Sure. You bet. Coaches are human.  And, it is important for your coach training program to teach and encourage coaching students to practice good self-care habits.

I invite you to pause for a few minutes to refresh, renew and focus on these ten daily delicious habits of mind, body and spirit “self care” habits.

1. Set healthy boundaries and learn how to say no gracefully. Practice saying no once a day and don’t feel that you are obligated to explain why you say no. And once you say no, let it be no.

2. Manage phone(s), email, text messages, and other wireless devices. Learn how to “batch” your time and be okay with allowing voice mail to take messages. Record a voice mail to let callers know you will return calls at a specific time ex.  “I will return calls today between 3p – 5p”.  Be okay deleting old emails.

3. Identify and clear energy drainers.

3. Hang out with people who are positive, and encouraging

4. Eat healthy meals at the dinner table in a relaxing setting. Light a candle.Play relaxing music. Enjoy conversation with family. Start asking “What was the best thing about your day?”

5. Keep a gratitude journal and spend 5 minutes each evening making a list of 5 things you are grateful for that day and thanking God for each one.

6. Get a good night’s rest and have some quiet time before bedtime. Avoid computer and TV for at least 1 hour before bedtime.

7. Connect with a coach – every coach needs a coach!  You can trade services with another coach and coach each other.

8. Exercise regularly  and that doesn’t mean you have to be a gym rat -  enjoy a 20 minute brisk walk in place of watching the news.

9.  Volunteer – give back – pay it forward.

10. Most important and above all else, commit time to God each morning before the day begins. Give Him your first attention. Learn to sit quietly and worship each morning.  As my precious mother would answer her phone when I called in the early hours of the morning, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. “  Psalm 118:24

How willing are you to to commit to these ten daily healthy self care habits? How will you feel in one week? 30 days? 6 months?

What makes for a GREAT coach? What personal qualities do great coaches possess that separate them from the good coach?  There are so many books and articles that identify traits of a great coach and as hard as it might be for all coaches to agree on the Top 10,  here is my top ten list:

1. Christ Centered – As a Christian life coach, first and foremost it is about who you are as a follower of Jesus Christ.

2. Aware and seeking to live a life in alignment with their core values

3. Continuous learner and growing in their own self awareness

4. Change embracers and forward looking

5. Trustworthy and respected

6. Courageous and speak the truth in love

7. Action oriented and understands the importance of SMART goals

8. Curious, inquisitive

9. Realistically optimistic and believe in their client’s potential

10. Committed to evaluating and improving their performance as a coach

What do you feel are the most important qualities of a GREAT Life Coach?

To learn more about  how you can be trained to be a GREAT coach, sign up for a Fr*ee introductory webinar with Janice LaVore-Fletcher, MCC (IAC), BCC and President of Christian Coach Institute, LLC.

Although Career Coaches work with clients through career transitions and career management, the very best career coaches work with their clients in a holistic approach, supporting their client as a whole person.

How does a coach work with clients going through a career transition? Here are a few destinations I feel are critical for a coach to help clients navigate successfully through a career transition:

• Know Yourself: explore your strengths with assessments, and other tools to help you learn and embrace your experiences, talents, skills, and passions.
• Get Your Resume on Top: learn the secrets to writing a resume that will be get to the top of the stack and into the hands of the decision maker.
• Interview Skill Building – what are differences and what to expect in a phone interview, panel interview, a one-on-one interview. What kind of questions and how to answer the questions. And, practice, practice, and practice so that when you sit down for the interview, you are confident and more relaxed because you are prepared.
• Execute Career Marketing Plan
• Networking 101 – 80% of jobs are filled through networking so you must understand how to network and become as comfortable as you can.
• Positive Attitude is Critical! Learn secrets to a positive mental attitude
• Salary Negotiations – when and how do you have “the” conversation?

If you are a coach and you want to learn more about career coaching, join us for a 3 hour webinar, CareerMAP: Coaching Clients Through Career Transitions on Tuesday, March 27, 2:00PM – 5:00PM Eastern.

Register for CareerMAP: Coaching Clients Through Career Transitions

What can you do to work through the conflict when each of the 4 personality profiles have different “motivators”? “Get it done” or “Get recognized”, “Get harmony” or finally “Get it Right”?

Understanding the four DISC behavioral types and how they handle conflict differently can be a very effective tool in helping to build stronger relationships. In fact, the DISC behavioral profile is used by many counselors and coaches in helping couples improve their relationships by understanding how they handle conflict, recognize each others’ “hot buttons” and help us understand each others’ “sensitive spots.”

