Professional coaching, personal direction.
Bring a goal into focus, then make a next step you can test.
What would you like
to move toward?
A work decision, a change in routine or a personal project can feel too large when everything is considered at once. Coaching starts by giving the conversation a focus. Describe what you want to be different, why it matters and what you can influence.
The goal belongs to you. A useful coaching conversation makes space to explore possibilities, identify obstacles and choose an action. It also leaves room to review what happened when that action met real life.
Name the goal.
Replace a broad wish with a situation you can describe. “I want more balance” might begin with deciding how you want one evening of the week to feel.
Notice the obstacles.
Look at time, support, energy and assumptions. Distinguish the things you can change from the conditions you need to plan around.
Choose an experiment.
Try one action with a clear beginning and a time to review it. You can keep, change or abandon the experiment based on what you learn.
A goal you can recognize.
Think about a decision you have postponed. Write one sentence describing the situation, then a second describing what a useful outcome would look like. Keep the outcome within your influence: choosing a next action, setting a boundary or making time for a project.
A coaching conversation can explore the assumptions around that choice. What have you already tried? Which options have you ruled out, and why? What support would change the practical picture? These questions help turn a broad intention into something you can examine.
Between conversations, an agreed action provides material for reflection. Notice what happened, what surprised you and what you want to adjust. Progress can include a clearer decision, not only completing a task.
Explore further: ICF: what coaching involves.
WRITE YOUR COACHING INTENTION