7 Ways that leaders can make a positive impact on those they lead

Confident leaders know that people, who feel they matter, will. People who feel they don’t matter, won’t.

1.   Develop their skills. Competence means I matter.

2.   Give them authority to make choices. Warren Buffet said, “Delegate almost to the point of abdication.” He owns over 80 businesses. The third richest man in the world (Forbes 2011) tells the CEO’s of his businesses that he doesn’t expect to hear from them more than once a year. He says the business is yours; you run it.

3.   Explain their impact. Create goals, milestones, and deliverables that highlight the results of their efforts, positive or negative.

4.   Tie daily behaviors to purpose. Tell them what their behaviors mean in practical terms. One social enterprise that worked with single mothers brought single mothers into the office. Seeing the people they served gave purpose to daily activities.

5.   Build their security by acting consistently. Secure people dare to courageously act. Secure people trust that you won’t harm them. Insecure people constantly walk on thin ice.

6.   Encouragement is an inexpensive way to reward people but it is most effective when done sincerely and consistently.

7.   Make sure any feedback you give is strength centered and evidence based. In other words don’t just tell them they did well tell them exactly what it was that they did well.

7 things you can do today to make a difference to your world

1.    Helping someone who can't repay you: Give yourself away it’s a powerful and freeing choice to decide to deliberately do good to someone who has nothing to give you in return.

2.    Doing one thing that takes you outside your comfort zone: The only way to grow as a person is to stretch yourself and develop muscles that you never knew you had.

3.    Giving grateful thanks for your daily bread: Gratitude is not only a fitting response to the many blessings that we experience in our daily lives but it also opens the door to further blessings; I mean we all know its very hard to give gifts to people who have proved to be ungrateful in the past.

4.    Leaving others a little better than you found them: Make a point of encouraging someone today it is a most powerful thing to build someone up rather that tearing them down or not even acknowledging them at all. Most of us can agree that we would not be where we are today if someone had not taken the time to encourage us with a word “in season”.

5.    Not being afraid to ask for help: nobody is perfect not even you so don’t try to make it on your own. We are made for relationship.

6.    Giving the best time of your day to God... He is after all the source of Love, Joy and Peace. We were all made for relationship with our heavenly father.

7. Doing today what you want to put off till tomorrow: As my mother often reminded me                                  "Procrastination is the thief of time and the grave of opportunity”.

Remember that the seeds you sow today will reap a harvest tomorrow or maybe the next day but whatever happens be sure the harvest will come.

What will you sow today?

Seven good reasons to use a Christian life coach

1.   Jesus is the master life coach!

2.   A Christian Coach understands that God created and equipped you for a specific purpose, and that He has promised to guide and empower you to fulfill your unique destiny.

3.   Seeing Yourself as God Sees You Is the Key to Lasting Change

·         A Christian coach helps you to see yourself as God sees you, helps you to rid yourself of limiting beliefs that are getting in the way and supports you to move forward. You think feel and act according to what you believe. Christian life coaching helps you to replace lies you believe about yourself and your circumstances with life-giving Biblical truth.

o   When you change what you believe, your thoughts change.

o   When you change the way you think your feelings change.

o   When you feel differently about things it affects the way you behave.

o   When your behaviour changes, your whole life begins to change.

4.   Christian Life Coaching helps you to define success for you as God sees it rather than how the world sees it.

5.   Christian Life Coaching helps you to operate from a foundation of faith in God.

6.   Christian Life Coaching  enables you to grow and achieve without compromising your dependence on God and Christian values.

7.   Christian Life Coaching is sensitive to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit

To book a  life coaching/life planning session with Eric send an email with your contact details to enb159@gmail.com   or ring 01229 208644 for more details.

How you could Use a Christian Life Coach?

·                     to deepen your walk with God

·                     to help you live in line with your values

·                     to help you get through barriers like unforgiveness

·                     to demolish mindsets that hold you back

·                     to communicate more effectively

·                     enhance relationships

·                     strengthen your family

·                     to help you bring balance to your life

·                     talk through difficulties & develop a plan of action

·                     support you to achieve your goals

·                     to help you reach for your destiny

7 steps to setting effective goals for 2012


When you sit down and write out your goals, you move yourself into the top 3% of people in our society. 


