Hitting The Snooze On Yourself

Where in your life do you want to wake up?

Ah, the delicious “snooze”. Have you got your phone set so that you can hit the snooze button without even looking (and not accidentally shut off the alarm in the process)? Have you ever proclaimed yourself snooze Queen or King? I’ve known a few, and I’ve even claimed that title in the past!

Hitting the snooze is something that many of us do in the morning, to grab a few more of those precious cozy minutes, slip back into the dream, or delay the inevitable. The alarm will eventually rouse us and we forge ahead (or drag our feet) into the day. However, I’ve noticed that there are many areas of life that people “hit the snooze” on, and they never quite wake up. I bet you can recognize many common ones: delaying a job search, putting off financial planning, or simply ignoring a closet whose contents are spilling onto the floor.

We’re all guilty of snoozing

There are other ways we hit the snooze – I often hear about things that people are procrastinating on, like saving for a wonderful vacation or transforming their exercise and eating habits. Here’s a big one for people who aren’t in a relationship – they put off dating! They say they’d love to meet someone, but they just hope that someone falls into their lap, while they know that in these busy times, it actually takes some effort to meet suitable people and get to know them.

All of these things would improve their lives, so why do people hit the snooze and continue to put it off? Here’s a secret that we all know – it is easier not to take any action. It’s easier to push it off, to stick to routine, to shove hopes and goals into the future – because deep down, a voice inside might be saying “you’ll never make it, it’s too much work, why try?” If you never try, you can’t get let down, so you keep snoozing away – and that goal remains just a nice dream.

Get specific! Focus on the little things

How about you choose a special goal to wake up to? Get out of the metaphorical bedhead and put your feet on the floor! Choose ONE thing to work on, and begin by brainstorming small steps. Really break it down into manageable things that you can do in your day. Do you want to save money? 1 – stop by your bank and set up a linked account 2 – create a small recurring transfer  3 – forget about it while it accumulates! Or make an actual piggy bank, and then “deposit” the small bills left in your wallet at the end of the day.  Have fun with it! Want to meet people? Your checkoff list might include 1- email two people and invite them to a party 2 - RSVP to a meetup for something you want to learn more about, and 3 - enlist a friend to help you with an online profile. Do these things even once a week, and you’ll get more results than you are right now! You have to start somewhere, but if you focus on the little things, big movements can start to happen.

Don't go it alone

Here's another secret - you'll have more success if you don't do this alone. Real change can be a challenging process, and it makes a huge difference to have a person to plan with and help you stay on course over time. Through coaching and accountability, you can identify a neglected area of life to pay attention to, and as you move through the tasks, you begin to see wonderful and amazing outcomes.

One of my joys is helping people get things rolling. This year, clients of mine have left a toxic job for a much better one, had closure on a relationship which opened the door for a healthier and happier partner, turned their small consulting business into a launch pad for a new career, increased their self-confidence which led to public speaking engagements… and every one of them came through with a strong sense of pride (and a little shock) that they made these things happen! They accomplished them by getting clear on their goal, and then starting with small steps – it works.

Do you want to experience finding clarity in your goals, and creating your own path which will lead you there? You can join the people who did something different – they stopped hitting the snooze.

Ask yourself - where in my life do I want to wake up?

That Thing You Keep Repeating...

While I talk with clients, I listen for phrases they say frequently. If someone repeats a phrase in session, they are likely repeating it to themselves, possibly on a daily basis. Their friends might say yes, they’ve heard it, too. The person who is doing the “negative self-talk” might not realize how often it comes out of their mouth! It might be something like “I hate my job” or “I won’t succeed here” or self-deprecating statements like “I’m stupid” or ”I can’t do anything right”.

 

When you repeat something to yourself or out loud, it can become deeply ingrained in your mind. It takes on a power of its own. The words start to feel like “truth”. There may be aspects of the job that you don’t like – but do you truly hate it? If not, stop telling yourself that you do, because those words keep you feeling angry and resentful, even while you are planning to stay in that job.  If you honestly say “yes, I really hate it!”, then by all means, stop the complaints and start taking steps. Give yourself permission to get out. Your well-being is worth the effort.

