Life Coaching

Every month I am interviewed by radio station 99.7fm to talk about topical issues in Psychology. This month I talk about coaching. See below for a summary transcript

Leslie: What is Coaching?

Coaching is about developing your potential and about creating positive change in your life and to be sure that you are maintaining these changes over the long-term.

So how do people go about changing their behaviour?

To change a certain behaviour, people usually go through 5 stages of change; Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action & Maintenance.

So you really do have to change your habits don’t you?

A lot of people don’t realise to change a particular habit takes 3 weeks to a mouth of engaging in that particular behaviour (maintenance).

Its about self-discipline isn’t it? (And that’s the hard bit).

Definitely and that’s why going to see a coach can help cos they keep you on track and accountable.

Leslie: So what does coaching entail?

It entails

(i) clarifying what you want from your life. Setting effective and realistic goals. This usually happens near the start of the process;

(ii) monitoring your progress, on your journey of change and sticking to your commitments/ goals

(iii) making sure that you stay focused and challenged

(iv) re-examining your ideas/ plans and strategies. Often people feel the need to adjust their goals throughout the process, which is fine; and

(v) identifying your life values and making sure that your goals set and behaviour reflect these. So often people act in accordance with societies values and not their own and this is when internal conflict appears.

And you change Mark don’t you? Goals that you set this year will be different from your goals for next year?

Even if you set your goals, you can change them. A lot of people who come to me are initially scared to set their goals, because they think they have to stick to them and not change them

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