So why not launch yourselves into 2012 with something to aim for and look forward to!!

1. Decide what you really want in each area of your life. Be specific!
2. Write down that goal for each area clearly and in detail;
3. Set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-goals.
4. Make a priority list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve each specific goal.
5. Take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. 
6. Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!         
7. Review Your Goals Daily. Study and review your goals every day to be sure they are still your most important goals. You will find yourself adding goals to your list as time passes. You will also find yourself deleting goals that are no longer as important as you once thought.

Set aside a few hours during the next 2 weeks before the New year arrives to do this exercise and get ready for an exciting journey.

If you need help identifying what you really want or feel that you are stuck and can't move forward then I am offering life coaching /life planning sessions in January>Ring 01229 208644 for more details or email me on enb159@gmail.com

7 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A WRITTEN LIFE PLAN

This is taken from a blog by Michael Hyatt which is a brilliant personal development/leadership blog .

Most people spend more time planning a one-week vacation than identifying what outcomes they want to see in the major areas of their lives. In other words, most people wander aimlessly from week to week, with no clear destination in mind. Many are then surprised when life doesn’t turn out like they hoped. But is it any wonder?

This is why I believe everyone—especially leaders—should take the time to create a written life plan document. There are at least seven reasons why I believe this is important:

1. A life plan will help you clarify your most important priorities. Your boss has a set of priorities for you. So does your spouse. Perhaps others do, too. But what about you? Do you have a list? What is important to you?
2. A life plan will enable you to maintain balance. Some people sacrifice their marriage for their career. Others sacrifice their health or their relationship with their children. But what if you could have robust health, an excellent marriage, and a successful career? I’m here to tell you it is possible—but only if you have a plan.
3. A life plan will provide a filter by which you can say “no” to lesser things.Once you have said “yes” to what matters most, you are in a great position to say “no” to those activities that matter less. Suddenly you have the clarity—and the courage—to manage your opportunities rather than to be managed by them.
4. A life plan will empower you to identify and address your current realities. You can’t get where you want to go unless you start with where you are. What are the most brutal realities of your life? Where are you falling short? Where do you know you need to improve?
5. A life plan will equip you to envision a better future. You need to acknowledge where you are, but you also need to see clearly where you are going. What do you want in each of the major categories of your life? What would they look like in their ideal state? This is where it starts to get fun!
6. A life plan will serve as a road map for accomplishing what matters most.Once you know where you are and where you are going, you are in a position to create an action plan for getting there. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but you do have to identify the mile-markers and waypoints along the journey. A life plan does that.
7. A life plan will help ensure that you don’t finish life with regrets. For many people, life is not turning out like they had hoped. They are disappointed, confused, and discouraged. But it doesn’t have to be this way. While you can’t control everything, you can live your life with a plan and dramatically improve your chances of ending up at a destination you choose.

7  Habits for successful Christian living!
I have recently spent some time  meditating on some scripture which was written, according to the author in order to prevent followers of Jesus becoming unproductive and unsuccessful in their lives of faith. Which i have taken to mean that the advice given must be intended to promote lives which are successful, fruitful and productive.

Most of us want to make our lives count for something significant and there is a cry within all of us to live lives of meaning and purpose , lives which have a positive impact or make a real difference to our communities or the world at large. Jesus himself said that it was Gods will for us to bear much fruit..which implies being productive, to prosper, to live successfully.

2 Peter 1 v 3-9 lists 7 things which are habits to be developed in order for us to make the most of our relationship with God and to be people who make an impact for Him on a consistent basis.
The fact that there are seven habits obviously reminds me of the Steven Covey classic and as a result I have drawn some comparisons and some contrasts. 

This meditation is a work in progress as there is much to consider but here are a few thoughts for starters....lets call it "7  Habits for successful Christian living"!

