As another year comes to an end, we will be looking back at the past months and reflecting on what has worked so far and what hasn’t. With the new year around the corner, the excitement of starting something new is with us too. Let’s use this positive energy to transform our mistakes into wisdom and envision a future that is meaningful for us.
How Was 2022 For You?
2022 was a transitional year for everyone, after staying home for two years a lot of people needed to go back to the office or the school. So many people reflected on their lives about what they want, what is meaningful and not, what is their life purpose and are they aligned? Additionally, especially younger work force has decided that they would not stay in a place where their values are not appreciated. With that, and big acquisitions of corporations such as Twitter, we had a tsunami of resignations, layoffs, and resentment to work.
What a year we’ve had!
Personally, I believe that these fluctuations are great as they help us to steer our direction towards our life purpose and push us to seek flow of our lives. So, maybe it is time to ask ourselves these existential life-coaching questions:
What do I want to do with my life?
Who do I want to become?
What is a meaningful future for me?
What makes me happy?
What makes me unhappy?
What kind of flow do I want to create in my life?
When it comes to the New Year, the one thing you will hear from everyone is - Resolutions. Especially with the last few years we have had, we can see that everywhere on social media there is wishful thinking, manifestations, resolutions, and we could go on...
We all want to live our best lives. We want to exercise more, be more mindful, meditate more, earn more money… check off the things off our bucket list and more. Then, a few months down the road, we get distracted and start to find excuses to avoid. Then, we feel guilty and worse than before.
In a survey with our FLOW Coaching Institute network, almost 50% of the people told us that they break their New Year Resolutions in 3 months and the main reason is their lack of commitment.
What Can You Do to Overcome the Resolution Resistance?
Flow Coaching Institute has coached, and mentored hundreds of people and we find that there are a few things and questions that you can do and ask yourself to pick the best resolutions for you and be able to stick with them.
Most of the time, we don’t ask ourselves the right questions and we tend to follow what everyone else is doing without looking internally and realizing what the best goals and resolutions for us in our current time are and being now.
Questions to Ask Yourself to Resolutions That Resonate
2. What are the 3 main things you like doing and would love to do more of?
3. Which 3 main areas do you want to evolve in?
With these self-reflective life coaching questions, now you can curate a resolution list that is more effective and productive. Prioritizing is the key to success in anything you can think of. This principle applies to new year resolutions as well. This way, you are more inclined to want to see it through because is it deeply rooted in the way you want to grow, be, and show up in the world.
So, there you have it - our thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions, keeping them, maintaining them, and thriving at them.
We wish you all the best and for a much more eventful 2023 ahead for you.
How do you maintain your New Year’s Resolutions? We would love to hear from you!
What is business coaching?
Business coaching is a process that helps individuals and organizations achieve their goals. It’s a partnership between a coach and a client, in which the coach uses their experience and expertise to help the client achieve their desired outcome. Coaching is based on a relationship between equals, where the client is in charge of their own success. The coach is there to support and facilitate the client’s success, but they don’t do it for them. Coaching can be used in a variety of settings, from one-on-one coaching to group coaching. It can be used to help individuals achieve personal goals, such as becoming a better leader or to help organizations achieve their goals, such as increasing sales. In the corporate world, coaching is often done in groups, where leaders can support and challenge each other to help them achieve their goals.
The benefits of business coaching
There are many benefits to business coaching, one of which is that it is a sustainable process. It’s a continuous process that allows people to develop new skills and strategies for the long term. It also helps individuals become self-aware — that is, they become aware of their strengths, weaknesses, and inner thoughts and feelings. This self-awareness empowers people to make better decisions in their professional and personal lives. It also helps people to live more authentic lives, where they are comfortable with who they are. Business coaching also gives people a safe place to explore their options. It gives them time to reflect and experiment with new ideas and strategies. This is especially important when people have pressing issues they need to solve. For example, if you’re experiencing difficult relationships with certain people, business coaching can help you gain the insights and tools you need to move forward in a positive way.
