by Barb Mason | Jan 15, 2021 | UNSTUCK Business, UNSTUCK Career, UNSTUCK Life, UNSTUCK Wellness
A few weeks ago a friend confided that they were feeling isolated, under-exercised, scared about the future, their career and how the pandemic would affect their kids in the long run. Like many, my friend is working remotely, with a home office on the third floor. Pre-pandemic, when working from home only happened occasionally, my friend’s home office was the dining room table. “Once relegated to the upstairs home office, it was hard to come down”, my friend confided. It was far from everything going on in the house, and when work life got busy, my friend stayed upstairs, for hours. Even with a daily goal of taking a stretch or a short walk, my friend, who is quite healthy, just couldn’t get it done. Fearing that “sitting is the new smoking” all my friend wanted was to come down the stairs, open the front door and go to the end of a very short block. And still, they couldn’t get it done. This feeling of failure, as defined by my friend, contributed to their malaise. My friend added that they had created a very functional stand up desk, and all they had to do was move the laptop from their seated position to the standing position. And still, it wasn’t happening.
I asked, why haven’t you set a small goal to just stand up, every hour? Further, I said, you are concerned that once you get up to your third floor office it’s hard to come down, right? And you’ve shared that you NEED to move more because if you don’t, you’ll literally stay seated for many hours at a time. I reminded my friend, “you told me you’re super busy at work right now, and it’s not practical to take a break every hour, yet you want to find a way not to sit so long. Why don’t you just stand up?” I asked.
They said “oh, you mean make a small goal?” Lightbulb moment.
I pointed out, if it’s such a small goal why don’t you do it? To me it sounded like a great start and easily achievable. Standing up every hour means a change in perspective, a new effort, stopping what you are doing for a moment and then getting started again. So I didn’t really consider it a small goal.
This got me thinking. Imagine the possibilities if you did just this one thing. Stand up! You’ll feel better because you are moving your body. You’ll be energized by the motion and you’ll likely find time to add larger goals like walking to the corner once a day. Eventually you’ll find yourself taking a break mid-day for a brisk walk. The world won’t come to a screeching halt, and work will still be there when you come back. Give it a try!
by Barb Mason | Dec 21, 2020 | UNSTUCK Business, UNSTUCK Career, UNSTUCK Life, UNSTUCK Wellness
Have you ever wondered…
How does one-on-one coaching work?
How do I come away with actionable steps after a single session?
Would it work for me?
Coaching helps you move towards change, more quickly than you might have on your own, with accountability and specific action steps.
Below is the framework of a typical coaching session:
- Each time we meet, you decide what you want out of the meeting and I keep you on track to make sure you get what you want. Your agenda is the only agenda that matters. If your agenda changes during another session, that’s perfectly ok too.
- You talk, and I listen, intently. If I don’t understand, I’ll ask for clarification. Think about how often someone truly listens to you, with your agenda in mind, to determine actionable steps that move you towards your desired outcome. It’s very powerful, and it feels really good to be heard.
- Together, we come up with at least one action step you’re going to take, to move you towards your goal. Sometimes, it’s something quick and easy. This can feel super motivating. Sometimes, it’s one step, of a multi-step plan. It’s not necessary to have the whole plan in place before taking action. Often, you can’t even make the plan until you get started.
- Lastly, you decide on a deadline to complete the action step, and you commit to letting me know once you’ve completed it. I make a note and hold you accountable for getting it done.
Imagine your life’s possibilities, when, each time we meet, you take another step toward achieving that thing, that has eluded you thus far. It’ll feel pretty amazing! At the conclusion of each meeting, I ask “what value did you get out of our meeting today?” because it’s important to recognize progress, even the smallest things.
Below is an example of a typical meeting:
Barb: What do you want out of our meeting today?
Client: I’d love to find new work. I don’t even know where to start.
You talk for a bit and tell me about your current situation, things that interest you, when you might want to make a move, things you know about making a change and things you don’t know. You also tell me you have an idea about the kind of work you might want to do.
Barb: Do you know anyone who does this kind of work?
Client: Yes, I do.
Barb: Would it be helpful to talk to this person and learn more about working at this place?
Client: Yes, I trust this person and think talking to them in depth would be helpful.
Action/Accountability: You decide you will set up a meeting with this person who does the work you think you want to do. We agree that you will let me know when the meeting will be held, so that I can follow up with you.
We don’t know what the outcome will be, and that’s ok. But we do know that you will have more information than before, moving you closer to your ultimate goal.
To learn more about how coaching can work for you, and schedule your complimentary sample session, give me a call today at 708-R U STUCK (708-787-8825) or email me at [email protected]!
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