Habit #1: Add to your faith goodness/moral excellence.

If you want to be successful as a Christian practice doing the right things right! 

Habit #2 : Add to your goodness Knowledge.

If you want to be successful as a Christian learn to know how to do the right things right but also be prepared to find out a whole bunch of other ways of working that you never thought were possible. Knowledge means learning to change and adapt, to develop and progress to deeper levels of excellence or to put it another way from one degree of glory to another.. Knowing Gods ways as well as His works is the key to real growth.

Habit #3: Add to your knowledge self control.

If you want to be successful as a Christian practice doing the right things right on a consistent basis in order to develop a lifestyle of discipline where you take responsibility for being pro-actively righteous and being a proactive learner (which is another word for disciple).

Habit #4 add to your self control perseverance:

when self control doesn't work and you give in or give up or  you fall flat on your face... you gotta get up and keep going. Following Jesus is a long term commitment not a short term fashion. Keep on keeping on, get back up, keep walking , keep running, persist, commit, choose to go forward, press on to the higher calling of the Lord. These habits are long term commitments to faith and following.

OK so up to this point this stuff is all very familiar to those who read self improvement books and watch personal development gurus giving their motivational speeches and all of this is good stuff but there is something else that we need to mark us out from the self help movement and that is the next habit....

Habit #5: Add to your perseverance Godliness

Central to all the stuff about taking responsibility and being proactive and persistent and setting goals and driving things forward is this timely reminder that all this encouragement to be diligent and make an effort is founded on the central purpose of becoming like Jesus, of aspiring to be like God himself ..."be perfect as I am perfect". we must not forget that following principles alone will never make us like Jesus because it is the life of Christ in us that is ultimately our hope of glory (success). His life, his grace, his power has given us all e need for life and godliness so we must never lose sight of the habit of being God focused, Godly minded, God fearing, God Loving, God praising, God knowing and all the other things it takes to be Godly. Every other habit that has gone before is meant to be centred on our aspiration to know God and to make Him known which leads us onto 

Habit #6: Add to your Godliness brotherly kindness/ compassion.

all this personal and spiritual development is not just for us it is for those around us. the inward working of all these habits must eventually find an expression in acts of mercy, kindness and compassion in the part of the world where we have influence, starting with family and friend and working out to communities, regions and nations. this is where we have impact , this is where we start to change the world, this is where the fruit begins to be produced. 

Habit #7: to brotherly kindness add Love; 

We can only keep all this effort up if we have revelation and an experience of Gods Love in our hearts. the love of God compels us, energises us and motivates us to acts of service.Gods love over flows to us so that we in turn can be generous on every occasion.

Without Love we are nothing.

So make every effort to add to your faith and express it all in acts of Love.

Small Family Business: Coaching and facilitation services

The key to a healthy family business is careful planning and open communication.

Successful family businesses must

·         have a clearly defined vision which the whole family buys into,

·         live their values and

·         Make time to understand the family’s concerns and the needs of individuals.

·         have a process for managing family as well as business risks

·         Agreeing how issues will be managed before they arise can help to ensure that the family focuses on prevention and long term harmony, rather than cure.

A possible way forward!

I offer a bespoke service to small family run businesses which includes:

·         Individual meetings: to identify and understand the aspirations, visions, values, concerns and challenges of individual family members in a private forum

·         Family Workshops: to help open up discussions within the family and reach consensus on a common vision and how to address the key challenges facing the family business, now and into the future

I am a coach, mentor and business advisor with more than 20 years of managerial experience in a family run manufacturing and retail operation in south Cumbria.

Having been a family member in a family business which was 5 generations old I can fully appreciate the impact of issues that can arise within such an enterprise which are uniquely influenced by emotional, historical and sentimental factors.

Often these issues are brushed under the carpet and not discussed or resolved because of the desire to maintain family unity but often to the detriment of the business.

I seek to facilitate conversations between family members, spouses, and children of the next generation in relation to business planning, developing a family charter and looking seriously at continuation and sustainability. My aim is to encourage open debate and effective decision making within the context of the family run business that ensures a sound business proposition and promotes family harmony.

