I love this time of year.
We are welcoming new possibilities and fresh goals as we enter our last quarter for the year.
Where I live, the cooler temperature is inviting me to invest in greater intentionality in what I do and how I live.
Have you taken time to create space for yourself to do some self reflection and self coaching lately?
Whether the leaves fall or stay green where you live, October offers a perfect opportunity for the delicious practice of self reflection and self coaching.
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
L. M. Montgomery
Self coaching has been on my mind lately.
When my husband first mentioned this concept and practice, I thought it might put coaches out of business.
On the contrary.
The more I explore this path, the more I see how it complements and enriches the already quality conversations with a coach.
No amount of AI or internal self reflection can replace the nuances that a skilled coach can pick up: what they observe, hear, feel, and sense.
Moreover, a coach’s thought-provoking questions, different perspectives, and new insights are worth their weight in gold for one’s personal growth and development.
Here’s my own coaching on this in a previous entry if you’d like to go further.
Take time for meaningful discussions, self reflection and great coaching conversations!
A great coach challenges you and stretches your thinking.
An excellent coach holds you accountable in ways you may resist on your own.
A masterful coach goes deeper — they help you look inward and help you get clearer about who you are – your brilliance and your true purpose of living.
How Self Reflective Are You?
Taking time for self awareness is essential.
It’s important to intentionally pause, even if just for a brief moment, to focus on self awareness.
What exactly is self awareness?
Here’s a definition from Ron (my husband) on it.
“Self awareness is being aware of what is going on inside of you, what you’re thinking, feeling and experiencing.”
Ron Oltmanns (leadskill.com)
Here are a few self coaching questions to consider:
Rate Your Self Awareness:
How self aware are you of what you feel, think and experience each moment?
Ask the same question stretched over a day or even a week.
Increase Your Self Knowledge:
We become aware of sensations and things that we were not conscious of.
We are starting to know ourselves.
What are you conscious of? This can include feelings and emotions.
How much do you judge what you know of yourself?
Be Objective with Your Self Evaluation:
Which one do you do more – tell yourself more positive or negative things about yourself?
And before you quip with a fast answer, I invite you to engage in a 10 minute breathwork exercise.
Observe your thoughts and answers to that question. Observe what comes up without judgment.
You’ll be surprised by what you notice.
Try recording what you notice in a journal.
Enjoy going deeper visually?
Check out my video clip of quotes and notebook designs from my Camino de Santiago notebook collection below.
This October, give yourself a warm hug. Get curious with yourself again.
Until the next time,
Angela
PS. Shop lovingly crafted Camino de Santiago notebooks by clicking the link here.