I have been sharing my life with you for over two years. Many of the ideas and concepts in my writing have their roots in coaching and the work I do. Still, I have not really defined coaching for you nor the power of the process. Coaching is about cleaning cobwebs and clutter from your mind and life. Just like dental floss cleans the tartar and build-up from between your teeth, coaching cleans the misperceptions, old "tapes" and "baggage" from your life!

By definition, coaching is the means of moving you from where you are now to where you want to be. Sounds easy enough. So why don’t we move ourselves?

Why do you need a coach?

Most of you have been involved in some kind of personal growth program — either in live workshops, audio tapes or books. The information is usually great, yet you haven’t been able to make your learning part of your life. I’ve been there, too! I used to be a self-help junkie, reading and doing whatever the latest "thing" was to grow myself. After every program, for a week I’d be energized and excited; then my life returned to what it had been before.

Then I discovered coaching, hired my own coach (whom I continue to work with even now), and my life changed. One of the biggest differences in working with my coach vs being involved in another personal growth program is consistency! With a coach, you speak weekly as you work on changing your life and growing. It’s not a one-time shot in the arm, it’s a commitment to a process that takes time.

The first thing I do with my clients is ask them to complete a Clean Sweep Assessment. It is a 100-point set of statements in four areas — Physical Environment, Well Being, Money and Relationships. The purpose of the Clean Sweep is to get you to look at parts of your life that may have fallen through the cracks. Often, you lose sight of the things that might make the biggest difference for you. You can easily get lost in the details of living. Using the Clean Sweep as a barometer, my clients and I identify where to focus energy and attention. Some of the statements are:

The goal for each statement is to be able to say, “Yes! This is true in my life 100% of the time.” Ultimately, when working the Clean Sweep Assessment, you will be aiming for 100 points. When I took this assessment the first time my overall score was somewhere between 20 and 30. My first response was to feel shame and guilt that my life wasn’t better. Once past the initial reaction, though, I understood there was a high degree of "truth decay" in my life; things I was ignoring, denying or avoiding. My low score was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the opportunity to really look at what wasn’t working and create a plan for changing it. (You can get a complete assessment at no charge. Call or email me, and I will get it to you.)

What coaching has done, and continues to do for me, is give me a person who I know is committed to my success 100% of the time. Sometimes she’s more committed to my success than I am!

The magic of coaching is in the process and there is not a coach whom I respect who does not have a coach of their own.

Bottom line…coaching is the process of moving you forward in your life. It is a synthesis of philosophies and theories from many places; business, finance, spirituality, sports, philosophy — life. It is a relationship based on truth and trust. I know my clients already have the answers they need. Working with them, my job is to bring out their own truth and wisdom. There have been many articles written about coaching, and there are many websites you can visit to get more information. As I continue to share my personal wisdom with you in my writings, I also want you to have the information about coaching and where you can go to learn more and even hire a coach of your own.

Coaching isn’t for everyone. What I know, though, is if you’re willing to work and make changes in your life, it is a great vehicle to use! Just imagine how different your life could be if you had a partner supporting you as you begin living your dreams!

  You can contact Laura Hess at laura@sparckint.com

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