Examples of family workshop packages.

Please ask for a specific quote if you want a different package to the ones shown below as I aim to deliver bespoke solutions and not a one size fits all product.

A Two day workshop including one nights’ accommodation and full board for up to six people with four three hour sessions over two days focusing on developing a family charter and a vision for the long term future. Hosted at Red Lion House, Swarthmoor, Ulverston, Cumbria. www.redlionhouse.net

£850.00

One day workshop (two three hour sessions) without accommodation but including lunch and light refreshments throughout the day hosted at Red Lion House www.redlionhouse.net

£500.00

A day visit to your business/family for preliminary discussions and setting an agenda for a longer workshop as above or to conduct a fresh look review of your business.

£350.00 plus travel expenses if outside Cumbria.

One to one coaching and mentoring aimed at helping individuals maximize their own unique potential within the context of the family business. Usually carried out face to face where possible but can be carried out over the phone or via Skype.

£250.00 (4 sessions of 1 hour)

Personal development workshops

I can also deliver personal development workshops for you and your staff either at your premises or at a venue of your choosing.

£500 per day for up to 10 attendees.(plus travel expenses outside Cumbria)

Please contact me to discuss your requirements.

Landline: 01229 208644

Mobile: 07716 184045

Email: enb159@gmail.com

Website: www.ericbarker.blogspot.com

Twitter @enb159                   

Linked In: profiled under Eric Barker

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maximise-your-potential/192585350798840

There is no such things as failure only feedback.
Quite a statement but one that tells us that if we do fail it is only a message telling us that there is a better way of doing stuff that will help us achieve success.
However it is also a reminder to those who ae committed to follow Jesus that even when we stumble we are not utterly cast down because the Lord uphold us with his hands. God is always working for us Loving us and cheerleading us on from one degree of glory/success to the next, He will keep on working on us until we are complete. So keep pressing on instead of giving up, keep on getting up instead of staying down and when you want to run and hide away then run towards the light, He will never turn you away.

Don't Quit

Anonymous

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and its turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out The silver tint of the clouds of doubt And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you must not quit

When I read this poem it inspires me to keep on keeping on and reminds me that I should not lose sight of the confidence I have in the faithfulness of God. I need to persevere so that when I have done the will of God I may recieve the promises of God. ...and God is not slow in keeping His promises...so DONT QUIT BELIEVING THEM!

What are you focusing on right now?

The next time you think about setting a personal goal make sure the focus is on moving you towards something positive and empowering rather than away from something negative.

In other words make it about what you want to become and not about something you don't want.

In Christian terms this means focusing on following Jesus rather than fighting failure.

Llive within your means....!

Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one.  Do not spend to impress others.  Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.  Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  Always live well below your means.

