True Balance Life Coaching

One of the definitions of overwhelm is to feel overpowered by your thoughts, emotions, or senses.

Feel familiar?

My particular brand of overwhelm is more like … suffocating skin crawling madness. I once was the mistress of overwhelm. The discomfort was intense and yet there was a rush involved with pulling off what felt impossible. It took years to get acquainted with the damage ripple caused by all of the needless stress.

The good news is you can learn to minimize this paralyzing feeling by facing what’s going on and taking action; like a gymnast on a balance beam, taking one step sure step after the other.

Sure steps with a Go … Be … Flow … attitude.

Most of the creative women and entrepreneurs I play with are passionate, talented and risk averse people who are really good at what I like to call, connecting the dots. Their ability to coordinate ideas, people, places, projects and synergistic energy is astounding. Their keen sense of knowing combined with pure unbridled feeling manifests great opportunities.

These fine characteristics and what seem like unlimited opportunities can be distracting.

Why?

Because people of this caliber can do ANYTHING.

Connecting the dots is a blessing if the entrepreneur is conscious enough to apply her connectivity talent to her own “in the weeds” life situation.

A HA!

Learning to go with the flow is a tremendous kick in the pants.

Practice moving through life with grace and clobber overwhelm by incorporating some these ideas:

Take deliberate action a by choosing and revisiting your priorities every week. A list of targeted activities will help you remain on your quest.

• Carry out extreme self-care. This may mean taking time out to get a haircut, massage or a soak in the bath tub. Take some alone time to read a good book, take a walk and get out of your head.

• Visualize your ideal accomplishment, and then make a list of tasks that can be addressed to bridge and traverse where you want to be in the natural flow of things.

• Determine what projects you can delegate. Asking for help is freeing.

• Eliminate any unnecessary tasks and activities. Do what you absolutely must, and junk what isn’t an absolute necessity.

• Allow yourself to say NO.

• Give yourself credit for all the things you DO complete.

• Talk to a trusted friend, life coach or mentor. Get clarity by being with people who you admire, who are good at managing stress.

The next time you are feeling overcome with a sense of impending doom,
take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and let the clobbering begin.

Like this post?  Sign up for the True Balance Monthly newsletter and claim a copy of Clobbering Overwhelm – A special report.

One of the definitions of overwhelm is being buried or drowned beneath a huge mass.

Feel familiar?

My particular brand of overwhelm is more like … suffocating skin crawling madness. I used to be the mistress of overwhelm. The discomfort was intense and yet there was a rush involved with pulling off what felt impossible. It took years to get acquainted with the damage ripple caused by all of the needless stress.

The good news is you can learn to minimize this paralyzing feeling by facing what’s going on and taking action; like a gymnast on a balance beam, taking one step sure step after the other.

Sure steps with a Go … Be … Flow … attitude.

Most of the solopreneurs and entrepreneurs I play with are passionate, talented and risk averse people who are really good at what I like to call, connecting the dots. Their ability to coordinate ideas, people, places, projects and synergistic energy is astounding. Their keen sense of knowing combined with pure unbridled feeling manifests great opportunities.

These fine characteristics and what seem like unlimited opportunities can be distracting.

Why?

Because people of this caliber can do ANYTHING.

Connecting the dots is a blessing if the entrepreneur is conscious enough to apply her connectivity talent to her own “in the weeds” life situation.

A HA!

Learning to go with the flow is a tremendous kick in the pants. Of course it helps to be head long into “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle as I’m keying this post.

Practice moving through life with grace and clobber overwhelm by incorporating some these ideas:

Take deliberate action a by choosing and revisiting your priorities every week. A list of targeted activities will help you remain on your quest.

Carry out extreme self-care. This may mean taking time out to get a haircut, massage or a soak in the bath tub. Take some alone time to read a good book, take a walk and get out of your head.

Visualize your ideal accomplishment, and then make a list of tasks that can be addressed to bridge and traverse where you want to be in the natural flow of things.

Determine what projects you can delegate. Asking for help is freeing.

Eliminate any unnecessary tasks and activities. Do what you absolutely must, and junk what isn’t an absolute necessity.

Allow yourself to say NO.

Give yourself credit for all the things you DO complete.

Talk to a trusted friend, life coach or mentor. Get clarity by being with people who you admire, who are good at managing stress.

