Provision #468: Destiny Moments

At its deepest and most profound level, coaching assists people to realize their destiny. It's not just about solving obvious problems or changing bad habits. Coaching is about finding and aligning life with your higher purpose. We assume, on good authority, that our clients are alive and that they have a contribution to make to the healing of the planet. The challenge is to get into the flow of such life-affirming ways. If the daily grind has your destiny hidden from view, then read on. The spirit of this Provision may breathe life into your spirit.

Provision #467: Fan Club Moments

The old adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know that counts," speaks to the importance of relationships. They can make or break us in life and work. Unfortunately, that adage makes relationships sound manipulative and political. Authentic relationships are anything but. True fans stand behind us with energy, creativity, resources, and support. They enable us to come into our own and fulfill our destiny. Do you have fans like that? If not, you won't want to miss this Provision. It describes a process for making your fan club grow.

Provision #466: Gold Medal Moments

Gold medal moments are exhilarating moments of great triumph and drama. But they often come on the heels of persistent effort across small, incremental steps. To hang in there through the days of chipping away at our dream, we need both conviction in our ability to make it happen and joy in the process of getting to where we want to go. That's as true in organizations as in our personal lives. By staying positive, we'll find the conviction and joy we need to mount the pyramid of success. Read on to find out how.

Provision #465: Flow Moments

Contrary to popular impressions, flow is not going with the path of least resistance. Flow is being totally engaged with an activity that challenges us to use every ounce of our creativity, skill, and awareness. It neither provokes anxiety (too much challenge, too little skill) nor boredom (too little challenge, too much skill). It rather calls out the best we have to offer in life and work. If you would like to have more flow moments, then read on. This Provision can assist you to make it so.

Provision #456: Extraordinary Moments

Today we start a new series of LifeTrek Provisions, focused on the extraordinary moments that bring people to and emanate from coaching. Over the next twelve weeks, the LifeTrek Coaching staff will explore the types of moments that we live and breathe for when it comes to coaching. From the peak of passion and purpose to the depth of heartache and despair, coaches stay with people in order to increase both the frequency and the quality of their extraordinary moments. By the time this series finishes up, you'll be in a better position to coach yourself on the trek of life.

Provision #457: Celebration Moments

Having just completed our series on Appreciative Inquiry, this Provision almost wrote itself. Although coaches wear many hats and perform many functions, none is perhaps more important than finding things to celebrate with our clients. Large or small, past, present, or future, internal or external, on-target or tangential, deliberate or accidental, physical, psychological, or social -- there is no end to the things we can celebrate. And, sometimes, that's all a person needs to take the next step forward.

Provision #458: Mucked Up Moments

Among runners, DNF is perhaps the most dreaded of acronyms: Did Not Finish. Last Saturday I ran but did not finish the Bull Run Run, a 50-mile race in northern Virginia. Instead of leaving me devastated, however, the miserable conditions left me with a new acronym for DNF: Discovered New Frameworks. They were, in fact, the frameworks we coaches use all the time when we deal with clients who are facing their own mucked up moments in life and work. If you feel stuck between a rock and hard place, read on. This Provision is for you.

Provision #459: Laughter Moments

Laughter is a healing balm. In the best of times, laughter keeps us humble and fresh. In the worst of times, laughter gives us energy and hope. In all times, laughter serves as both a lubricant and a glue: it lowers the friction of the daily grind and it makes connections between people. Understanding these dynamics, coaches use humor to forward our client's attitude, actions, and ambitions. Perhaps, after reading our stories, you can learn how to better make laughter work for you.

Provision #460: Breakthrough Moments

When was the last time that you had a breakthrough? If it's been a while, perhaps it's time to find and work with coach. Coaches are especially helpful when it comes to transformational change because breakthroughs are so highly charged. They often involve giving things up and taking things on that are very different than where and who we are today. Changing your position and identity in life is not easy; coaches can give you the courage and the perspective to do it right. Sometimes, they are the key to whether or not you do it at all.

Provision #461: Tear Jerk Moments

Coaching is not all sweetness and light. We are not just nice people to talk with. We are also powerful people who hold open a space in which you can be real with yourself, your values, your relationships, and your dreams. When that happens, it's not uncommon for tears to flow. When we get beyond SMART goals and strategic plans, we often discover the truth about ourselves in moving and emotional ways. Such encounters are neither to be avoided nor taken lightly. They are the stuff that coaches work with to motivate and move clients forward in life.

Provision #462: Blink Moments

There's much to be said for figuring things out the hard way. It can certainly generate a great sense of satisfaction. But there are times when we see everything clearly, in an instant, based upon our feelings, patterns, hunches, habits, impulses, and environments. Do we trust and even cultivate those times of rapid cognition? We do if we have worked with a masterful coach for any period of time. If you're looking for the light bulb to go off, then perhaps you're working too hard. Perhaps, after reading this Provision, you'll be ready to blink.

Provision #463: Remember When Moments

As coaches, we love to connect people with stories of power and grace. We do that through the questions we ask and the spaces we create. Too often those stories are buried under the rubble of discouragement, busyness, and hurt. But in the presence of one who believes in their existence, we can dig them out and use them as a foundation for future success. Remembering when we were at our best enables us to be our best, and that can make all the difference in the world.

Provision #464: Spring Cleaning Moments

Can you identify with how good it feels to clean up a mess that has been hanging around for far too long? Boundless energy and creativity often result. Unfortunately, messes have a way of coming back. That's why coaches work with clients to develop systems for success. We want people to get cleaned up and to stay cleaned up. Working with the environment is one way to do that. But cleaning up clutter on all levels, both internal and external, must be attended to if we hope to optimize performance and reach our potential. If you have problems with clutter, read on. This Provision may make you smile.