A penny saved is a penny earned.
- Benjamin Franklin

1. Redefine your definition of “rich”. – “I remember sitting in a cubicle at my first professional job staring at a picture of an SUV I wanted to buy (and eventually did).  Now, I sit in my office and look at the pictures of my kids, and just outside my window I can see the beater I drive sitting in the company parking lot.  What a difference a decade makes!  To sum things up, my definition of being rich is having enough money to meet my family’s basic needs, a few of our wants, and to be able to give some away to others.” – via Frugal Dad
2. Borrow and share.  Everyone wins! – “We borrowed a DVD from a friend instead of renting or buying and had a little snack from our own fridge!  Way cheaper than using gas to drive to the theater/rental place, paying for a movie, and paying for a snack.” – via My Dollar Plan
3. Avoid the mall. – “Going to the mall is not entertainment!  We used to go when we were bored.  Of course, we usually ended up spending money while we were there.  If you need clothes, then shop sales or go to stores that offer name-brands at a discount.  You can save a ton on these items if you are a smart shopper.  Dave Ramsey says, “Never pay retail!”  We probably save $15 to $30 per month by staying away from the mall.” – via My Super-Charged Life
4. Limit your intake of advertisements. – “Advertising sucks.  That’s the cold, hard truth.  It’s engineered to make you feel like you’re incomplete, that you have an unfulfilled need, that you’re not good enough.” – via On Simplicity
5. Buy with cash. – “You can’t spend money you don’t have.  Many bank accounts provide overdraft protection, so even with a debit card, it’s easier to go over your account balance than you think.” – via Simple Mom
6. Find a better deal and actually SAVE the difference. – “Regardless of what they sell, if you’ve switched companies for price reasons, save the difference.  Think of phone companies, internet access, cell phones, credit cards, and others.” – via The Wisdom Journal
7. Adhere to a long-term investment strategy. – “I’m a long-term investor.  The stock portion of my portfolio is spread over several mutual funds, a few ETFs and a few individual stocks.  Each and every one of these holdings was carefully chosen, after thorough research.  I believe in these stocks and funds.  I consider them as my best bet in growing my money - LONG TERM.” – via MomGrind
8. Curb your consumerism! – “Have you ever watched how a child can play with a cardboard box for hours, and leave the toy that came in it by the wayside?  How is it that children can enjoy themselves without a lot of “stuff”, but we as adults feel the need to reward ourselves by buying more stuff?” – via Billionaire Woman
9. Stay Healthy!  Medical problems drain bank accounts. – “James M. Rippe, M.D is a best-selling author, world-renowned cardiologist, and founder of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute.   He explains that if you look at all the risk factors for dying, the one that is most predictive is fitness level.  In addition, an older person with high cardiovascular fitness is healthier than a younger person who is physically inactive.  By increasing your fitness level, you can actually roll back your biological clock.” – via Abundance Blog
10. Stay in and relax. – “So, think about it the next time you go out.  Are you going for with a purpose?  Maybe the solution is to not go out at all.  Stay home and save!  Save up for something you really want or need.” – via The Jungle of Life
11. Gradually prepare yourself for a rainy day. – “Even when things are going great, and you feel on top of the world, you must always be prepared for a change.  If you take the time and patience to set yourself up properly, then when things to take a turn for the worse, you will be prepared to handle it.  If you live above your means, then when the slightest change occurs, you will not be prepared to adapt.  Financial flexibility is more important then keeping up with the Jones’.” – via Yin vs. Yang
12. Stop competing.  Forget about the Jones’ altogether. – “If getting rich makes us happy, then why don’t countries as a whole get happier as they grow wealthier?  They discovered that as a country gets wealthier there’s no overall increase in happiness.  Why?  We continually compare our wealth against that of others.  We are competitive and envious. Add to that the fact that Western countries encourage people to strive for more and more, and you have a formula that spins many into depression.” – via Color Your Life Happy
13. Get out of the “easy street” mentality. – “I think there is too much emphasis on the quick fix or the easy option in today’s society.  For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of the “hard option” - exercising and eating well…. money is sometimes being used as a substitute for hard work.  Do you think there is an increasing expectation that you can get want you want by throwing money around instead of working hard and “earning” it? – via Forever Change
14. Avoid impulse buying.  Buy things you truly need. – “Don’t you just love the excitement you feel after coming home with a new TV?  Driving home in a new car?  Opening the box on a new pair of shoes?  I sure do.  But, from watching the behavior of myself and my friends I’ve found that the new quickly becomes just another item.  The excitement of novelty passes quickly.” – via Think Simple Now
15. Time is money.  Properly manage your time. – “The fewer tasks you have, the less you have to do to organize them.  Focus only on those tasks that give you the absolute most return on your time investment, and you will become more productive and have less to do.  You will need only the simplest tools and system, and you will be much less stressed.  I think that’s a winning combination.  Focus always on simplifying, reducing, eliminating. And keep your focus on what’s important. Everything else is easy.” – via LifeDev
16. Find ways to give without spending. – “Want a quick, easy and (almost) free way to be guaranteed that you’ll make someone’s day special?  Send them a letter.  Why not set aside some time this weekend to sit down and write to a few people?  If you don’t enjoy writing, try buying some nice postcards of your home town.  If you’ve got an artistic streak, why not design your own note cards?  You don’t have to write a long letter for it to be effective.  It’s the thought that counts and the personal touch that makes it special.” –via Dumb Little Man
17. Don’t let greed and deceit get the best of you. – “According to Stephen R. Covey, if you reach an admirable end through the wrong means it will ultimately turn to dust in your hands.  This is due to unintended consequences that are not seen or evident at first.  The example he gives in The 8th Habit is:  The parent who yells at their kids to clean their rooms will accomplish the end of having a clean room.  But this very means has the potential to negatively affect relationships, and it is unlikely the room will stay clean when the parent leaves town for a few days.  Now, to return to the topic of wealth, I think it is possible to see much of the world’s current financial problems as stemming from people who wrongly believe the ends justify the means.  My advice?  It is fine to aspire to wealth, but don’t lose sight of the means to accomplishing it.” – via The Change Blog
18. Never ever pay retail. – “You can easily save hundreds of dollars a year on clothing purchases by waiting for sales or shopping at discount retailers like Marshalls.  Better yet, avoid name brand clothing all together.” – via Marc and Angel Hack Life 

