One of the most satisfying aspects of coaching is guiding people in a process that lifts them and helps them break through outdated, limiting blocks. Guiding clients through goal setting is a major early step. Setting your own goals is a great place to start. Goal setting also is a necessary step that must be taken even to discover what is holding you or a client back.

One time-tested goal setting method is the S.M.A.R.T. Goal process, and it remains one of the surest ways to create reasonable but challenging targets that give one the best chance of success. The word “S.M.A.R.T.” stands for: “S”, Specific; “M”, Measurable; “A”, Achievable; “R”, Realistic; and “T”, Time Limited. The act of crafting a S.M.A.R.T. Goal for each life area creates momentum that will help see you through the inevitable resistance faced by even the most successful of goal setters.

“The S.M.A.R.T. Goal approach is a must for clarifying exactly what you are aiming for,” says Fern Gorin, founder and director of the Life Purpose Institute, which has reached 1 million people worldwide through its certified life, career and spiritual coaches.  “But to truly make it a goal worth achieving and foster the needed momentum, one must also identify what motivates them to want that particular outcome.”

Gorin suggests a slightly different approach for the “S” in the S.M.A.R.T. Goal process. “In my individual coaching sessions and in coaching intensives,” Gorin says. “I teach a method that helps clients to understand not just what they want, but why they want it. The underlining drive that fuels the desire to create something is often more important than the goal itself. The answer is not always obvious to them and the work done to pinpoint the motivating factor makes a world of difference in their results.”

With Gorin’s advice in mind, here is a review of the S.M.A.R.T. Goal process, with a few updates:

Specific

The traditional approach to crafting S.M.A.R.T. goals starts with specifying what you want, and of course this is a critical aspect of setting achievable goals. However, Gorin suggests that you first specify, “Why do I want this?”  Make some quiet time, with pencil and paper, and truly explore your motivations. The obvious may come quickly, note those and continue past the point where you think you have exhausted the possibilities. Ask, “What else is motivating this desire?” “Who are the people I hope to impress?” “Who do I hope to help?” “Is there someone else who wants this for me?”

In this way, you will be able to choose the goals that best serve you, avoid those that represent things others want for you but that you may not want for yourself, and, most important, key in on the feelings that bring excitement to the goal and provide the real payoff to its achievement.

Now you are ready to take the time to define the goal itself more precisely. For example, rather than setting the goal “Lose weight,” how much weight, measured in pounds and/or inches, by when?

Measurable

This aspect of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting requires that you ask, “What precise measure can I use to know when I have achieved this?” Perhaps the scale will read 135 pounds. Your savings account statement will read $10,000. You will land a position in management. Whatever that exact measure is, that becomes part of your S.M.A.R.T. Goal.

An exercise to help pinpoint measures is to take some time to envision a scene that represents the achievement of you goal. What do you see? How do you feel?  What response are you getting from onlookers? Visualizing the experience as precisely as possible through all five senses is a great way to experience the specifics that will answer how to know when you have achieved it.  When you are wearing the emotions of accomplishment, log what you see, how you feel, and what you hear. Even smelling the fresh air or tasting champagne during a toast are good ways to reinforce your vision.

Achievable

The extent to which you can visualize and “live” your goal also is an indication of whether it meets the criteria of the “A” in S.M.A.R.T.:  Is it achievable? Many people get confused over the idea of “achievable.” After all, we live in a culture of “Anything is Possible. You can have it all.” Being realistic can sometimes feel downright shameful.

The reality is, you can only achieve or have what is aligned with your deepest beliefs and what falls in line with the reasonable limits of reality. This is not to discourage you or to imply you should not create “stretch” goals. You most definitely should. And even deep beliefs can be discovered and changed. Still, it helps to consider the scope of your goal in terms of wanting to feel the reward of achievement within a reasonable timeframe.

Realistic

Discouragement will be guaranteed if you do not take the time to honestly assess the likelihood that your dream can become a reality. For example, I once saw this goal written by a friend “Regain the body I had at 18.” Now, this person was 55 years old. Getting in top shape for her age? Realistic. Regaining the body of an 18 year old? Afraid not.

If you set goals, but doubt somewhere inside that they are realistic for you, no amount of self discipline will override your disbelief. It is better to craft something closer to what you believe you can achieve, then use the feeling of success when you reach it to move on to larger targets.

Time-Limited

Give your goal an end date. Remember you started with envisioning your experience of having achieved the outcome represented by your goal.  Visit that place again and work backwards through the steps you would have taken to have gotten there. Consider this carefully, as it will yield the accurate amount of time you will need to allow for its achievement.  Set a reasonable end date. If your vision took you to a place of wild accomplishment two years out, break it into a few milestones you can set as S.M.A.R.T. goals to take you there over time.

Coaches who take the time to master the S.M.A.R.T. goal process have much to gain in client satisfaction and results. From a S.M.A.R.T.  Goal more easily come right action, incremental success, and repeatable processes for helping clients get to where they want to go in all areas. The S.M.A.R.T. Goal process is a fundamental worth reviewing any time of year, and it is even more powerful the Life Purpose Institute way.

The Original Post is Located Here: From S.M.A.R.T. to Smarter Goal Setting

This is the number one question we hear from our training graduates and our newly certified coaches. The best thing you can do to get more clients is to “land” on a particular group of people and focus on them with your marketing efforts.

