Finally, My Goals for 2012

An interesting thing happened once I decided to explore the idea of a life coach. I have experienced a certain burst of clarity about certain things.

For example, it occurred to me that when I do find a coach I need to be ready with a list of issues/areas of concern.

I started working on the list and in doing so I realized that though I had struggled and failed to develop some goals for the New Year it was now very clear to me what goals I wanted to achieve this year.

One is to become a better writer.

The other is to put my affairs in order, as they say.

The first goal needs no explanation. I like to write and would like to spend my waking hours earning my living from writing and so improve I must.

The second goal is fueled by a realization that my life is really disorganized. Yes, I manage to get out of the door every morning and handle the mundane things of daily life but I have not really handled the important decisions in life such as writing a will or a medical directive or figuring out if the insurance policies I have are worth anything or compiling all my health records in one place or . . . I could go on and on.

If by the end of the year I find that I have made substantial progress in these 2 goals then I will feel some sense of accomplishment. One will give my personal satisfaction and the other will give me peace of mind. Two worthy goals indeed.

2012 so far . . .

I am kind of shocked that we are already into February. Where did January go? Seems like the holidays were just the other day. I have to admit I am off to a slow (actually, very slow) start this year. I did not set any resolutions this year. To be honest, it just seemed like too much work. And I have been suffering from severe writers block ; this is the first post this year where I have managed to get this far. Just dealing with the daily grind feels like a very full day . . . wake up, go to work, come home, make dinner, veg on the couch, go to bed . . . definitely stuck in a rut.

Earlier today I was reading an article in the New Yorker where a doctor talks about working with a coach to help him become a better surgeon. It’s an interesting read—here is someone who is pretty good at what he does, yet he is concerned that he is not getting better. One can only hope that the rest of the doctors share the same concerns and do something about it.

Anyway, it occurred to me that that’s what I need to get back on track. If I continue the way I am going, the year will end before I have anything to show for it except a lot more pounds from all the couch surfing. I sure could use some help to jump start my life.

I know life coaches have been around for a long time, but coaching is not something I have previously considered. It’s easy to make the decision (cost decisions aside) to hire a trainer to lose weight, or a dietician to create a meal plan, or a tutor for test prep. Those are very specific issues that you need help with.

It’s a lot harder to realize that your life is generally out of whack and you can’t get it back on track yourself. It could be that you don’t know exactly why it’s out of whack or because you don’t know what you need to do to get it back on track. Alternatively you might know why and to fix it but you lack the discipline to get it done. Enter the life coach.

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), a life coach is a "person who helps you maximize your personal and professional potential". It is not therapy, though I guess a good coach should be able to recognize if a client could benefit from therapy and suggest it. Therapy helps one deal with difficult situations especially past experiences that impact one’s feelings, outlook and approach to life. Coaching is very tactical, very strategic, very future focused—what can you do today to move you ahead tomorrow?

How do you ensure that coaching works for you? The key is to find a coach whose style meets your needs so that you can work together successfully. That definitely takes a lot of research. I suspect there are many more people who use coaches than we might realize. You might have to ask the people around you if they have used or are currently using a coach. Further you have to be willing to try out a few before you decide on one.

Here are some tips on how to choose and find a coach. If anyone has any experience working with a coach, please share in the comments section or send an email to makutilounge@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.