If you’re repeating things like “I’m stupid” or “I’ll never make it”, that’s a big, bad message to your subconscious. You might have started saying this to be funny or to shy away from attention. If you had bad experiences with people putting you down when you were younger, you may have picked up that message - and now you’re just doing it to yourself. You didn’t deserve that to begin with, so cut it out!

The first step is to notice when the phrases crop up. What are the circumstances? Are you sick of hearing them? Would you like to replace them with something better? If so, take action! Find someone to work with you on fixing that broken record. Depending on the circumstances, coaching or therapy can help you shift your thinking.

I can help you learn new strategies and steps to take, and even physical moves and brain-based exercises which stop the anxious/negative internal routines. You can practice consciously "re-framing" the statements. You can make a point of saying things in a stronger, clearer, more confident way. When you use techniques to speak with integrity and self-respect, your brain - and those around you - will get the message.

So… what else can you say?!

 

"Life Coaching is BS"

“Life Coaching is BS”

That’s the impression I got from the comments on a friend’s Facebook post. He’d written about being contacted by a young woman who identified herself as a life coach. His statement “no life coach can be 22 years old” got a lot of responses, many funny but a few pointed, even angry.  People responded to the age issue and the subject of coaching in general. One said that a 22 year old “could be [a coach] for a 12 year old”. Animals, nature and young children were mentioned as ways to get “life coaching”. Sure, I agree with you, those are wonderful things to pay attention to and learn from! But that’s not what life coaching is.

Then someone asserted “some of the most dysfunctional people I know are life coaches” and stated “doesn’t being a coach usually mean you’ve retired?” They went on to say that a life coach must have been “injured by life… or retired from the sport”. That seemed pretty off-base (but it got a lot of “likes”.) Another bluntly said “I inherently feel that life coaches are bullshit, just another way to cash in on the insecurities of others”. (More likes and replies)

That left me sad, annoyed, and wishing I could have a conversation with them. 

I wrote Well-trained coaches learn methods and skills which can be used by people of any age. A 22 year old could theoretically be a good coach, if they had good self-management, boundaries, patience, insight, focus etc... some kind of maturity... they don't have to have done what a client is working on. If you are a client, you wouldn't be trying to look at your coach as an example of the way to live, but talking to them about how YOU want to live. This is different from other types of coaching (like sports, where it really helps to have the personal experience).”

I added “When I got certified, there were younger people in my class who seemed quite 'good' at helping their clients (who were often older). That said, I think my experience (in life, and as a therapist) does make me a stronger coach overall... And yes, there are hacks of all ages out there who call themselves coaches, but it’s pretty easy to figure out if you’re getting something out of the work – if you’re not, move on!”

How did they respond to my reasoned thinking and personal experience as a coach? I got exactly one “like” - from my friend who originally posted the statement!

 I was frustrated by the assumptions, and realized many people think that:

Life coaches tell you how to live your life.

Life coaches have to be an expert in your way of life.

Life coaches will tell you anything to get you to spend money, and don’t care about the value to you.

These three assumptions have nothing to do with coaching as I know it, from my own training and experience. I realize that the term “life coaching” itself sets up some of these beliefs, but the there is a lot more to it than the label implies. If I thought these things were true, I might also have a knee-jerk reaction to the idea of life coaching!

Here’s my approach:

I will not tell you how to live your life. I believe that you know what you want… but you may not be putting enough energy and time into realizing and following through on it.  We will identify what you want to change, what you want to keep, and where you want to get to. The answers come from you, not me!

I will not pretend to be an expert on what you do or how you live. I don’t have to have experienced everything you want to do in order to support you in doing it! If I don’t know much about the subject, I will ask you to explain what’s useful to know about the business/ relationship/project you are working on, so that I understand what’s going into your decisions.

I will only work with you in a voluntary, productive, beneficial and agreed-upon partnership. In our conversations, we will identify specific steps towards your goal. I help hold you accountable for the actions. When we talk about insecurities, it’s because the value of overcoming fears in order to make a leap is enormous.

Coaching is to help YOU envision, and then take action towards your own best life – not to imitate mine or anyone else’s!