DISC Personality and Conflict

DISC personality “D” type (Do-er, Dominant, Decisive) can be hard headed and difficult and will be fine as long as things are done their way. A “D” personality deals with conflict head on, and has no problem with conflict, standing up against anyone who seems to resist them or their strong beliefs. The “D” personality seeks to “Get it right” and to get results, is task-oriented more than people oriented, and their biggest fear is not getting it done.. failure. In a relationship, the “D” personality needs to be insensitive to people’s feelings and to focus on task.

DISC personality “I” type (Inspiring and Influencing) can talk their way out of almost anything as these personalities are great at influencing or inspiring others with their charm and charisma. “I” personalities seek to “Get recognized and appreciated” for their ideas, and want to share ideas and to be heard. The “I” personality is people-oriented more than task-oriented and needs to pay more attention to details and also need to focus on the task at hand. This person can be “all over the page” and may have a hard time getting focused to complete a task.

DISC personality “S” types (Steadiness, Security minded) need to understand “why” change has to occur before being thrust into change. This person is loyal, and likes to plan events as opposed to the “D” and the “I” who are more spontaneous. The “S” personality seeks “Get Harmony and Peace”, and tends to be more agreeable. Although the “S” personality may give in to pressures from “I” and “D” personality, be careful because this personality will “stew” ab0ut giving in and circle back to talk about it again.

DISC personality “C” (Compliant, Cautious, Careful) is seldom wrong because they research, and at times can over-analyze which may be perceived as being critical. The “C” personality seeks to “Get it right” and they ask alot of questions. This personality is task-oriented and although reserved in their demeanor, they can be relentless when it comes to research and getting all the facts before making a decision.

How can you learn more about DISC and how to help your clients manage the conflict in their personal and professional lives?  Become Certified Human Behavior Consultant and use DISC Assessments in your coaching, consulting, organizations and ministries.

Janice LaVore-Fletcher, a Licensed Human Behavior Trainer, trains and certifies others in the use and application of DISC Assessments. She has more than ten years experience using DISC in corporate, private coaching, and consulting venues. The course is also approved by ICF to award 8 Continuing Coaching Education Credits for the DISC certification. Read more here…

How clear are your core values? Clear values motivate us. Clear values help us make decisions. Clear values are the foundation for growth. Clear values bring greater inner peace.

What are your Top 5 Values? 

Start By Selecting 15 Values, and Then Narrow Your Selection Down To 5 Values.

If one of your core values is not listed, add it. 

How do your decisions and actions align with your core values? How do you feel when your actions are not in alignment? How do you draw boundaries around your values?
Janice LaVore-Fletcher, IAC-CC,  and Master Christian Coach Trainer is President and Founder of Christian Coach Institute, LLC.

• Specific: Identify exactly what you want. Describe the outcome in detail stating your goal in positive terms. Describe it in terms of what you want rather than what you don’t want. You attract what you think about when trying to accomplish anything so keep it positive. Scripture can be a can be a powerful form of prayer and motivation, so don’t hesitate to refer to relevant scripture.

Describe your outcome in sensory-based words. How will you know when you have reached your desired outcome?  What will you see, hear, and feel when you have it?

• Measurable: Quantify your outcomes – how much, how big, what size, etc. Is your goal testable and measurable? Answer the following questions in regard to achieving your desired outcome?

• Action: Plan your work; work your plan.  Prioritize the many tasks at hand.

• Realistic:  Be realistic about what it will take to accomplish the outcome and make a reasonable stretch. Is achieving the outcome within your control? Can your goal be initiated and maintained by you? If achieving the outcome is not within your control, either redesign it so it is, or let go of it. You can only control yourself, and that’s challenging enough.

• Time Targets: Designate a target date for starting ___/___/___ and completing ___/___/___ the goal.

Goal Summary

Now that you have a better understanding of your goals, list them out below in the appropriate timeline.

Describe your short-term (3 months – 1 year) goals

Describe your mid-term (5 year) goals

Describe your long-term goals (10+ years) in the following areas:

Now that you have identified and clarified your goals, who will hold you accountable?  Who will hold your vision for you when you hit a roadblock or a setback?

According to a client survey by ICF (International Coach Federation), 62.4% of the clients surveyed said they were more successful in achieving goals with a coach by their side.

 Is 2012 the year you will become a coach to help others achieve their goals?  Find out more about our Christian Coaching Training Courses.

1. I can be relied upon to be on time for all calls and appointments.
2. I am willing to be accountable to another person.
3. I am fully willing to do the work and let the coach do the coaching.
4. I am willing to eliminate or modify any self-defeating behaviors that may limit my success.
5.  I am a self-starter and am willing to take the action necessary to achieve my goals.
6. I will speak truth to the coach.
7. I am willing to work with my coach in a partnership.
8.  I am well-disciplined and it is easy for me to draw boundaries.
9. I understand that coaching is not counseling, consulting, or mentoring. Coaching is an ongoing partnership that will help me produce fulfilling results in my personal and professional life.
10. My Christian values are my moral foundation.

