How do I see Coach/Coaching?

"When you are present in this moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises, and also love. The only way love can come into your life is not through form, but through that inner spaciousness that is Presence. Love has no form. " Eckhart Tolle

What we are facing now and how we hold and understand this moment shapes what might emerge in the next moment, and the next, and shapes it in ways that are undetermined and, when all is said and done, undeterminable, mysterious.

Coaching is a way to realize your true potential through a process of uncovering and then eliminating destructive behavioural and thinking patterns in your life in a supportive, caring and inspirational environment. Coaching opens the door for you to have a deeper and lasting understanding of your true self and capacities. It is a learning process, every step will lead to a more stable and secure self. Under a guidance of a qualified coach, you will see that there are no big problems, only solutions. A qualified Coach is trained to use inquiry, reflection, requests and discussions to help clients identify their relationship with themselves and their surrounds , only then a goal can be explored and set.

A qualified and responsible Coach would show a client how to develop approaches strategies, relationships and action plans intended to achieve those goals/state of mind. A coach provides a platform for clients to understand that they are held accountable for their actions and reactions. With the implementations and plans a coach can monitoring the clients' progress towards and healthier mind/body/spirit. In my view it is the responsibility of a coach to point the client to a deep self enquiry about his/her reality, fears and problems.
 

“The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice” R. D. Laing

 “There is that in me . . . I do not know what it is . . . but I know it is in me” Walt Whitman

This can be achieved by empowering people with specific tools and scientifically tested techniques that work. Coaching is a solution-focused approach to personal development that can assist you in making lasting change in all areas of life. By using mindfulness in coaching, a genuine and sustainable approach can be achieved without a client needs of compromising.  Together the coach and coachee will look at all aspect of problems and find a true solution.

Imagine someone listening, not only to your words, but also to what's behind them - who even listens to the spaces between the words. Someone who listens to the very best in you, even when you can't hear it in yourself.

A more basic description of coaching is that, coaching is adapted to your expressed interests, goals, and objectives. Coaches may use inquest, reflection, requests and discussion to help you identify personal and/or business and/or relationship goals, develop strategies and action plans intended to achieve any goals.

Whether you are looking for your first job, to enhance your work performance and career opportunities, need more confidence and motivation or are simply stuck in a rut, coaching might be for you. An experienced coach would primarily look into the entire aspect of your actual/now life before sending you to any goal or journey.

What can you expect to happen as a result of coaching?

There are no magic wands – no mysteries in fact a lot of it is down to you – but you’re much more likely to.

• Have confidence about life in general.
• Take more effective and focused actions.
• Identify solutions and NOT identify with problems.
• Stop putting up with what is dragging you down.
• Set better goals than you might have done without coaching.
• Face the music but at the same time enjoy the band.

A qualified coach is a person who supports people (clients) to achieve their goals, with goal setting, encouragement and questions. A coach rarely offers advice. However, term coaching is often misused in situations where the "coach" provides expert opinion and "how to" answers and advice. Coaching does not include the given solution for the problem but will energize the coachee to see and solve the problem. Typically, a coach helps clients to find their own solutions, by asking questions that give them insight into their situations. A coach holds a client accountable, so if a client agrees to a plan to achieve a goal, a coach will help motivate them to complete their plan.
 

“To succeed... you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you” Tony Dorsett

Coaching offers you the opportunity to focus on your particular objectives and self development. The focus of the sessions would be placed on clarifying your individual needs, wants and goals and developing strategies to accomplish them. All the attention is on you and activating a plan to reach your goals. A coach is not a psychiatrist. He is someone who will help improve your personal and/or professional life by offering support and encouragement while suggesting new ways to achieve your goals. A Coach is more of a partnership than anything else. A coach works as a pointer, you have to walk the walk and talk the talk. It is a support system with one goal in mind: improving your quality of life. It is as simple as that.

The philosophy of Logotherapy in coaching.

In Logotherapy the search for a meaning in life is identified as the primary motivational force in human beings.  The philosophical approach of Logotherapy is that:

• The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit.
• Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable.
• People have a will to meaning.
• People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
• Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be meaningful.
• The individual is unique.

“Don't aim at success--the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.” Viktor Emil Frankl

According to Viktor Emil Frank assumptions, Logotherapy deas with:

Body, mind and spirit.  The body and mind are what we have and the spirit is what we are.

The Ultimate Meaning. This is hard to grasp but it is something everyone experiences and it represents an order in a world with laws that go beyond human laws.

Our main motivation for living and acting. When we see meaning we are ready for any type of suffering. This is considered to be different than our will to achieve power and pleasure.

We are free to activate our will to find meaning and this can be done under any circumstances. This deals with change of attitudes about unavoidable fate.

The meaning of the moment, is more practical in daily living than ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this meaning can be found and fulfilled. This can be done by following the values of society or by following the voice of our conscience.

One’s sense of meaning. This is enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable. 

In essence, all humans are unique with an entity of body, mind and spirit. We all go through unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. We are free to do this at all times in response to certain demands.

Coaching in the Media

You may have seen Life, Psychological, Personal and Executive Coaching on TV, on shows from the BBC to ITV. and magazines. Coaching is growing in popularity and getting a lot of attention... Because it works!

Coaches... they're part therapist, part consultant, and they sure know how to succeed

"Part consultant, part motivational speaker, part therapist and part rent-a-friend, coaches work with managers, entrepreneurs, and just plain folks, helping them define and achieve their goals -- career, personal or, most often, both." Newsweek 

 "Coaching is an action-oriented partnership that, unlike psychotherapy which delves into patterns of the past, concentrated on where are you today and how you can reach your goals.” Time

 It may sound touchy-feely, but a business coach can help you succeed in business — and as a person

"...having someone listen to you and encourage you, and break everything down into easy, concrete steps, is rather nice." BusinessWeek

“.The hottest thing in management is the executive coach--part boss, part consultant, part therapist. Who are these people? And what are they doing in your company ?” FORTUNE

What Does a Coach Do?

Professional coaches, through a partnership with the client, are there to help produce positive results, whether in their professional or personal lives. They help people perform better and ultimately improve the quality of their lives.

In most cases, a life coach is required when the person is in a transition phase and needs support for any of the following reasons:

• Reassessing life goals and developing action plans
• Lack of balance between work and life
• Difficulty dealing with stressful situations
• Difficulty making life decisions
• Prioritizing projects and timelines
• Improving relationships
• Urgent situations involving high risks or challenges
• Identifying core strengths and maximizing their potential
• Simplifying life to reduce stress and increase productivity
• Help with time management
• Lack of control over life

Specifically trained to listen, observe read body language and customize an approach to the client’s needs, the coach will work to find solutions and strategies that will help the individual out of the rut they are in.