HOW TO MAKE IMPORTANT CHANGES

Many of us want to make important changes in our lives, careers or businesses but we just don’t seem able to make it happen.

Many of us never break free enough from our current habits to even attempt a change.

Others go through the motions of initiating change, but quickly fall back into an existing comfort zone, which judging from a wide variety of research doesn’t appear to be to “comfortable” for many of us. (The Gallup organization estimates that 71% of workers are not engaged - interested or fulfilled - in their career. Over 75% of new businesses struggle to succeed. Over 50% of couples are in risk of divorce. 70% of us live paycheck to paycheck. 47% of us are experiencing significant levels of stress in our lives, and most of us are far from the levels of health and fitness we desire.)

Clearly there are many important changes we could make to enrich our lives; we just don’t know how to do it.

Having helped thousands of people navigate past their resistance to achieve meaningful change, I can share a few insights into the process.

1. Create Space – Change requires time, effort, attention and growth. If you are already running at 100% capacity, you will not have the time or energy needed. To effect change you need to first free up some space in your life. (Research from the field of Emotional Intelligence has clearly demonstrated that we cannot learn or grow well when we are under constant stress.)

2. Get Clear On What Is Important To You – Many changes fail because what we are attempting to achieve is not really important to us. Before you invest in making a big change, take some time to get clear on what is really important to you. For example, you might think you want a promotion, but if that promotion will take you further away from your family, the promotion may not be in alignment with what you really value. When you know what is truly important to you, it is easy to create a vision for yourself that will result in far more fulfillment.

3. Generate a Plan – Once you have a clear vision of what you are working towards, break it into smaller, more manageable stages and prioritize them. Don’t try to do too much all at once.

4. Leverage Your Strengths – When you go about making changes, it is important to know what your strengths are, and build on them. Collectively we focus far too much energy on our weaknesses and shortcomings (which make us feel powerless) rather than focusing on the strengths and talents that empower us. For example, if you are starting a business and are very strong in the strategic or big picture tasks, but mediocre at implementing, don’t focus all your energy on implementation. Develop a great strategic plan, and partner with people that are great at implementing.

5. Keep Focused – It is the intensity and frequency of our attention that reinforces the new perspectives and thought patterns that support our new behaviors. Do not try to make major changes all by yourself. Create a strong support structure around you that will keep you on track and moving forward, past all the inevitable challenges.

Getting Professional Assistance

The young industry of professional coaching has blossomed in the past 10 years, specifically to help individuals, businesses and organizations make meaningful change. If you are considering making some changes in your life, career or business you might consider working with an experienced, credentialed professional coach.

Generally, a good coach will always focus on what's most important to you, and help you find the most natural and effective way to make the breakthroughs you want. Coaching is all about setting up a trusting, confidential and supportive relationship that you direct; and working together week-to-week to help you move forward faster than you could possibly on your own.

Coaching really works. Industry research shows 98.5% of clients are satisfied with their coach and 83% of coaching clients stay with their coach for over 3 months. When coaching is taken into organizations, it routinely generates ROIs of between 500 and 700%.

How To Choose A Professional Coach

As a profession, coaching is still quite young, yet it's growing quickly. As the demand for coaches grows, so does the supply. However in any fast growing profession there are challenges. One challenge professional coaching faces is the large number of people jumping on the bandwagon and calling themselves coaches without formal training or relevant experience. To ensure you are among the over 98.5% of all coaching clients who are satisfied with their coaching, here are some suggestions to help you choose a great coach:

· Talk to several coaches and find one you have a rapport with. Does the coach listen well? Do you feel they clearly understand what you want to achieve through the coaching? How do you feel when you get off the phone with them?

· Choose someone that is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is therefore governed by professional practice and ethical guidelines. This is important. (The ICF is the largest, independent governing body of professional coaches.)

· Ensure your coach has completed advanced training, and become certified, at one or more of the many ICF accredited training schools, and has earned a credential from the ICF (The ICF has three levels of credentials for coaches. From most experienced on down they are; MCC – Master Certified Coach, PCC – Professional Certified Coach, ACC – Associate Certified Coach.)
· Choose a coach that has sufficient experience. How long have they been coaching? Do they do it on a full time or part time basis? Also, if you are looking for specific help on various career or business agendas, make sure your coach has the relevant background and training.

· Have potential coaches spell out what services they deliver, and what the total cost of those services will be. Also, what sort of commitment does the coach ask for? Some coaches ask for a commitment of 3 months or more, but stay away from long-term-pay-in-advance contracts. (Many experienced coaches do not require any contract because they know their clients will achieve great value out of every session.)

No one ever said making big changes was easy. However when you consider how much more success, meaning, peace, health and joy is possible in your life, and how valuable that might be to you, change may be exactly what you are looking for.

Steve Mitten CPCC, MCC, of ACOACH4U.COM was the 2005 President of the International Coach Federation. He is a Master Certified Coach and an expert on human potential and change. Steve has helped thousands of leaders; entrepreneurs and independent professionals find the fastest and most enjoyable route to more meaningful success. Life Coaching Site Executive Coaching Site Business Coaching Site