Here are some ideas from successful coaching clients to help you get the most out of your coaching work.

Experiment and create approaches that work for you, and toss the rest.

Here’s to your success!!

1. Focus on just your 1-3 most important coaching goals at a time. Less is more when it comes to focusing your attention, effort, and energy to achieve your goals.

2. Set up a personal accountability system that supports you in paying attention to and taking action on your coaching goals every day. Helpful tools might include a journal or a notebook, a planner, phone apps, a habit tracker, a to-do list, post-it notes, phone alarms, a reminder system, etc. Bring tools to take notes to your coaching sessions.

3. Before each session, book some time (30 mins or so) and review your coaching goals and your progress towards them (Progress). Reflect on what is working and supporting you in your progress (Celebrations). Reflect on what isn’t working and is getting in the way of your progress (Challenges). Draft up what you’d like to get out of your coaching session (Agenda). We’ll kick off most coaching sessions with Celebrations and setting an Agenda for the session. Progress and Challenges will arise in context throughout the session.

4. Before each session, book some time (10 mins or so) and create a calm, peaceful environment inside you and around you. Notice what does and doesn’t support you in being present, reflective, creative and open to new ideas, insights and inspiration. Things to consider include your location, room temperature, noises, pets, kids, phone/laptop/earphones readiness, tech notification sounds and buzzing, hunger, thirst, room and task lighting, body pain that needs attention, etc.

5. Arrive calmly and on time, versus “Coming in hot” or habitually late.

6. During your coaching session, take notes on new insights, patterns and ideas for new ways of being, thinking, doing, and behaving that resonate for you. If we are on the phone, let me know you are taking notes so I know to pause.

7. Book some time (30 mins or so) for after we meet, and update your personal accountability system - your calendar, your to-do list, your habit tracker, your post-it note system, etc. - to remind your ‘future self’ of what your ‘present self’ wants you to remember to do and explore in the next hours, days, weeks, months, etc. If possible, take action on the low hanging fruit right away while it’s fresh in your mind.

8. Between our meetings, review your personal accountability system regularly, even daily, and do the experiments and take the actions you set out for yourself. After each action and experiment, notice what happens next for you… in you… and notice what happens for and with those around you. If you don’t do the actions and experiments, notice what showed up and got in your way. Take notes on all of this and notice patterns. Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA), Repeat is the secret sauce of growth and change.

I hope these tips help you get the most out of your investment in coaching! As you discover what works best for you in achieving your coaching goals, I’d love to hear from you!