Coaching works!

11 Reasons why coaching helps people achieve their goals

Over the past few decades, millions of people have found out that career, life, and professional coaching works. It actually helps people change their lives and achieve their goals. Coaching works for many reasons. Let us explore some of those reasons.

1. Systematic approach
Coaching takes a systematic approach to helping clients achieve goals. Coaches are often trained to use a proven and effective model of identifying the situation of the client and then helping the client find his or her own path to success. A good coach will have a system that accommodates the different types of people and the different types of situations that people find themselves in. This systematic approach makes sense of chaos and confusion. It brings a sense of tangible direction for a client that can help them overcome their current situation and set out on a new path.
2. Empowerment focused
One important aspect of coaching is that it focuses on empowering people to achieve their own goals. A good coach is someone who teaches the client how to pick him or herself up and find the strength and vision to overcome resistance and hardship and persevere. Coaches recognize that people have the inner gifts they need to achieve their goals, and a coach’s job is to help the client discover and harness his or her own power.
3. Removes resistance
Many people have reasons they tell themselves why they have not achieved their goals. Maybe they have children, or debt, or an unsupportive spouse or friends, or maybe they have failed before. Whatever the reason, coaches know that these are often just excuses. Coaches call this resistance, and it is the job of the coach to help the client recognize that these reasons are not obstacles holding them back, but instead are challenges to be overcome. A good coach helps clients remove resistance and move to success.
4. Eliminates barriers
Besides the many excuses people have for not reaching their goals, some people do have legitimate reasons why they are not successful. Sometimes there are factors that are out of our control. Perhaps we have a sickness or a handicap. Perhaps we cannot pass as high as others on standardized tests. Perhaps we just don’t have the connections to break into a certain club or arena we feel we need to be part of. Coaches help clients deal with these barriers. Coaches help clients analyze the situation and make a plan for success no matter what the playing field. Sometimes its means changing the meaning of success, sometimes it means changing the rules of the game, sometimes it means changing games altogether. A coach is there to help.


