There is a commercial on TV about a dieter who talks about her struggles in losing weight. She says that she even thought about hiring a life coach to help her meet her goals, but then decides that she alone knows what is best for her...
Of course, she is right. The misconception is that a counselor or life coach will somehow wave a magic wand and make things better without the client having much input. Life coaching is not about having a director who tells you what to do. It is more about having a cheerleader who gives encouragement and accountability to meet the goals you set for yourself.
As a counselor/life coach I often get people in counseling who, after a few sessions, tell me that they don't think the counseling is working because nothing is changing in their lives. Let me give you the "picture" I give them. Picture a piece of string that is 168 inches long. Put a 1 inch piece of tape on that string. That one inch represents the one hour you meet with a counselor in the 168 hours out of a week. Working on your life for one hour a week isn't going to do much if you don't work in between sessions.
Most of us DO know what is best for us. We know we should exercise, lose weight, eat healthy foods, maintain healthy relationships, etc. Unfortunately, knowledge doesn't always translate into action. A counselor or life coach can help remind you of the knowledge you have, challenge you to put it into action, and hold you accountable for the steps you want to take to take charge of your life.
We often make New Year's resolutions during the first few weeks of January and then drop them in the last few weeks of January because we have already failed or decide it is just to hard to change. This year get yourself an accountability partner or hire a life coach or counselor to help you become all that you want to be in 2008!
1 comment:
This is an awesome post! Your point about the tape and the string are awesome and remind of when my daughter Kallie, who has DS, was younger and was doing PT. The PT reminded me that she only worked with Kallie a total of an hour a week, that there was still MUCH more time to be working on things at home with her, reinforcing what she did in that little hour.
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