This episode focuses on another service of the business: life coaching. No matter what the destination is, goal setting is important for a variety of reasons. It is not simply about goal setting more than getting to the root of what causes inhibitions, guilt, and frustration in moving from a type of old-style thought process to a new one. Through accountability, we can develop new voices that help us to excel in our next adventure.

This is part four of a series of episodes exploring the wide variety of services that Your Speaking Voice LLC provides to interested clients.

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Intro/Outro By: Michael Dugan, Podcast Host: Voice4Chefs

Welcome to the podcast where relationships, confidence, and

determination, all converge into an amazing, heartfelt experience.

This is Speaking From The Heart.

Welcome back to episode number 23 of Speaking from the Heart.

Today, we're going to be talking about another service that Your Speaking

Voice LLC provides to its clients, which is one of my favorites that I also

like to talk about quite often, and I engage with the most: life coaching.

Now, the definition of life coaching can vary from one person to another,

so I will give great caution to those that are listening that might have

a preconceived notion of what life coaching traditionally means, but in

the framework of what we provide, it's not just about what the destination is

that you're trying to achieve, but it's about setting goals for yourself, which

is really what I try to work quite often with when it comes to the people that

come through my business, because goal setting, not only used in corporations

to help solve problems that go from one extreme to another, but it also helps

others to realize that the goals that they're trying to achieve, or trying to

set for themselves, can be achievable if we break 'em down into some bite-sized

pieces, and that's really helping to get to what the ultimate problem is that might

be facing many of us going through life.

It could be a number of different things: it could be divorce, it could

be a change of habits, maybe after getting a medical diagnosis, which for

myself being autistic, I had to learn to adjust in a variety of different

ways since I learned about that, but it's also getting another perspective

in the ways in which we were trying to filter through all the different noise

that comes from all different angles.

Trying to get that clear cut approach so that we can actually talk one-on-one with

someone that helps to understand how it means to be engaged in this world, to not

just be able to achieve the things that we necessarily need to achieve, because

what we often see when it comes to going through these sort of services might

be feeling such as inhibitions, feeling guilty about doing something that you

haven't done, or even feeling frustrated.

Maybe trying to move from an old type of thought that we had about ourselves, but

processing it to get to a new one, but the biggest thing that I often learn,

and I often hear from other people that they don't have in their life as

a result of just trying to go through this service is having that level of

accountability with someone that's willing to understand and fulfill what

is truly needed in their lives in order to help them get to that next adventure.

I know that for many of us, having that next adventure means we have to understand

a little bit about who we are inside of ourselves so that helps me to also work

with you to know what that is all about, so let's walk through a little bit about

what you could experience as a result of all this, because as a coach, one of the

biggest pet peeves that I have that other people sometimes forget to do is about

learning what that person is that's coming through the door in the first place.

In other words, why are you actually seeking coaching?

It often disturbs me that people take on coaching assignments because they

think that they can solve or change someone from whatever perspective that

they're providing; me, being the coach, to somebody that is just trying to

understand this and grapple with it, and it's always been my perception that we

often live in the universe that we provide for ourselves and which has helped us

get to this point in the first place.

If I don't understand what you have gone through, I might be repeating

some of those past travesties, some of those past issues that you had,

but also, and more the undertone of it all, what you have accomplished

already so that we don't repeat those same accomplishments again because

you have been through that process.

One of my first steps that I always look at is: who is coming into the door, and

that's even before I even start with a client, I want to get to know them a

little bit more, which is why I actually spend probably the most time with

understanding someone getting started with an initial consultation of at least an

hour, because I feel that by understanding what that problem is, by also then sharing

what my four step process is with my clients, I can be able to understand a

little bit more so that I know not only how much work it will take, but to be fair

and equitable with someone that is going through this process and understanding

what they need to do in order to create some of that best value that they're

seeking, so I always look at getting to know someone much better, especially

as we start with doing life coaching.

