for me, even when I am with family I am envisioning how long it will be till we get to be together again.
Good coaching includes planning for celebration!
First, we need to choose a worthy goal like:
- Completing that project
- Making that appointment
- Planning a gathering
- Working a new habit in
- Focusing on a character goal (yes, even those can be coached!)
Then we work the system and adjust as needed. (See the demystifying SMART goals blog...
What's Up With Your Middle?
Let's talk about middles.
We all have them. We are all in the middle of something.
Maybe we are literally traveling, but more likely we are in the middle of a project, or a life change, or making a decision.
Every actual accomplishment has a start and a finish.
It's the middle where the work happens though. Or where we get stalled out.
In Proverbs 4:11 God says, "I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am leading you on the right path."
It's a matter of discernment isn't? Figuring out how He is guiding us takes savvy. We get an inkling of where we should move toward something and we either heed it or we don't.
There's discernment needed for timing too. Sometimes we put things off that we should invest right away, or we jump the gun and put our energy into something too soon.
But most often we lose heart after we get started and stall out. Middles can be costly or boring or just plain take too long.
Good...
It's All About The Donuts? [Guest Blog by Natalie Scott Fabretti]
Maybe you can relate...
I love donuts (ok, everyone can relate to that, I hear they even make gluten-free now).
My favorite donut place is Ridge Donut in Greece, NY. I donut go there often (see what I did there?) so I often get confused about which exit to take. I always think to myself “I will know it when I get there”.
The last 2 times, I have overshot and had to take the next available exit then monkey around to get back to the shop.
I could’ve used Google maps. I could write down the correct exit. I could phone a friend.
But I didn’t.
Life lessons can feel that way too.
I am a passionate person and one thing I have been trying to work on is using my emotions as indicators instead of becoming a slave to them. I can feel myself getting angry or overwhelming sad by circumstances that don’t go my way.
Similar to the donut exit, I think I will know what to do when I get there.
But the truth is, I don’t.
There are many resources like the...