Asking a few simple questions to assess your client’s coachability is a good way to build trust and open dialogue about the coaching relationship.

What additional tools do you use to identify your client’s coachability?

Do you feel that if you narrow your focus, you will lose potential clients?

Remember the golden rule of marketing: “If you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one!”

Here are 7  Tips for How to Be Clear About Your Niche:

1) Know your own experience, credibility and contacts

2) Identity your ideal client profile complete with demographics, attributes, and specific problem they have (ex, what keeps them awake at night?)

3) Know how what you do solves their problem and that your solution is valued

4) Tell your compelling Story related to the service you offer that connects YOU with your ideal client – ex. tell them how you got here

5) Research: where does your idea client hang out, network groups, trade shows, professional organizations, forums, blogs. etc.

6) Connect – build and maintain relationships

7) Pay it Forward – coaching is about community and there are plenty of clients so set your network of referrals and help others.

Interested in becoming a Certified Christian Life Coach?

Learn more about how we train our students for success in building and growing their coaching business and ministry.

At Christian Coach Institute, we train our coaches on how to help clients understand, and embrace their personality traits, life and career experiences, talents and strengths, spiritual gifts and core values.  The convergence of all of these is your client’s “sweet spot.”  And then we train you on how to help your clients “live” in their sweet spot.

Curious to learn more about your own “sweet spot”?

A few years ago, I read the book, Cure for the Common Life, by Max Lucado and I still love to pick the book up and read it again.  Mr. Lucado writes “God endows us with gifts so we can make Him known. Period. God endues the Olympian with speed, the salesman with savvy, the surgeon with skill. Why? For gold medals. closed sales or healed bodies? Only partially. 

The big answer is to make a big to-do out of God. Brandish Him! Herald Him!   God has given gifts to each of you from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well… Then God will be given glory (1 Peter 4: 10-11 NLT)

When you magnify your Maker with your strengths, when your contribution enriches God’s reputation, your days grow suddenly sweet. And to really dulcify your world, use your uniqueness to make a big deal about God…

every day of your life!”

Have you found your sweet spot? And are you living in that sweet spot?  Coaches, how do you work with your clients to live in their sweet spot?

He hit the table with his closed fist, making my glass of water splash and the other diners pause for that brief moment.  “I’ve got to reach younger men and help them grow in their  deeper in their walk with God,” he said through clinched teeth, “or I just won’t be able to live with myself!”

“I think you’ve just confirmed your passion.”

Effective Christian Life Coaches help others find their motivating passions in life.  Many life coaching clients are stuck in their current roles, routines, or relationships.  They’re actually ready to move ahead if they can clear their heads long enough to see above the fog of confusion or distraction.  Christian Life Coaches ask powerful questions that help draw awareness to where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there and what has and what could stop them from pursuing their life passions.

Effective Christians Life Coaches help others keep their dreams alive.  Most passions aren’t developed overnight and very few, if any, can be realized overnight.  Life passions grow, change, and evolve.  Some clients have trouble changing with the passions or adapting to other factors in order to continue pursuing their passions.  For example, with the break-neck speed at which technology changes can tempt clients to feel like they can never keep up.  And, let’s face it, life is hard and works against those who would be extraordinary.  Christian Life Coaches help others remember their dreams, their plans, their passions.  They fan the embers of present dreams until the flame returns.

Effective Christian Life Coaching help others bring new focus and color to once-faded passions.  Some clients have been stuck for so long that they’ve lost sight or, lost touch with the passions that once stirred their hearts to action.  Again, life is hard. Accidents and surprises happen.  Unforeseen circumstances can rock a dreamers world, place other priorities above their dreams until those dreams retreat to another place and another time too far to be reached anymore.  Christian Life Coaches help others re-connect with those dreams, re-envision the new possibilities that exist today to make those long relinquished dreams seem once more worthy of pursuit and, once again, within their grasp.  And for so many Christian Life Coaches and their clients today, it all starts with a simple question from the coach to the client.

“What would you like to talk about today?”

Our Guest Post is by Todd Blake, a current student at Christian Coach Institute, and he is married and has four children.  He is the Staff/Student Care Representative at the Kunming International Academy (China). He is certified as a Life Purpose Coach, Human Behavior Consultant, Christian Life Coach, Prepare/Enrich Marriage Enhancement Facilitator/Marriage Mentor, and Cerny Smith Cultural Adjustment Coach, and is a Member of the International Coach Federation.