Working on mindset shifts is an integral part of the coaching toolkit. It is necessary in order to reach all goals.
People will give you clues about their current mindset with the words they choose to use.
Defined as a habitual way of thinking and processing; here are two common mindsets we discuss in our Life Coach Essentials course:
- 1. Toward vs Away: We are motivated to move either toward something or away from something. “I can’t wait to be done with this” or “I can’t wait to start my next project”.
- 2. Internal vs External: Motivated either internally or of personal interest to us or externally motivated by things that really have no personal relevance. “I love this subject and want to learn all that I can”, vs “I just want to get through this exam and pass the course”.
Check out this amazing tool for getting into the perspective of anyone categorized by their incoming college year:
Here are 4 ways to be effective when working on mindset shifts.
Steer your client towards thinking about great outcomes. Specialize in helping develop a custom vision of how things should really be. This is hard for people to do by themselves when wallowing in a swamp full of despair.
Lovingly hold them accountable for their vision and action plan. Ensure they maintain ownership and accountability over the issues, the vision, and the plan. Without this accountability, the chances are high that they won’t stick to it.
Tell it like it is. The ability to be able to say what clients NEED to hear and not succumb to telling what they WANT to hear is valuable! Working on a mindset shift can be brutal work!
Help them see balance. Life may not be a bowl of cherries, but it’s not all doom and gloom either. Can you get them to see, recognize, and exploit their strengths, while you are working on their weaknesses?
Yours in sobriety!
