Step 2: Now What?
So, you have a goal, a place you want to build a bridge to, but now what?
(If you missed that blog - start there.)
Most times when we finally decide to do something we jump straight into building action steps. And while I love me some action steps, there's an important foundational step we need to do before we go there.
It has to do with assessing your starting place.
Taking time to discern any possible obstacles will set you up for success better than simply jumping right into action steps. You need to ask yourself if there has been anything that has held you back in the past from moving forward in whatever area you are focusing on.
If there are lies that need to be replaced you can start there.
If you have a history of not following through, it is worth looking in to so you can set yourself up for complete follow-through this time.
If you deal with blame or excuse, it will be important to address those pitfalls before you start anything.
Some people call this...
So What’s The Deal With “Agency”?
“Agency” is the new buzzword we keep hearing in podcasts and even recently published books, but what does it really mean?
Here are some thoughts on agency, where it comes from, and what makes it so very valuable in our personal lives!
Ever hear of the series “Orange is the new black”? I don’t think I ever watched it once, but I found the title interesting. Basically, it meant that the criminals who once wore black every day were now wearing orange every day in prison. So, for them, orange became their new normal.
When I first started learning, and then blogging, about coaching the word “Ownership” was a regular topic and tag.
Agency is the new Ownership.
Agency means we have choices.
- We can advocate for ourselves in certain situations.
- We can choose our perspective.
- We can remove ourselves from harmful places.
- We can work toward our preferred future.
- We can grow spiritual and process our thoughts and feelings in healthy ways.
Agency...
The Skinny On Bridges Coaching! (and a quick dependence quiz)
Bridges Coaching exists to make disciples, not dependents.
We do this through:
- training leaders in the Coaching Culture
- guiding people to understand their Destiny by Design
- personal coaching
- guided workshops: Soul Care Personal Retreat and the Life on Purpose Workshop
- self-guided coaching journal book by Cindy called Traction
It's easy to go through life unintentionally not engaging in what God has for you personally.
It takes clarity and intentionality to move with purpose engaging in God's unique best next step for you!
Most people don't mean to be dependent but here's how you could tell if you are tending that way. Give yourself 1 point for a positive response to any of these 10 markers.
___ I would prefer if someone would just tell me what to do.
___ If only things would come together for me as they do for everyone else.
___ I can't be expected to adult, I just never got the tools.
___ If the right leader would just mentor me, then I could really become...
Maybe You're Just Hangry?
Hangry: adj. (han-gree) a state of emotional angst caused by lack of sufficient nourishment, an increasingly negative outlook as a result of increased hunger.
Have you ever been hangry? I have.
Usually, I don’t realize the cause though the symptoms are pretty obvious (to others):
- Skewed outlook on life
- Short fuse
- Negativity
- Hopeless passivity
- General and growing sense of angst
It’s a family member that usually helps me out. They start out with kind words. “Hey, you okay?” or questions, “Wow, rough day?” and they move toward mirroring, “You don’t seem yourself. What’s up?”
If I get defensive they help me see that my words or actions are not reflecting who they know me to be. If they are really on their game they just offer me something, like my favorite: a well crafted Starbucks Chai Latte (grande, 9 pumps, nonfat, no foam – just in case you were wondering).
What I don’t like is that my hunger has...
Obstacle Illusion
There’s an unusual pathway near our home where you can see a quarry lake (that’s when a former quarry fills up with water) on one side of road about a 100 feet down. On the other side of the road is a steep drop about 300 feet to a river that is disconnected to the lake.
One day as we were walking down the path something unusual happened with the sun or something and the river appeared to be only 10 feet away. It must have been some odd kind of reflection. Both my husband and I noticed it and I said, “That’s weird, it must be some kind of obstacle illusion.”
Freudian slip perhaps. But I believe God had something in that phrase for us. Sometimes we think things are something they really aren’t.
What if the obstacle that has been holding you back is just an optical illusion?
What if there is a path around the hurdle you feel you can’t get over?
What if you could move forward in victory instead of living your life looking backward...
3 Essential Elements To Being Coachable [Step 2: Build a Plan]
Defining “Coachable” is vital!
In Part 1 of this series we saw that without choosing a focus the coaching conversation (and our lives) are just rambling around with no destination.
Once we know where we are going we need to have a way to get there.
It seems elementary, but just like no one sets out intentionally to not focus, few people choose a focus and then choose not to make a plan.
We all do it though.
We want something that we aren’t really doing anything about.
Which of these are on your list?
- to retire fully funded.
- to eat healthfully.
- to be fit.
- to stay connected with family.
- to make our living environments aesthetically inviting.
- not to be too busy for the important things in life.
The list could go on and on, but it doesn’t need to.
Once we have narrowed down our possibles to one specific next goal, we can take Step 2 and begin the journey. (See the Part 1 post if you need help here.)
There are a lot of O words and Opportunities involved here....