Listen to Coach Meg & Mary Beth here:
http://www.wellcoach.com/flash/cm022009_1.html
http://www.wellcoach.com/flash/cm022009_2.html
http://www.wellcoach.com/flash/cm022009_1.mp3
http://www.wellcoach.com/flash/cm022009_2.mp3
Background
I recently asked coaches in the
Wellcoaches community to submit a list of ten ways in which they want to thrive in the upcoming year. The coach who submitted the most compelling ideas would win a series of coaching sessions with me to further develop their ideas and create plans for making it happen. Mary Beth won the coaching sessions and, in the first session, created a list of her top priorities as well as her wellness vision. In her second session, we began conversation around how to make her vision become a reality in her day-to-day life.
The Wants
While working with Mary Beth to explore options for her goals, she revealed a challenge in thinking that is common. There was a point at which she said, “I don’t want to watch more than 2 hours of television any night.” As a coach, I noticed that this focus on what she didn’t want was de-energizing; there was a dip in her usually cheerful spirit…until she mentioned the Sunday evening show that she really enjoys watching. This is typical of what happens when a goal grows out of what we don’t want; it can feel more like a cloud than a ray of sunshine.
The Whys
At that point, it was important for us to make a shift in the conversation to learn about what she would do with the extra time if she weren’t watching television in excess. In response to this, she shared her excitement about the projects that she could accomplish and the good feelings that accompany that kind of success. She grew more excited as she became aware of how many hours she would gain to put toward her household and business projects.
The Whats
Mary Beth’s laughter and joy returned as she began to list the ways she could use the time gained from not watching as much television. Clutter, paperwork, lights not working, and a lack of typing skills were included in the list of things that she has been tolerating for a number of years. These things that she had been putting up with are getting in the way of her vision of having her “outside reflect her passion for living.” With new goals in mind Mary Beth is setting herself up to eliminate those hassles from her environment and to thrive in 2009!
Next week we’ll look the concept of tolerations in more detail and I’ll share some ideas for eliminating them from your life too…
Margaret Moore, also known as “Coach Meg,” is CEO and founder of Wellcoaches Corp. in Wellesley, MA and can be reached by email at:
coachmeg[at]wellcoaches.com
http://www.coachmeg.com
http://www.wellcoaches.com
http://www.harvardcoaching.org