It’s official – I am one of only two Certified Organizer Coaches in Ohio. I’m a create a plan, create a list, put your head down, and complete your plan type of gal. So, when I decided to become a coach, I approached the process in the same way.
- Research Coach Training Programs – CHECK
- Take the Courses – CHECK
- Become a Certified Coach – CHECK
What I didn’t realize was that this process would take over two years. What?! That’s not on my list!!
I thought (yes – really!) that I could take the classes and that would make me a coach. AND . . . I thought I could do this in about 9 months. Ummmm . . . NO!
See – what I learned about coaching is the real learning comes not from understanding the “technical” part of coaching – but by being able to let go and “be” with your client. To be proficient enough with the skills to throw the checklist out the window and just listen. To let go.
The same can be true of setting and achieving goals. Many of my clients . . .
- Identify the Priorities
- Create a Plan
- Accomplish the Goal
We can miss the BIG picture . . . the learning behind the learning (if that makes any sense!)
Could I have become a certified coach in less time. Sure – some training programs offer the opportunity to finish in a year or so.
Would I have been a proficient coach? Sure – I would know the skills and be able to apply them.
Would I have been able to bring the greatest value to my client? – NO!
Believe it or not – learning to let go and trust the process took me MUCH LONGER than 9 months!! (For someone as “in control” as I am – I needed the entire 28 months . . . and still work on this skill daily!)
What’s the bottom line? Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know – I would have zoomed through the process. . . missing out on the BIG PICTURE in my eagerness to complete the classes, learn the skills, and become a certified coach. Lucky for me, the director and trainers plan for people like me and build in TIME for us to practice our skills, learn from mentor coaches, and give us opportunities to “let go”.
If you have a tendency to zoom through your list on your way to the next big thing . . . build in some “appreciation time”.
Set aside time in your schedule to look back periodically at your journey. To ask yourself,
- “What have I accomplished?”
- “Is there something bigger here – something more than just a ‘completed task’?”
- “What is now possible?”
Enjoy the journey – and the destination! Checking off the boxes is only half of it!
Your turn . . . what are your thoughts? How do you ensure you don’t “zoom through life”?
Are you looking for someone to assist you in your journey to creating the life of your dreams? Let’s chat! I offer complimentary strategy sessions where we can figure out the best way for you to move forward. Contact me today!
Congratulations – you’re a coach! Better days ahead, Lisa. It all goes uphill from here. :)
Have you been coaching while you studied?
I have, Bonnie. Part of the requirements off this certificate is to have more than 100 hours of coaching with clients. You are correct – it all goes uphill from here!
Thanks for the kudos – and the comment!
Lisa
Congrats on the accomplishment of becoming a certified coach! You hard work & determination has paid off & now you can serve your clients in a greater way. I am in a 90 day coaching program now and it is really helping me focus on making goals and then taking action to reach them.
Hi Sue –
Congrats on using a coaching program to help you focus, create goals, and take the action needed for accomplishment!!!!!!!!!!!! You are awesome!
Lisa
First of all Congratulations!!! I really enjoyed reading this post for I too am going through the “training” process of becoming a professional genealogist. “You don’t know what you don’t know” is a phase I here all the time in genealogy. I look forward to reading many more of your posts.
Kristina
Thanks for stopping by and celebrating with me! Lots of luck with your training . . . I’m sure the road won’t be easy . . . but sooooooooo worth it!
Lisa
Wow, what a great accomplishment!! Congratulations! So is this kind of like a life coach? I am in the health field, so I have heard of a life coach and a health coach, but not an organizer coach! I think everyone in the world should be “assigned” an organizer coach! It’s always a good idea to bounce ideas off from people to see the other perspectives and just to hear your thoughts out loud. I am sure if I had one, I would have made a lot of different choices in life (or maybe not…I am quite stubborn)!
Now I am sure you have already crossed this accomplishment off from your “life to do list!” Go celebrate!!
xoxo
Dawn
Thanks for celebrating with me! An organizer coach is similar to a life coach. In my case, I focus a lot on goal setting, time management strategies, and accountability. I agree – it’s important to have someone to bounce ideas off of . . . as a coach, I recognize the importance of having a coach, and I have one myself!
Lisa
Congrats, Lisa, woo hoo I’m so happy for you! You are so right we do not stop enough to celebrate our successes before we jump onto the next thing. I think we should add that as a box to check at the end :)
As humans, we are lucky enough though, because I noticed our body and soul knows when we need to stop and “do nothing”. We just need to listen, and that’s what I just do sometimes after a long series of “doing”…
Delia –
Thanks for your comment! I love the idea of adding “celebrate” to the end of all my checklists!!!! So many times we finish one goal to quickly reset to the next goal without realizing it was a “big deal” to accomplish THIS one!
Lisa
Congratulations Lisa, what a wonderful journey, definitely celebration time before the next phase
During the past 10 years I’ve done two courses with the same sort of focus ticking off each subject as quick as I could and I agree thats only the technical side. You really need to be working through the process to understand and absorb the technical stuff so you truly learn what you’re doing
HI Lorelle
Thanks for stopping by! Your comment makes me wonder how many other times I was more interested in checking off the boxes . . .
Lisa
Congrats on becoming a coach, what an awesome endeavor. Love your advice about enjoying the journey, sometimes we get so wrapped up at the end point we miss the fun.
Lisa
I agree . . . half the battle is taking time to STOP and recognize how far you’ve come!
Congratulations on your accomplishment. That’s wonderful.
Thanks! David!
[…] few months ago I shared with you my journey to becoming a Certified Organizer Coach. This was a BIG, HUGE goal of mine. In addition to this certification – I was also […]