What is Coaching? And how can you use it to Advance Your Life?
Hello friend! 👋
In the Super Sunday letters I talk about many concepts that can help you overcome challenges standing in your way towards achieving your FULL POTENTIAL.
I try to breakdown these concepts into simple terms and make application straight forward.
HOWEVER, I’m very aware that the majority of people still struggle to follow through with them (even when I share empirical data that validate the solution 👀)
And that’s okay! (Not so much, get your butt moving and CLAIM your best life!)
It is okay because that’s a COMMON human challenge - the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do - using Jim Rohn’s wise words.
This is where coaching comes in handy.
Let’s dive straight in!
What is coaching?
It maybe obvious to know that coaching has its roots in sports and modern athletic performance.
However, coaching draws from philosophical fields that are many centuries old.
This takes us all the way back to a wise man named Socrates.
And, what is known today as the Socratic Questioning - a form of dialogue that builds insight through discovery.
Socrates believed (and I very much agree) that we have ALL the necessary knowledge we need to solve for our problems or deal with our challenges.
All we need to do is UNCOVER this knowledge through dialogue (self-reflection or in a conversation with someone else)
Although this is in stark difference to our modern society’s belief that we only know what we ACQUIRE through experience and studying, it is very hard to disapprove!
We all have experienced it in one way or another - that GUT FEELING we have about certain things, or INTUITION we sometimes surprise ourselves with, are just few ways in which it shows up.
I call that INNER WISDOM.
Wisdom available within us, ready to guide us when we uncover it.
Therefore, with this notion we can see coaching as a process that FACILITATES one’s own discovery of their inner wisdom.
The coach’s job is to professionally run this process.
When to seek coaching?
Only seek to be coached, when you’re ready to be coached.
Why?
Because it requires EFFORT, TIME, and MONEY.
Aside from your mental readiness towards coaching like; keeping an open mind to exploring new ways of doing things, showing vulnerability, and accepting to be challenged, to name a few.
You will also want something to be coached on - a GOAL.
This doesn’t have to be super clear as a pre-requisite, and part of the coaching intake process is to explore what the true goal is before moving forward with the coaching itself.
But you will need to have an idea about what you want.
Few situations where coaching has been proven to be effective:
👉 Facing challenges at work or at home (communication challenges for example)
👉 Wanting to achieve a new goal (new habit for example)
👉 Stepping into a new environment (promotion, new job, marriage, etc…)
Goals can be big or small.
No matter the goal, the power of coaching is to move you FORWARD towards that goal.
Science shows that this directly results in higher wellbeing and life satisfaction.
How can coaching help you?
As I shared earlier, a coach FACILITATES a person’s OWN discovery of their OWN solutions, to their OWN problems, by defining their OWN action plan.
Sounds like the client ends up doing all the WORK (and that is true 👀) but the real work of a coach is in holding the SPACE through which this work can happen (and that is equally as hard).
In a coaching relationship both the coach and the client are EQUALS (unlike therapy, counseling, and mentorship where client and practitioner are naturally not equals in regards to the topic - one seeking help and the other providing that help).
There are few ways the coach brings this facilitation to life:
✅ Accountability: the coach holds the client accountable on their actions.
✅ Self-esteem: building client’s confidence through goal achievement..
✅ Structuring goal achievement: using proven methods for goal design.
✅ Recognizing blind spots / challenging beliefs: uncovering limiting habitual patterns.
✅ Uncovering values and self discovery: exploring with curiosity to facilitate client’s learning.
All of this is done with an underlying principle of NON-JUDGMENT.
Where the coach holds an UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD towards the client - as Carl Rogers beautifully pointed out in 1957.
The process is complex and hence choosing a coach with the right relevant training and certification is vital for the success of the relationship.
This is all for today, I hope the above sparks your curiosity to try it out.
All the best and have a Super Sunday! 💪
With much joy,
Hashim
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, HERE ARE 2 MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
Awareness Strengthening via Mindfulness Workshop: Sign up to the upcoming FREE 90-min workshop, to explore the science-backed benefits of mindfulness. The last one filled up in 2 days!
1:1 Coaching: Book your 1:1 coaching with me - I’m currently offering limited free spots as part of my Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology accreditation program. Let’s win together! 🏅
I think coaching is a special language or means to self-discovery and understanding.
Thank you for explaining this because many people need clarity to understand what coaching is and how such a service can really help them live the life they want! The most special thing about coaching is that literally anyone can seek it and benefit from it- even those who are not necessarily struggling but want to live a better life.