To get more of the ideal clients for yourself, you have to know your product (YOU) inside and out.

You may be familiar with the old marketing phrase, “If you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one.” Why would people want to hire you? What is your unique problem solving skill? How are you different from other coaches?

Answering these questions will bring clarity and focus. All you need to see is the next logical step in your marketing. Your ideal clients are out there, you simply need to help them find you.

Try this fun client magnetizer. These questions are based on those in the LPI Training manual in the section about leveraging interview opportunities. Your goal is to answer them for yourself….as if YOU were interviewing yourself for a coaching job in a life coaching practice. Be creative with your answers. Have fun!

1. Why do you want to coach with our firm?

2. Tell me about your last job?

3. Why do you feel you are qualified to be a life coach?

4. What kind of salary are you looking for?

5. What do you expect to be earning in 5 years?

6. What motivates you to put out your greatest efforts?

7. What is your proudest professional achievement?

8. What strengths do you bring to the team here at Life Coach International.

9. Why have you held so many jobs?

10. Name someone in the public eye that you admire. Why does he or she inspire you?

Watch for any resistance or doubt to rise up as you “sell yourself” as the fabulous coach that you are. These bits of low self esteem are natural as you retool your professional image.  They are blocking you from finding your ideal clients.

Use the coaching tools you teach your clients, call your coaching buddy and smooth out the rough edges. Your future clients are wandering around the internet looking for you. Becoming sure of yourself and what you offer is the first step to magetizing yourself  and making their search an easy one. Your ideal clients are depending on YOU to get more clients. You can do it!

The Original Post is Located Here: “How Do I Get More Clients?”

The Life Purpose Process was designed to equip a life coach to make a real difference in their client’s lives.

Each client is unique and special, with their own gifts, talents, interests and preferences.  Your job as a coach is to honor and support each individual and their unique needs and life direction.

Many of the clients a life coach serves are what we call “Rainbow People.”  These are people with a diverse set of talents, abilities, personality characteristics and blocks.  Life can be intensely challenging for these people.   Helping them pick a focus and supporting them to maximize their potential is what the Life Purpose Process is all about.

Other clients are what we call Specialists.  While it may seem that a person with a single focus may not need as much support, the Life Purpose Process is remarkably effective in helping the Specialists overcome the inner blocks to success facing them.

Your role as a coach is draw the best out of your clients.  They have dreams desires and goals and for a variety of reasons, those aspirations have been squelched or diminished.

Now a life transition may have interrupted life as usual and your presence as their coach can make a tremendous difference in their lives.

The Life Purpose Process is a step by step model for inspiring and empowering clients to wake up their dreams and get back on track for success.

For more information about the Life Purpose Institute Coach Certification Programs, click right here for a consultation.

The Original Post is Located Here: What is The Life Purpose Process?

The Board Certified Coach Credential (B.C.C.) is being offered to social workers, counselors, psychologists and life coaches to help them move professionally and with more credibility into the Life Coaching field.

The Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), as an affiliate of the National Board of Certified Counselors is offering this new credential and grandfathering in candidates until 12/31/11. A minimal requirement of a 60 hour training course is needed.

On November 16 thru 20, The Life Purpose Institute is hosting a special 5 Day Intensive in San Diego, to help life coaches get grandfathered in before the deadline. The Board Certified Coach Credential will be a useful credential for those wanting to be recognized for their professional competence and expertise as a Life Coach.

Life Coaching is Booming!

Life Coaching is a booming field for 2011-12. CNN rated coaching as one of the seven growing professions for the next several years. Forbes magazine January 2011 rated Life Coaching as the 2nd best business to get into this year.

Just like personal training became popular in the last decade, life coaching has already become the next big trend. Many social workers and counselors are providing life coaching as an adjunct to their existing work or private practice, or starting a new practice focusing on life coaching.

How Social Work and Counseling are different than Life Coaching

Social Work and Life Coaching are similar in that are concerned for the welfare of the client and seek to help the client make progress with intended outcomes. Social workers and Life Coaches both bring empathy and compassion as they listen to problems, and help the client find positive solutions. There are 5 distinct differences.

 1. A Life Coach helps the client in all area of their lives –relationships, career, health, spirituality life balance, life transitions etc.

2. Life Coaching is goal and outcome based. Coaching helps the coach help their client have specific and measurable goals that can be tracked each week. As such the clients gets tangible results weekly that motivate them and inspire them to move forward.

3.  There is a structure and system to work with clients for 3 months to a year.This involves tracking with the client on all areas of their life, and making sure progress occurs in all areas.

4.  Life Coaching is about moving from this point forward. It does not seek to uncover the past, deal with deep emotional wounds or help those with mental illness. Life Coaching is very action-oriented and looks at what the client can do now.

5.  Life Coaching is not about advising or solving problems for the client. The coach asks powerful questions to help the client find their own answers. Clients leave empowered and find their own resourcefulness. Many social workers already use coaching skills in their current work or practice.

Getting trained as a Life Coach and Board Certified Coach will give someone more structure and tools to provide their clients.

Click here for a complimentary teleseminar to meet Fern Gorin, Founder of Life Purpose Institute and find out if Life Coaching is for you.

The Original Post is Located Here: Grandfather In For BCC Certification…You’ll Be Glad You Did!