The next time you are feeling overcome with a sense of impending doom,
take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and let the clobbering begin.

Action Cures Fear !

In Balance,

Shann

“Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?”

It’s one of those questions many job-seekers dread during an interview, but it can be daunting to answer on a personal level as well. Amid all your responsibilities, activities and projects, it’s sometimes hard to see the big picture and easy to become overwhelmed or feel like you’re lacking direction.

That’s where a life coach can come in.

“If you are frustrated with an aspect of your life, not sure how to stop making the same choices you keep making or just want to have more happiness, peace of mind and passion — life coaching can do that for you,” says Rhonda Britten, founder of the Fearless Living Institute.

Life coaches can specialize in areas like relationships, careers or personal growth. They promise to motivate, offer support when clients need a boost in confidence and help them decide which direction to take.

“In a perfect world, everyone could figure this out for him or herself, but we live in such a complicated time … that most of us need all the help we can get,” says life coach Libby Gill.

A big part of the process is figuring out where you are in life and where you want to be, but for many people, being asked to set personal goals is akin to being told to eat your broccoli.

Life coaches are part of a growing profession. The International Coach Federation (ICF) says it has more than 12,000 members worldwide, or double the amount just five years ago. In a survey commissioned by the ICF last year, 16 percent said their coaching specialty is “life vision and enhancement,” the third most popular area behind executive and leadership coaching.

The survey also found that women make up more than half the clientele of professional coaches.

Britten, who’s been a life coach for 12 years and was featured on the reality TV series “Starting Over,” says a typical client is age 35 to 55, is “at a crossroads, must make a decision and is sick of choosing out of safety and fear.”

Don’t expect a therapy session when you meet with a life coach. While some have a background in counseling, the process is different.

“In simplistic terms, a therapist is [there] to heal the wounds of the past, and a life coach supports you in moving your life forward,” Britten says. “My rule of thumb: If a client tries to convince me of someone else’s wrongdoing more than three times, I know they are not ready to move forward, and I suggest therapy might be a more appropriate option.”

Scott says another big difference is that therapists try to help people with problems, while coaches help already healthy people improve their lives.

It’s also important to remember that life coaches are not regulated. There are numerous coach training programs across the country, but no one national standard for certification. Associations like the International Coach Federation have their own credentialing programs, but there is no requirement for anyone who wants to practice life coaching to take part.

Mental health experts say life coaches can help improve someone’s life, provided they’re qualified.

“Learning skills to handle stress, adversities and other life challenges — regardless of the source — is a positive step for any person,” says psychologist Dr. David Shern, president and CEO of the nonprofit group Mental Health America.

He urges anyone interested in going to a life coach to research the profession thoroughly, and he says that life coaches are probably not the best solution for people with serious mental health problems like depression.

Finding a coach

Just like hiring any professional, you should do some homework and shop around before choosing a life coach. Since it’s someone you’ll be working with closely, and probably revealing a lot of personal information to, it’s key to look for someone with whom you feel at ease.

“As with any relationship, it’s important for coach and client to ‘click’ interpersonally. You need to be comfortable with your coach’s personality and communication style,” Scott says.

The International Coach Federation recommends talking to three prospective candidates and requesting two or more references from each. It advises asking the coaches lots of questions, including how much experience they have, how many people they’ve worked with and what specific successes they’ve had in helping their clients.

“The best way to find out which coach is best for you is to ask for a sample session and then use that time to get coached on a real problem, not to ask questions about coaching,” Britten says. “Trust yourself. If the coach isn’t supporting you right off the bat, say ‘thank you’ and move on,” she adds.

You can search a database of coaches credentialed by the International Coach Federation at its Web site: www.coachfederation.org. The International Association of Coaching has a similar tool listing its certified members at www.certifiedcoach.org.

Working with a coach

Once you’ve found a life coach, be prepared to open your mind and your wallet. Britten says an hour-long session with one can cost from $40 to more than $1000.

Many coaches require a three-month commitment to start, and you’re likely to talk with them once a week, in person or by phone.

“Remember that you get out of the coaching experience what you put into it, so hire a coach when you’re ready to make changes, and devote your attention to doing the work,” Scott advises.

“A coach can be a powerful asset, but they will work in a partnership with you, and you determine where you want that partnership to go.”

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If you are interested in professional coaching, please call me at 231-668-9850 or visit my website at True Balance Life Coaching.