If you’re feeling overwhelmed, scared, or stuck, it’s time to step back and say, “WOW.”
Life often provides challenges that we must work through at our own pace. Some of us have had to endure great suffering the past few years as the world has been navigating a new normal. And for some, their world has been completely turned upside down.
As humans we are capable of immeasurable strength. It’s important that you allow yourself time to process your feelings, and then take steps forward when you’re ready to continue building your legacy.
“Legacy” may seem like a big word, but you are making an impact on the people around you daily. You’re building a legacy right now, it just may not be an intentional one.
It’s okay if you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything you’ve been asked to navigate lately. This doesn’t mean that you’re not capable, it means that you’ve been giving a lot of your time and energy away, and it may be time to ask for some help or guidance.
As professional Coaches, we work with high achievers at all levels. Even the most successful high achievers can feel overwhelmed at times, go through an experience that knocks them down, start acting out of fear, or feel completely stuck. Life has ups and downs; it’s natural to be affected by challenges.
If you think about high performance athletes, all of them have Coaches to help them become the best version of themselves and achieve their goals. Athletes experience challenges too, and that’s another reason why they have Coaches to help them.
If you want to move forward in your life and work effectively, you can partner with a Coach who can guide you through our WOW Coaching Chat®:
The first question our Coaches ask clients in the WOW Coaching Chat® is:
Want
What do you want? (What do you really want?)
Life is busy. It’s easy to get caught up in doing things the way you’ve always done them, but when you stop to assess why you’re doing certain things in certain ways, it can provide a lot of clarity about where you’re going in life, why you’re making or not making progress at work, and the legacy you’re building.
Having a trained Coach in your corner to hold space for you while you process this question is helpful because it can be difficult to think differently. Our thoughts have patterns to them, so having a Coach who can dig deeper with you helps you identify your patterns, guides you to think differently, and helps you discover more about yourself.
Did you ask yourself the question yet? Take a minute to think about what you really want.
The next step in this process is to ask yourself why you want what you say you want.
What will having this do for you?
Digging deeper here helps you identify the reasons why you want something. We take actions or avoid actions in order to get certain results or avoid certain consequences.
When we’re going through the motions every day, it’s easy to take the path of least resistance – which is not always the path that leads to the results you ultimately want.
Taking a moment to reflect on the outcome you want to have will help you identify the actions and habits that will lead you to your desired outcome.
After identifying what you want and why you want it, it’s time to start preparing for the opportunities and obstacles that could come your way.
Opportunities/Obstacles
What will be different when you have it?
This is a great question to start visualizing how your life is going to be different when you’ve got what you want.
Identify how you’ll feel, what actions you’ll be doing consistently, where you’ll be living, where you’ll be working, what legacy you’ll be building, what friends and family will be around you, etc.
What stops you from having it?
Is there something currently in your way that prevents you from having what you want? This could be something or someone outside of yourself, or it could be your own mindset or negative thoughts.
If there isn’t currently an obstacle in your way, take some time to identify past obstacles or challenges that have stopped you, or potential obstacles you could see yourself facing in the future.
Spending time with this question isn’t about creating doom or doubt, it’s about being realistic. Things rarely go 100% to plan all the time… There are going to be obstacles that you need to face, and having contingency plans ready will help you face those obstacles more effectively.
What resources do you have?/What resources do you need?
Take inventory of all the resources you already have that can help you get what you want. After reviewing your inventory list, make a note of any additional resources that you’re going to need.
Now that you’ve identified your opportunities and obstacles related to what you want, it’s time to make your…
Way Forward
What is your first step? …And then? …What else?
This is what professional coaching is all about – not just focusing on your problems, but helping you find solutions and identifying the next best step.
The most effective way to keep forward motion toward what you want is to take it one step at a time. And remember that you don’t learn from experience, you learn from reflection.
Take each step, and take the time required to identify what went well or what didn’t quite go to plan so that you can learn and grow from your experiences.
If you’re ready to take steps forward but you’re fearful of what may happen, allow yourself to take smaller steps or give yourself more time.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Working with a professional Coach can help you move through your fears because an outside voice can help you look fear in the face, identify exactly what it is that you’re fearful of, and help you navigate steps forward.
If you say YES to this, what will you say No to?
You only have 24 hours in a day – and only so much energy or focus to go around.
Knowing what you want is a great first step, but identifying the sacrifices you may need to make in order to get what you want is just as important.
You will need to say NO to make your YES more powerful. Saying no is critical so you can make time for what you say you want most.
Taking time to think through what you need to say NO to ahead of time can help you accomplish what you (really) want.
You may want to say YES to a fun request that comes in from a friend, but by saying YES to that opportunity it means saying NO to progress towards what you want… Maybe you decide to delay what you want, or maybe you’ve prepared a kind way to say NO so that you can stay focused on your main thing.
How can I help?
A professional Coach is there to help you in the most effective ways possible. Your Coach is a resource that you can use to get what you want!
What is the one thing you will do TODAY?
The final question of our WOW Coaching Chat® sets you up for immediate action so you are not stuck.
Download your own copy of the WOW Coaching Chat® and keep it on hand as a reference whenever you need it.
Knowing what you want and creating a step-by-step plan to get you there is incredible… but without any action it won’t help you achieve your goals.
At the end of a coaching session, your professional Coach will help you identify the one thing you can do today to create progress. They help you dig deep to turn an overwhelming, scary, or stuck place into a clear way forward.
So, now that you’ve experienced our WOW Coaching Chat®… What is the one thing you will do TODAY to move you closer to what you want?
Let’s continue the conversation and connect you with a Coach who can help you reach your greatest potential.
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At Impact Business Coaches, we work with talented individuals, teams, trainers, and facilitators around the world to help them achieve their goals, live their best lives, and create legacies of impact.
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