Another thing that I try to go through and try to understand a little bit more is not

just what that person is, but also what is the root, so that's really step two

getting to know a little bit more of what actually triggered it.

This can be very challenging in itself, because you often have to dig deeper

than maybe the surface and maybe even going through some of the things

that you often don't talk about with a stranger going down the street.

Maybe you don't even talk about that with your friends, or your family for

that matter, and I know that, and I can feel that energy level often come

through with a client, especially if they feel that it is a concern.

It is something that they don't want coming out, and they also don't want it to

be something that traumatizes them for the rest of their life, but more importantly,

they don't want that to be something that holds them back because they know that

they're able to accomplish the things that they're setting themselves out to do in

their lives, so we often have to go into the roots of figuring out what is actually

causing that problem in the first place.

That's step two.

Step three then is setting up what I enjoy more than anything else is

an exercise of writing SMART goals.

being specific measurable, achievable, is it

relevant, and then finally, how much time or time bound are you going to be relating

to that goal, but we do a little bit more, which I will talk about if you ever want

to be coached by me, so that you have a little bit more of an understanding of

how that process goes, but writing SMART goals, just as much as what corporations

do, allow us to focus and hone in even more on one of the things that you're

looking to be held accountable for so that you can continue to make progress, and

we could talk about those sort of things even during sessions for that matter.

Now it's always a rinse and repeat when it comes to doing these sort of

goal setting exercises because things change, so step four, the final step of

my process, is actually revisiting those goals on a periodic basis, oftentimes

quarterly, no more than six months out from when we set the goals initially,

so that we can learn a little bit more about what you have done, what are some

ways in which you are continuing to make progress, and what are some of the things

that we can say and celebrate, "Yes!

You have done it!

Let's take this off the list.", because the last thing I would ever want any

client to go through with me is to have this repetitious cycle of always feeling

that they are never going to be able to achieve the success that they are seeking

out from a life coaching relationship.

Now with life coaching, it is so much more than just setting goals.

It sometimes means breaking a mindset, or a stereotype, that we often have,

especially when we go together through some of the things that might have been

traumatic in your life, and I have to caution even some people that are trained

professionally in life coaching, which I have been by many different individuals

throughout my life, that life coaching creates not only the boundaries in which

we have that relationship with someone, but you start to set out a lot more of

what those expectations are; what you can and cannot do as a coach, in itself.

As we are working through these sort of goals, understanding a little bit more

of how these things are achieved and how they're able to be accounted for,

as it relates to what you are achieving, makes a big difference in how much level

engagement that you are going to stay in as it relates to those goals that you set.

Now, I have to be truthful because I always have people asking me this all

the time, "Josh, isn't this really an expensive endeavor to actually do

something like this, especially if it's just low key?", and I have to

admit to you that sometimes it might be, but the real question that you

how valuable is it that you want to solve,

or overcome, those situations that you have in your life, that you need that

assistance, that short-term help, so that you can get to that next level?

It isn't about money, and I will talk about this subject in a future episode

as it relates to whether coaching is really a luxury or not, which I find

to be quite perplexing why some people think it is, but in today's topic, I

want you to consider the fact that life coaching can be something in which it

changes who you are deep down inside your core, and you really want to move

forward as a result of all the past inhibitions, guilts, and other sort of

frustrations that have been continuously plaguing you in the first place.

Being able to understand and learn so much more about what you are as a person

and even as you're able to create these new foundations for your new life that

you're trying to lead as a result of going through life coaching can help

empower you, and that's one thing that I really focus on that oftentimes, some

of my clients come in and they think that they're ready for it, but then

they realize that they're not, because it's really about a self-examination

of putting yourself onto a pedestal and saying for the first time in your

life that you're really important.

As you, being my listeners, having gone through now over 22 episodes in which

I've talked about this subject, either with guests or even on my monologue

episodes, you know how important it is to focus on just you; to help yourself

understand that you have value that you can contribute to this world.

