Completing the VIA Signature Strengths Assessment was a real eye-opener for me.
My five top strengths were:
#1 Curiosity
#2 Creativity/originality
#3 Judgment/critical thinking/open-mindedness
#4 Love of learning
#5 Bravery
Great. Now what? I had no idea how these strengths could help me move forward on my journey toward increased wellness. What did curiosity have to do with wellness?
The key challenges I wanted to work on were better time management, and balancing work and play/relaxation. As the owner of a yoga therapy and stress management center and nationally accredited yoga teacher training school, and as a yoga therapist and coach with a busy private practice (a "quality problem!"), I realizedI needed help with my own stress!
Enter Coach Meg.Meg helped me see that I could get a grip on my work stress by using my core strengths to better manage 'the business of yoga.'
She showed me that I can use critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity (my top 3 strengths) to find creative solutions to the time management challenges at work.
I had been delaying installing computer and web-based programs that streamline administrative work and help me carve out more time for relaxation and fun.
Meg showed me that I was seeing the installation of these programs as a chore, in a negative light. She invited me to reframe these by tapping into my curiosity and love of learning: If I could see the new programs as intellectual games (like the brain-teasing Sudokus I enjoy), I might appreciate the learning curve involved in installing the new programs ... and ultimately find myself with more time for play and relaxation!
I had also been putting off a talk with someone who had committed to an administrative project that she had not completed. Here, Meg helped me recognize that I could use my bravery to approach an uncomfortable situation I had been avoiding.
I'm happy to report that within a few days, I had addressed the computer issue by scheduling an appointment with a web consultant who will help bring my studio into the 21st century.
I also had that much-needed conversation, in a calm, professional manner that helped both of us organize the tasks at hand in a better way.
The conversation I had dreaded became a talk that took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and partnership. Using bravery and open-mindedness, I tackled the dreaded conversation ... reinspired my assistant and myself ... and got the office organized in a whole new way!
I look forward to learning how to use the strengths assessment as a coaching tool for my own well-being, and that of my clients. What a great coaching tool!
Thanks, Coach Meg, for a powerful and super-helpful session.
http://www.coachmeg.com http://www.wellcoaches.comhttp://www.harvardcoaching.orgTo listen to a recording of the coaching session and Charlotte's testimonial,
click here: