The beginning of a new year is often a time when individuals vow to change their ways. And, while change is all well and good, and even something which has been written about on this site in many a posting, I was struck by the picture and saying on my January 2012 calendar. The scene is of a forest, likely in one of our national parks. All the trees are snow covered and majestic mountains are present in the background. It is obvious that this area has been like this for many years. Above the picture is the word, PRINCIPLES. Below the picture are the following words: “Firmly rooted values provide a strong foundation for lasting success.”
As I reflected on my coaching practice in 2011, it occurred to me just how much these words mean as I work with my clients. The large majority of my practice is in career coaching. Clients that work with me many times are looking to move to a career which has greater meaning for them. Others may be currently out of work, or working in part-time employment until the right full time opportunity becomes available. No matter what their situation is, I find that my clients get most discouraged when they hope that the “quick fix” will get them what they most want. On the other hand, they become most energized when they follow a set of process steps which are based on building a lasting basis for future success.
When working with any of my clients, whether they be career or life based, I am firmly basing my preparation for my sessions with them on the principles that I have learned in my coaching studies. For career clients those are based on a research tested and measured methodology that has helped move forward thousands of Five O’Clock Club clients over the last 30 years. For my life coaching based clients, the principles of Energy Leadership that I learned at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching were developed based on over 20 years of study. They are continually evaluated by clients who have participated in taking IPEC’s Energy Leadership Index assessment and have provided survey feedback on how after being introduced and applied the concepts they have moved forward in their life. In short, the methods have been proven to work. They may not always be easy to apply and at times can seem counter intuitive. For example, for someone unemployed, it is not always easy for them to hear they need to narrow their focus and be more specific in their job search. The natural tendency is to apply for every job one comes across. However, when done on a continual basis that approach actually confuses the job seeker making them come off as insincere and desperate in their search.
As you begin 2012 take time to evaluate how you are living your life. What is it that you are truly looking to accomplish in the coming year? How are you planning to go about obtaining it? If it is something you have sought in the past, what steps have you taken to get there that have worked for you? Do those steps take advantage of your strengths and are they part of the foundation of who you are as you live your life? If so, you likely want to keep building on those strengths as you move forward toward your goal.
Yes, there will come time when you will need to consider changing approaches. However, before committing to the change you are looking to make, is it consistent with your values and the rest of your approach? Is it possibly just a fad that worked for a person or two, and now you are hoping that it will work for you? Does the change involve establishing a lasting relationship with possibly a new individual or new organization in your life? If so, are you looking to foster and build that relationship further, or are you just looking to use it for what you can get from it and move on? To build change without “putting down roots”, may possibly get you a temporary triumph, but most likely will have you bouncing from possibility to possibility and ultimately accomplishing very little.
As you begin to move through the coming year make a commitment to yourself to challenge yourself as to where you are focusing your efforts. The more firmly your actions are based on who you are, what you are looking to accomplish and take into account that you may not get there as quickly as you like, the likelihood becomes all the stronger that you are setting yourself up for a success that will last you for a long time to come.