If you are putting something off in your life and you are afraid of

taking that next step, consider this.

You can have freedom with anything that you decide to do if you're willing to just

change that thought that you continuously have, or that default reaction.

look at me, your podcast host, small business owner, just

starting a business earlier this year, and realizing that this is really the

most important subject for myself to continuously remind over and over again,

which is why even I have connections with people that I talk to consistently about

my doubts, my insecurities, my fears, because having that conversation with

someone that I can trust in a one-on-one relationship will allow me to find the

focus that I need to have in achieving what is truly important, and I think

that's often what we forget about when it comes to doing this sort of exercise.

It isn't just about what you are going to be doing, it's about what you are

going to help others achieve as a result of your actions, and I think that's

what's really at the depth of all this.

If you are somebody that is one of my listeners that is struggling with this,

and you've been holding back all this time and trying to have a conversation with

yourself of why it's so important to move forward, let me run you through a couple

of things that I think might be helpful.

what would it take to change yourself in a way

that allows you to maybe see opportunities that you have never seen before?

If you're able to say that you can do that, and you're willing to embrace those

opportunities, here's my second question then: are you going to be open to new

ideas, new perspectives, and maybe even be challenged on your existing perceptions

and challenges that you have in your life, so that you can lead yourself to a life

of freedom and security for that matter?

That's my second question, and if you are able to say yes to that, and you are

able to move through that fear and that insecurity so that you can have that open

conversation, let's ask one more question; question number three: what would it

be like if you were able to envision yourself at the end of this journey of

self-discovery and change, seeing yourself be more happy and more heartfelt because

you are on a path of wanting to change all those things that were once holding you

back, whether that was from the fear that you had in standing up for yourself at

work, or even working on your divorce that you've been putting off for all this time,

and knowing that you have what it takes to truly feel comfortable in new shoes?

If you're able to say yes, that I want to embrace that sort of change in my life

with each of those three questions, you might be just wanting to try that out.

Now, if you are on the fence yet, even asking yourself those three questions,

what would it be like if you just had that first step in

the conversation of just willing to explore that, and I've done that with

number of people, and some people who are ready for it have taken on that

challenge in their lives, while others have said they're not ready for it yet.

if you are willing to at least take step one, what's

holding you back from step two and three?

Is it the time?

Is it what you have to put yourself through to get to that next level?

Is it the money or the investment that you're going to put into

yourself, or is it that you're afraid of what the results would look

like if you were on the other side?

I think in life it's about finding ways in which we can accomplish not only the

goals that we have, the things that we set out to achieve, but it's about what

we are willing to go the distance to in order to be able to reach that destination

that we've always been putting off since we were a kid, or even young adult or

even now, or even as we're older and wanting to get to where we want to be.

We can enjoy that next adventure that we have in our lives if

we're just willing to embrace that accountability, and that's something

that I'm willing to offer through life coaching, because let's face it.

Sometimes paddling that boat all by ourselves might be easy enough,

but what would it be like if we had somebody else to relieve us, especially

if you're on that long distance ride all across that river, that ocean.

We would like to have somebody that's right next to us to be able to enjoy

that ability to feel comforted and to feel that we are accomplishing something.

You can keep paddling all by yourself.

There's nothing wrong with that, but if you really want to embrace

a freedom filled life that allows you to speak from the heart, and to

accomplish goals that you never thought you could ever accomplish, maybe it

might be time to reach out and start your life coaching journey because,

hey, I'm here and I want to help you.

Thanks for listening to episode number 23 of Speaking From the

Heart, and I look forward to hearing from your heart very soon.

Thanks for listening.

For more information about our podcast and future shows, search for Speaking From

The Heart to subscribe and be notified wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Visit us at www.yourspeakingvoice.biz for more information about potential

services that can help you create the best version of yourself.