Self Awareness and Life Coaching

Self Awareness; The Value of Early Discovery

Self awareness is where our dreams come from, how we know what we feel, where our intuition resides and where opportunity lies. My clients must develop their sense of self awareness early on in the coaching process so that the direction and desire to succeed can be articulated and the path laid out to make the dreams reality.

Once self awareness is developed and the client has begun to “tune in” to him or herself, the realization that there are no limits, sets in.  We begin to recognize our strengths.  We can acknowledge all that we have already accomplished and therefore, all that can be accomplished.   Self awareness is the key that opens the door to the future.  Recognizing our strengths and our own power means that we can change the direction we are heading in and redirect our energy into positive outcomes and a greater quality of life.

Some within my client base suffer from chronic illnesses such as Fibromyalgia.  As I also live with it, I know and understand how it can turn one’s life upside down. I also know, after suffering with it for fifteen years, that self awareness has allowed me to reduce my medication by over 75%.   Self awareness teaches one to focus on specific parts of the heart and mind, redirecting the negative energy into positive energy, even pain can be reduced.   It has changed bad days and good days to good days and great days

Self awareness gives the individual the power to be in charge of their own life.  As stated by Steve Jones in the video “it puts them in the drivers seat”  A client who cannot or will not develop this, will have limited success in any coaching program.  An individual must be conscious of what their options are, what options they are acting on, the results of their actions and the lessons learned from those actions.  Too many people go through life in a fog in terms of conscious decision making, unclear and without learning about themselves.  This leads to repetition of mistakes, poor choices and remaining in the same “stuck” spot throughout their lives (if they are fortunate enough not to slip backwards).  Consciousness or self awareness wakes you up!!!  It makes you say “hold on….if I do this….this is likely to happen whereas if I do that….that is likely to happen.  I have always done things this way and it hasn’t been working well for me.  Now I know that doing it THAT way is more likely to have the results I am looking for”.

Self awareness does not mean letting others make decisions for you.  While there is value in the experiences and paths of loved ones and trusted friends, they are not living your life.  They generally do not have to live with the consequences of your actions and it is nearly impossible that anyone else knows every single thought or feeling you have.  They are often unaware or skeptical of your dreams and truest goals.  Accepting the value of the experience of others may be part of good decisions and moving forward, but without self awareness and consciousness, you end up living their lives and dreams.

Self awareness leads to being your authentic self and living your authentic life.    Your authentic self is who you are under all of the turmoil and stress and fears.  It is your strength and passion and joy. It is who you are under all of the stuff we accumulate from the day of our birth…until that moment….that realization….that we have one life and one self.  The freedom that comes with self awareness is the greatest gift a person can give themselves.  The earlier a client discovers it, the more success he or she will have and the further they will go in their dreams.  My role as a Life Coach is to show the client that who he or she is, that the dreams and goals that they hold deepest in their hearts, are possible and that knowing that and believing in that is the most difficult step in the process.  With self awareness, full consciousness of self, the limits of the client are sky high.  He or she will not give up when obstacles pop up, opinions of others will not break the spirit and the coaching program will become self directed and successful.

Leadership Principle number 13

While this principle is the 13th and final in my list of "no matter who you are and no matter where you are" principles, it is not the last key to great leadership by any means.  It is, in fact, only the beginning.

Leadership is about people.  People are the same everywhere....yet each one is different from the other.  We are all a collection of our experiences, our circumstances and the people around us, from our birth until our death.  But we are all human beings and want to protect the people we love, we want to feel valued in one way or another and we crave positive human interaction and touch.  We want our privacy protected and our rights respected.  We want to feel safe.  For some, work is simply a means to an end.  For a lucky few, work is not really work....it is fulfillment of a dream or a lifelong ambition. Some people do volunteer work over and above day to day work, some can only find the time and energy for that job to keep a roof over your head due to circumstances that seem out of their control.

Wherever it is that you work and whether it seems like work or not, there will be leaders.  You might not notice them as they are not always the ones in positions of power.     Some work places have those who call themselves leaders who believe that there job title and a university degree gives them power.  They believe they know everything and are always right.  That is not leadership.

Do not feel the need to be right all of the time.  No one is an expert on everything.  Be flexible and comfortable with that concept

Making mistakes is another human characteristic...it is how we learn and grow.    If we do not make mistakes, we cannot truly move forward as it is those who try and fail, that keep trying.  Be proud  of the fact that you have learned and grown and are moving forward.

Always keep those human beings around you in mind.  Always remember that what you feel is what others feel and that without humanity, there is very little left.  Be a leader...

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Leadership Principle number 12

As we come near the end of the key leadership principles which are the foundation of the Leadership Program developed by UnLeash the KNOW, we take a look at the value of laughter that a strong leader will encourage and enjoy.  Laughter has long been associated with lower blood pressure, more endorphins and a generally healthy work and home environment.

Humour and laughter breaks down walls and opens communication.  Humour should never offend anyone no matter who is in the room or who may walk into the room at any time.

Laughter shared at the office or in any public  never be offensive to anyone who may walk in the room.  Whether it is a particular word or the theme or target, keep in mind that you do not know a person's previous experience, their background or sensitivities.  A leader will ensure that no one will be offended in what should be a light relaxed moment.  An environment where there is no laughter, can be uncomfortable, tense and less productive.   Offensive humour is equally counter productive and may even lead to union or legal action.

Few things will bond people like a shared laugh.  Remember the punchline and forget the stress, even if just for a moment each day.

Leadership Principle number 11

Leadership principle number ten talked about being informed about relevant issues.  No one can fulfill all of his or her responsibilities and read up on every aspect of every relevant issue and maintain and healthy life and work balance.  The scope is inevitably going to be too wide.  It is important to surround yourself with those with knowledge and experience and to use excellent listening skills with those people.

Learn from others, surround yourself with those with different experiences and knowledge

The wise leader will not only surround him or herself with those who are knowledgeable about a variety of topics but will be wise enough to learn from them, to bow to their expertise when appropriate and to show appreciation for that knowledge and expertise.   It is important to know enough to understand and be comfortable with the topic when your experts speak and it is vital to know enough to know who are the right ones to surround yourself with.  Wanna be s can talk a good game but it takes intelligence and understanding to read through that and ensure the right ones are having their voices heard, not necessarily those who speak the loudest.  Be a wise leader.

For more on leadership programs for your corporation or organization, write to unleashtheknow@outlook.com

Leadership Principle number 10

For all of the personal characteristics that indicate a great leader, there are also some more practical skills which separate "leaders" from Great Leaders.   One of those skills is the willingness and the foresightedness to stay informed on all pertinent and ongoing issues.

Stay informed on all pertinent ongoing issues

A leader who has clearly informed him or her self on pertinent topics, will not only sound logical, but will also make better decisions.  Meetings are more likely to stay on point and budgets will be better spent.  A well informed leader will appreciate the value of well informed staff.

Important information will come from the media, social media, talking with and listening to colleagues,  reading books and ensuring participation in professional development.  A leader will not allow political persuasion or personal gain to sway his or her direction.   He or she will understand that all media and social media has a personal perspective and it must all be put into context.

Pertinent issues may be directly and indirectly connected to the topic at hand.  An example is a leader working in the area of security and emergency management needs to  be aware of severe weather warnings, terrorist events, legislation and local trends in crime and  quality of relationships with other agencies such as police and fire.

Being fully informed is not a difficult or time consuming task.  Keep your eyes and ears open at all times and, even more important is to keep your mind open.  The brain is a muscle....exercise it.