Questions

Oh, I’m so tempted to give you visioning exercises. Goal setting techniques. Organizational advice. 

But I’m not going to.

There are a million out there. And, of course, they only work when you dig underneath and identify what’s truly important to you and why - and then set up detailed, doable habits that keep you focused and tapped into your greater purpose.

And we can’t do all that in one blog post. That’s where coaching comes in.

But I can ask you questions. 🙂 

What went well this year? Professionally, personally - what went well? 

Stay on this one for a moment. I’m not talking just about the big stuff - what about the smaller things? Go even smaller than that. 

I'm sure you’re ready to give someone else credit for those things or you’ve started thinking about what didn’t go well or what else you need to get done.

But just for a minute, celebrate what went well. What about you - about how you showed up - contributed to that success? You’ve spent plenty of time already in 2023 beating yourself up. Give the same amount of time and energy acknowledging what you did get done, what you did do well.

Okay, let's keep going.

What was important to you about the goals you set in 2023? Where did you see yourself tapping into that value elsewhere in your life? Even if it was a small moment, recognize it.

Now step back for a moment. What are you noticing? What are you seeing that you didn’t before? Any patterns emerging?

How did those moments of success (big and small) feel? In your head, in your body? How did you know you were doing well?

Now take a look at your answers from above. Standing in celebration of what you did in 2023, what else do you want for your life, your work, your relationships in 2024? 

Where can you take what you did well - and how you did it - and amplify that to create a life even fuller of the things you want?

Let me be super clear about this. I’m not asking what you don’t want, I’m asking what you want more of. 

When I do this exercise with people, they often respond with what they don’t want.

I don’t want to work so hard.

I don’t want to feel so run down.

I don’t want to be in pain any more.

I don’t want to be broke.

But of course, when you focus on something, that’s all you tend to see. So focusing on what you don’t want facilitates seeing more of it in your life. Also known as the red car syndrome.

So. What do you want?

I want to feel more energetic.

I want to spend more time with my kids.

I want to have more fun with my spouse.

I want to know I can pay the bills.

What do you notice in how you respond to the way the second list is written? What shifted - in your body, in my mind - when you read the sentences beginning with “I want”? What possibilities, opportunities arose?

What’s important to you about having more of that in your life? What does it give you?

Now. What can you do - today - to have that thing? It doesn’t have to be big. Think small, think achievable. 

Then. What can you do this month? This quarter? This year? What are the bigger steps - the ones that need a bigger plan?

How will you do it? 

How will you know you’ve done it? 

How will it feel to have done it? 

What will be different because you did it?

Lots of questions, I know. That’s kind of my thing. 😉