Top 5 Holistic Coaching Tips

How well do you coach yourself?

Whether you coach others or not, here are some core coaching concepts you can apply to yourself. They will help your relationships as well.

As you read these five tips, there are some thought-provoking questions to answer. To coach yourself, you'll need focus and attention.

1. Master your self-talk.

Thousands of thoughts pass our mind-body each day. Most go unnoticed -- which can be the problem. As you start to notice what you say to yourself, you might realize you can be unkind to yourself. ("I'm stupid/ugly/a loser," etc.)

The idea is to find the good thoughts (the positive, encouraging and constructive) and emphasize those, while ignoring the negative chatter. The more you focus on the positive, the more those become dominating thoughts. Then you also keep adding good stuff from your life (resources and people).

In effect, tune out the negative and tune in to the positive channels.

So instead of saying, "I'm an idiot, not worth a damn," how about, "I am smart, wonderful, resourceful -- a winner!"

Doesn't that sound better? That's the way to treat yourself!

Watch your thoughts and, for best results, incorporate the rest of the tips.

2. Set goals.

You've heard that before. Do you have written goals?

Visualize your dream life: the things, income, people, travel, free time, and more... Above all, have a chief aim -- a big goal that is believable and achievable.

Goals give you something to shoot for. They help you be a creator, and transcend victim thinking (see tip #1). If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up somewhere else.

3. Be in the moment.

Even though it's wise to have longer-term goals, you live from moment to moment. That means you can only take your next step. It's best to make the most of it and appreciate what's happening today.

Interestingly, our hunter-gatherer ancestors had to be present just to eat and stay alive. For most of us, it's not about surviving... but thriving. To live abundantly, it takes mindfully living in the present.

4. Follow through.

If you decide on something - say a goal - act on it right away. Tell yourself you are good for your word.

It can be a small action. Just take some action.

How often have you neglected to call someone back? How often have you "forgotten" to exercise?

Following your passion when starting is exciting. After the excitement leaves, though, following through takes character and discipline.

Not following through sets off a negative chain of events. Following through will set off a positive cycle.

If your goal is a new career like coaching, your immediate goal could be to research resources (books or courses). If your goal is a romantic relationship, treat yourself like you want to be treated. Smile at yourself in the mirror, for example.

5. Be a connector.

Now that you have the first four tips under way -- positive self-talk, setting goals, being in the moment and following through -- be aware of intentionally connecting with others.

Now that you are smiling at yourself, start smiling regularly at others, even strangers. Pay genuine compliments to people. Call people by their first name and ask how they are doing. Listen intently to what they say.

All of this can make a BIG difference in how others regard you and how you regard yourself. You will expand your connections, and a greater confidence will result.

ULTIMATELY...

Which of the 5 coaching tips has the most energy for you?... That's a coaching question. Coaching is about asking questions so the truth can be discovered and good choices made.

Ultimately, coaching is staying connected. First you connect deeper with yourself, then that radiates out to everyone you meet.