The role of business coaching in the corporate world
Business coaching is a growing field, and its popularity is on the rise. In the corporate world, coaching is often done in groups. This is because the process of coaching is more effective when several people do it at once. You can get the most out of coaching when you’re in a group of people who are at a similar level of development. When you’re in a group, you can learn from each other and challenge each other to help each person grow. Business coaching groups are led by a coach, who helps the members challenge themselves and each other to help them achieve their goals. Coaching groups are often used in organizations to help leaders and managers improve their skills and become better leaders. For example, coaching groups can help senior leaders become more effective mentors and coaches.
How business coaching can help you grow
When you work with a coach, they help you identify your goals and create strategies to achieve them. They help you to identify and overcome the challenges that are holding you back. They also help you to create a plan for implementation and follow up to help you stay on track. Business coaching can help you to become a better leader and manager. It can help you to build stronger relationships with your team members, customers, and colleagues. It can help you to become more confident in your abilities and be more assertive when necessary. It can help you to become more effective in your job by increasing your productivity. Business coaching can help you develop your career and be successful in your job. It can help you to set and achieve your goals, both short- and long-term. It can help you to improve your communication skills, leadership skills, decision-making skills, and productivity.
Conclusion
When you work with a coach, you are choosing to invest in yourself and your professional development. Coaching is a proven process that can help you achieve your goals and be successful in your job. Business coaching can help you to become a better leader and manager, improve your communication skills, and become more effective at work.
Confidence and self-esteem are two of the most important aspects that drive our behaviour, thoughts and habits in life. Having high self-esteem and confidence is not something that you are born with. It is a set of skills that needs to be developed over time. Everyone struggles from time to time with their self-confidence and self-esteem but it’s how we deal with those challenges that matter in the end. Having low confidence and self-esteem can have negative implications on your personal relationships, performance at work or school, hobbies, and almost every other aspect of your life. Luckily, there are many ways to increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem through self-coaching and confidence-boosting life coaching skills support. So, read on for our practical tips on how to build confidence and self-esteem
Be Realistic
When we struggle with low self-confidence and self-esteem, we often fall into the trap of being too pessimistic about our abilities in every aspect of life. We are overly critical of ourselves and others, and we focus more on our mistakes than on our successes. Being overly pessimistic is not a good basis to build self-confidence or self-esteem. So, the first step to building confidence and self-esteem is to be more realistic. When you are not feeling that confident, stop and ask yourself what is the reason behind it. It will help you to gain a more realistic perspective on the present situation and allow you to take more informed actions that can help you to overcome your challenge. It is important to understand that we all have strengths and weaknesses. No one is ever perfect. Accepting your imperfections and being realistic about your abilities is a big step towards building more confidence and self-esteem in life.
Change Your Perspective
When you are struggling with low confidence and self-esteem, it can be helpful to change your perspective on the situation. For example, if you are struggling with a personal relationship, instead of focusing on what you have done wrong and the other person’s mistakes, focus on your strengths and the other person’s best qualities. It will help you to reframe the challenge and open up new opportunities to solve the problem. In the example of a personal relationship, it will help you to gain a new perspective on the relationship that can help you to make it stronger. When you change your perspective in life, you can also change your feelings, thoughts and actions.
Build a Stronger Self-Image
A lot of confidence and self-esteem come from the image you have of yourself. It’s how you perceive yourself and feel about yourself. It’s important to try to build a stronger self-image so that you feel better about yourself and your abilities. There are many ways to build a stronger self-image, for example, by identifying your strengths, practicing gratitude, setting goals, and visualizing success. It’s important to learn how to build a stronger self-image because when you have a positive view of yourself, it will help you to avoid comparing yourself to others, it will help you to forgive yourself when you make mistakes, and it will allow you to forgive others more easily as well. It will also allow you to set higher standards for yourself and to dream big in life.
Confidence Exercises
There are confidence-building life coaching exercises that can help you to boost your self-esteem and confidence in life. For example, identify a goal that you have been putting off and visualize yourself achieving that goal as if it’s already happened. It will help you to believe in your own abilities and give you the motivation and energy to put in the effort towards achieving that goal. Another great confidence exercise is to create a positive self-talk list. Every day, write down the things that you do well, things that you like about yourself, and all of the positive aspects of your life. It will help you to acknowledge your strengths and build a stronger self-image that will help you to boost your confidence and self-esteem in life. There are many other confidence exercises that can help you to build confidence in life. Try to identify which ones work best for you and start implementing them in your life.
Developing Self-Esteem
Another important aspect of building confidence and self-esteem is building self-esteem. Self-esteem refers to your view of yourself and your sense of self-worth. It is essentially based on the way that you think and feel about yourself. It’s important to identify the thoughts and feelings behind your low self-esteem and then learn how to change them so that you can build a higher level of self-esteem in life. There are many ways to build higher self-esteem and there are also many ways to destroy your self-esteem. For example, when you are struggling with low self-esteem, it can be helpful not to compare yourself with others. It will only bring you down and make your negative feelings about yourself stronger. Instead, try to focus on your own strengths and positive aspects.
Conclusion
Confidence and self-esteem are two of the most important aspects that drive our behaviour, thoughts and habits in life. Having high self-esteem and confidence is not something that you are born with. It is a set of skills that needs to be developed over time. When you are struggling with low confidence and self-esteem, it’s important to be realistic, change your perspective, build a stronger self-image, and develop higher self-esteem so that you can boost your confidence and self-esteem in life.
Did you know that 70% of resignations happen because of the relationship with managers? Surprisingly, we still see so many authoritarian leaders, who ‘tell’ or ‘direct’, in today’s organizations. There are times when this style of leadership works, but there are other times where it does not. In today’s fast-paced business environment, it is so risky to rely on one person to know everything and have the majority of the decision-making power.
Coaching leadership style is the opposite of knowing everything and telling everything. Instead of directing, coaching leaders ask their employees for their opinions and involvement. Coaching leaders want their employees to own their responsibilities and initiate their responses. They help their employees identify their strengths and weaknesses, and coach them on their personal and professional progress. Coaching leaders do not focus on past mistakes and failures, but rather on learning for future possibilities and increasing their potential. They encourage their people to establish goals and help them conceptualize a plan to attain them. These types of leaders are not afraid of providing constructive criticism as this information is beneficial to the recipient. When they facilitate performance evaluations, they always complete them with a personal and professional developmental plan.
Coaching leaders have a growth mindset; they would like to see their employees pushing their limits and skills, using their knowledge, and challenging their capabilities as this has a direct impact on business. Employees are given stimulating tasks and assignments and they are coached along the way to ensure greater success.
Many leaders believe that learning how to coach is a time-consuming luxury. To them, focusing on business and telling people what to do is better. In the day-to-day happenings in a business this approach may be easier, but in the long-run it can be detrimental. With coaching leadership, employees learn and grow to be quality contributors which in turn ensures success for future strategy and research that will have a positive long-term impact on business. It may appear contradictory, but the coaching leadership style is used more in corporations of fast-paced emerging markets than in North America. In many emerging markets, as the growth rate is high and population is young, they need their leaders to be involved with and responsible for the growth of their employees. In those organizations, coaching direct reports and supporting their progress is one of the top KPIs (KPI: Key Performance Indicator).
Bottom line? Leadership is not a title or position - it is a skill and as the world changes, the managerial requirements change. Coaching leadership style is another skill set that today’s contemporary leader must have in order to lead successfully and have quality relationships with employees. It is not a luxury.
The pressure at work is increasing, and that’s taking a toll on employee wellbeing. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 62% of workers reported high stress levels in their job. Unfortunately, stress is also one of the main causes of performance problems at work. When your stress levels are high, it becomes more difficult to concentrate, you make more mistakes, and you get exhausted faster. Stress has such a negative impact on your performance because it lowers your cognitive abilities and makes you less able to focus on what’s important. Understandably, people become anxious in high-stress situations. And this is good news: We can train our brain to react differently when we feel stressed. The bad news is that this is not an innate response but a skill that needs to be practiced over time. Here are some suggestions on how to reduce stress and perform better at work:
Make your working environment more comfortable
If your physical environment is cramped, uncomfortable and generally not conducive to work, you’re going to feel stressed. You might have a small office with poor lighting, a loud and disruptive environment, or no privacy. You might be expected to use a computer that is slow or old, or you might have a ten-hour workday with no breaks. All of these things and more can cause you to feel stressed. No one’s job is perfect, but you can always try to improve your situation. Ask yourself if your work environment supports you, or if it’s actively hurting you. If it’s the latter, speak up! Your health and productivity are worth it.
Practice breathing exercises
Breathing exercises are one of the best ways to relax and relieve stress. When you’re stressed, your breath becomes short and shallow. Deep breathing exercises, on the other hand, are proven to reduce stress and improve focus. The best part? You can do it anywhere and it takes only a few minutes. The simplest breathing exercise is the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Start by inhaling for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. And exhale for a count of eight. Repeat this for about three minutes. This exercise trains your body to respond to stress in a less reactive way. Try it on your next extremely busy day, and see if it helps you to stay calm and focused. The other benefits of breathing exercises are that they can improve your mood and relieve mild anxiety and depression. They can also lower your blood pressure, which is great for your overall health.
Schedule time to de-stress
As many employees tend to do, you might be trying to fit everything in and do everything as quickly as possible. This leads to stress, and eventually, a drop in productivity. When you’re feeling stressed, take a few minutes to de-stress with a technique you’re comfortable with. This might be a breathing exercise, or it could be a short meditation session. If you’re new to meditation, it might take a while before you feel the benefits. Be patient, and don’t give up. Meditation is a skill that needs to be practiced over time before you see results. If you’re a fan of physical activities, try yoga or a stretch routine. If you prefer a less active approach, try reading a book or listening to music. Whatever you do to de-stress, try to make it a regular part of your day.
Meditate regularly
Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention on the present moment, without judgment. There are many different types of meditation, and it’s important to find a type that works for you. You can try different types of meditation to discover which ones work best for you. Benefits of meditation include reduced anxiety, less stress, and improved focus and clarity. It can also help you sleep better and reduce your overall feelings of stress. Regular meditation can help you perform better at work, improve your relationships, and increase your overall well-being. If you’re not used to meditating, start with just five minutes. You can do this while sitting or lying down. You can do it anywhere and at any time. Try to make it a part of your daily routine. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more benefits you’ll see.
Exercise and get enough sleep
Physical activity is not only good for your health, it’s also a great way to reduce stress and improve your focus. If you have a busy work schedule, it can be difficult to find time to exercise. Luckily, exercise doesn’t have to be a long and drawn-out activity. The Harvard Business Review recommends micro breaks as a way to refresh your mind and give yourself a boost of energy when you’re feeling stressed. Even a short activity like taking a walk or lifting some weights can help relieve your stress and give you clarity. Make sure you schedule enough sleep in your workday. A good night’s sleep has many health benefits, and it can also help you reduce stress. Getting enough sleep gives you more energy and reduces your stress levels in the long run.
Conclusion
Stress is an inevitable part of life — it’s how you handle it that matters. With self-awareness, you can choose how to respond to challenges at work. You can learn how to reduce stress and perform better by making your work environment more comfortable, practicing breathing exercises, scheduling time to de-stress, meditating regularly, and exercising and getting enough sleep.
Start building your dream life now by becoming a certified professional business coach and working from anywhere and everywhere!
Jodey was an HR Business Partner in a Canadian company when she started FLOW’s online-live Business Coaching ICF Certification training program. After completing Modules 1-5 of the Business Coaching ICF ACSTH Certification, Jodey continued with Module 6 and completed the All-Inclusive Advanced Certification. While she was still a student coach, Jodey kept coaching her colleagues, friends, and peers in the program. She had this dream of skipping the Canadian winter by working remotely. Becoming a certified business coach was not only a way of increasing her skill set, but also giving herself the life that she had dreamt of. She set herself a three-year time frame and built up her clientele in that period. At the end of the third year, she had 12 individual clients and 3 corporate contracts that allowed her to rent a house in the Caribbeans for 6 months and work from there. Since then, Jodey has been living abroad for six months and coaching from anywhere and everywhere.
FLOW’s online Business Coaching Certification training allows Jodey to work with entrepreneurs as well as executives. Because of her background, Jodey is comfortable in helping businesses and managers to create a cultural shift in their people and culture policies, strategies, and executions. With the coaching certification, she has gained new tools and techniques that enable her to work in this context and become a business coach aka ‘successful change agent’ she always wanted to be.
Interested in this success story since you have similar goals?
Now is the time to turn your daydreams into reality!
Take a look at the ICF 60 ACSTH Business Coaching Certification Program as your first step and plan the path towards your future that is full of flexibility and freedom that you’ve been wanting!
Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s one of the most challenging and rewarding paths you can take as a professional, but it also comes with its fair share of pitfalls. These are some of the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make, such as working in isolation or failing to set measurable goals. Having a coach is an excellent way to help mitigate these dangers and ensure your business thrives. A business coach will serve as an unbiased third party who will listen to your concerns, ask insightful questions, and challenge you on areas that need improvement. Regardless of where your company stands right now, having a business coach can be a dynamic partner in your success moving forward. Here are four things every entrepreneur needs to hear from their business coach.
Be honest about your current situation
One of the most important things a business coach can do is help you be honest with yourself about your current situation and where you are currently at with your business. You’ll want to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses so that you can better strategize with your coach. If you’ve been operating in isolation and aren’t honest with yourself, your business will never grow, and you’ll never know what areas you need to improve on. If you’ve been working in a silo for a while, a business coach can help you get a fresh perspective on how your business is performing and where it needs to go next. A business coach will also be able to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses, which will help you figure out where you should focus your energy.
Set measurable goals for the future
When your coach asks you where you want to be in six months or a year from now, think carefully about the answer. Having clearly defined goals is the first step in being able to achieve anything. You should make sure that your goals are specific, measurable, and attainable so that you can fully focus your attention on getting there. Make sure that once you’ve set your goals, you revisit them regularly to see if you’re making any progress. A business coach is a great resource to have when setting goals because they can act as a sounding board when you’re trying to determine what your goals should be. Your coach will be able to ask you insightful questions that may otherwise have gone unasked.
Learn to say no and commit to only the best ideas
Even though you want to set clear goals, that doesn’t mean you should take on every project or client that comes your way. There will be times when the best decision for your company is to turn down business that isn’t a good fit for your company. If you’re open to every new project that comes along, you’ll never be able to focus your energy on the projects that are most important to your business. Businesses that are constantly trying to take on too much risk losing focus on their core values and the qualities that make them uniquely special. An experienced business coach will be able to help you learn to say no and focus your attention on the projects that are the best fit for your team. A business coach will also help you prioritize the existing projects on your plate. Having a coach will also help you commit to only the best ideas that are currently on your plate.
Don’t be afraid to pivot or try something new
One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make is getting so invested in a single idea that they ignore new opportunities. The business world is always changing, and it’s important that you don’t get so attached to any one idea that you fail to adapt to these changes. If a situation arises where you need to pivot or completely change your approach, you’ll want to make sure that you’re open to these changes and ready to make the necessary adjustments. A business coach will be able to help you navigate this change and make sure that you don’t get so attached to any one idea that you miss out on other opportunities to grow your business. A business coach will have experience working with clients in a variety of different industries, and they can help you navigate their expertise in these varying industries to keep you on track and moving forward.
Conclusion
When you partner with a business coach, you’re gaining access to someone who understands the unique challenges of entrepreneurship and has the experience to help you overcome them. A business coach will be able to offer you a fresh perspective and help you identify areas where you need to improve. Having a business coach can help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure that you’re focusing on the right things. The most important thing you can do is be open to what a business coach has to say and be ready to make some changes. If you’re an entrepreneur who is ready to take your business to the next level and make real progress towards your goals, it’s time to find a business coach.
A year from now, where would you like to be?
Imagine… a year has passed, and we are in the next year.
Now, even for a flash moment, see yourself smiling and living in your best flow… feeling, living, and experiencing an increased sense of fulfillment in your life.
What do you see?
Where are you?
What do you do?
Who are you with?
Now… imagine a few people approaching you. They thank you for your support in their life. They smile, you smile… How do you feel now?
Do you like what you see?
Now…imagine a year has passed and nothing has changed. All is the same. How do you feel? In this picture, how happy are you with yourself when all is the same?
What realization does this mini self-coaching exercise give you?
If you realize that something needs to change, start planning your actions today. If during visualizing, you saw yourself helping and supporting others, becoming a coach might be a path that will make you happy. Let’s test!
Imagine yourself a year from now… You see yourself in a room or maybe outdoors. You have clients and you’re coaching them towards achieving flow in their personal and professional lives. Because of you, they feel more confident, clarity and empowered. They tell you that, they would not experience such a positive shift without you. How do you feel in that picture? If happy, then, coaching might be the right path for you.
As life coaches, we also need coaching support. Best life coaches are those of us who are the most coachable. Below, we share with you a brief exercise to help you gain clarity on your current challenges or desires about your future. Enjoy!
What would your future self-advice you about how you spend your time today?
We time travel. All of us spend most of our time either worrying or dreaming about our future. If we leave our mind to its state, we’ll find ourselves wandering through time with no attention in demand and this natural state of mind is not productive.
Experiencing a sense of productivity increases our sense of flow and contentment with ourselves. According to Positive Psychology researchers, it also increases our confidence and self-esteem.
Play with us as we introduce you to a mini-coaching exercise. Before you start, please take a few deep breaths, and get comfortable. Depending on your ability to self-concentrate, this exercise might take 5 minutes to 15-20 minutes.
Now, suppose you’ve invited your future self to ask for advice about yourself and your current life. You see your future self in your mind’s eye (even for a flash moment). Then, you ask about a piece of advice that will help you with today and prepare you for a happier future? Ask your questions and listen. Pay attention to your body’s sensations and feelings.
What advice did you get from your future self?
How do you feel about it?
What will you do about it?
Take your notes, and perhaps even journal about the insight.
If you seek an increased sense of meaning, joy, and happiness that includes helping yourself and others, we would like to share our experiences as FLOW Professional Coaches.
Coaching is a powerful partnership that is hugely impactful in leadership development. Professional coaches are specifically trained to ask questions that stretch their client's perspectives and give light to their blind spots. Let's break down some of the top thought-provoking leadership and coaching questions that will help you grow your leadership skills personally and professionally.
Leadership is a journey. Some of us have it in our bones where others become leaders later in life as they face situations where they have to learn and practice. Whether you are a natural-born leader or learned to become one later in life, one thing is for sure that you need to keep developing yourself. The only constant in life is change - and as someone who wants to become a leader, you need to accept that you will have to constantly change to become a better version of yourself.
Who do you want to be as a leader? Once you have internalized and found answers to these questions, it will help you and your team to embody and to bring improved leadership qualities into your personal/professional life.
Authentic leaders have a habit of self-reflection as staying true to who they really are. Leaders who care also pay a lot of attention to who they are becoming because they are always focused on growth. They know that when you come to the same office every day, there is a tendency to become mediocre without notice.
Therefore they keep asking themselves self-reflective questions or they hire coaches who will ask them these questions! Self-awareness is a core value for them. The following self-reflective questions exercise may offer a new perspective on how you see your leadership contributing to your life and work.
And as you answer the questions below, take a moment to notice how your own answers resonate with you.
P/s: You know what; these questions make fabulous leadership journal prompts - so grab your journal and write a few sentences!
After you've done this exercise, write them down and add a date to these answers. We also suggest that you should do this exercise at least 2-3 times a year. We all change every day, and sometimes you might not notice it because daily changes are negligible. But, if you go back and answer the same questions over a large period of time then your changes will be a lot more noticeable.
What are some of the top leadership qualities you believe a leader should have? And how did you realize how important they were? I'd love to know!
If you are looking to become a coach yourself, click this schedule to see when our next intake is! We can't wait to work with you.