5. Provides unbiased support and encouragement
In life, many people are working against you. Your boss may not want to see you promoted. Your teachers may not want to see you outshine them. Your parents may not believe you can be successful. Whatever the reason, people have agendas that sometimes bias that color their advice to you. A coach only succeeds when the client succeeds. A coach is paid to think in terms of the best interest of the client. A coach is free of the many biases and past experience that may be coloring peoples’ opinions of your situation.
6. Creates emotional connection to results
We humans are emotional creatures. Everything we do is because of emotion. No matter how rational we may think we are, in the end we are emotional creatures looking to satisfy emotional needs. We do what we want, and then use our powerful logical and rational faculties to justify those decisions. A good coach will recognize this fact and then use it to help the client. A good coach will help a client create an emotional desire to achieve his or her goals. This emotional drive will sustain and power the client long after the coach is gone.
7. Constructive criticism and positive feedback
Sometimes we need to be told the truth. Unfortunately, if we surround ourselves with friends and family who do not want to see our feelings hurt then we may not be getting the whole truth. A good coach will tell you the brutal truth and then help you deal with the situation in a rational and healthy way. A good coach will offer constructive criticism and positive feedback that will help clients overcome their weaknesses and achieve success.
8. Emphasizes strengths
People are a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. We have many strengths that make us unique and valuable to society. Perhaps we are good artists, good musicians, good painters or good poets? Perhaps we are good at business, marketing, or finance? Perhaps we are good with people in medical environments? A good coach knows that the client will be happiest when they are doing things they are good at. That is why a coach will help the client analyze their life, their strengths and weaknesses, and then find ways to help the client emphasize those strengths and nullify those weaknesses.
9. Teaches resilience
Life is messy sometimes. Bad things sometimes do happen. A good coach will not dwell on the bad things that have happened in the past. A good coach looks to the future and to overcoming hardship and suffering. A good coach teaches a sense of resilience and self-reliance to clients that lifts them up and carries them on.
10. Financially invested
Many people wonder why coaches charge for their services. After all, aren’t they just being a good friend to someone. Coaches know that it is important that people pay for the services of a good coach for several reasons: # 1. People pay more attention and work harder when they think they are paying for those services and #2. People often need a ‘stranger’ or someone who does not have preconceived notions about you and your situation in order to get unbiased and unfiltered advice. This stranger is connected to your success most effectively if they are financially invested.
11. Success leads to success
Finally, the last point is that success leads to more success. It is a funny thing, but it is true. Oftentimes it takes a long time for people to achieve success. They should not lose heart. Life is about the journey, not the destination. Therefore a good coach knows that once you have a small victory you are more likely to continue on for more victories. A good coach will help you celebrate the small victories and keep focused on the big prizes in life.


Coaching works, it helps people achieve goals and discover their own capacity to accomplish whatever they want to

Coaching just plain works People hire coaches because it works. Coaches help people improve everything from their golf game to their interview skills, from their management style to their marital relationships. Coaches are not therapists. They are not psychologists. They are not helping you dig up your past. Coaches are focused on the future and helping you to achieve your goals.
Why Coaching works
1. Coaching offers an outside perspective. Coaches are able to give us an unbiased look at what we are doing and provide clear recommendations and suggestions for improvement. They have the ability to look at whatever we are doing and see the effects in a way we cannot see. They can see the big picture and offer a fresh perspective. Coaching gives us the view of ourselves that even our friends or family cannot give because they don’t want to hurt our feelings or because they themselves are blinded to certain realities and preconceived notions. Coaches have seen our situation before. They have the insight, experience, and perspective that we need.

2. Coaching holds us accountable. Coaches provide us an outside voice that can drive us to work harder, longer, and better to realize our dreams. A coach helps us set goals and then helps us achieve those goals. Coaches work with us step-by-step through the process of achievement and provide the encouragement and inspiration we need to win.
3. Coaching focuses on the future. Coaches don’t care about psychoanalyzing our pasts. In fact, coaches don’t really care what we did in the past. They only care about the future. They only care about helping us make the necessary adjustments, improvements, and alignments that we need in order to succeed.

4. Coaching focuses on our strengths. Coaches are not there to beat us down. They are there to help us raise ourselves up. They work with us to find out what we are good at, what we are passionate about, and what opportunities we can create.



Coaching can help just about anyone. As human beings, we live complicated and disconnected lives that could often benefit from hiring a good coach to help you achieve your goals. Take the quiz below to find out if you need a coach.

Do you have goals you are not achieving?
Do you know what you are good at?
Do you know what you are passionate about?
Do you know how you could apply your skills and passions to your work?
Are you frustrated with your current career situation?
Do you need a tangible plan for achieving your goals?
Are you happy with your accomplishments? Would you like to accomplish more?
When you do not achieve your goals, do you make excuses?
Do you have a vision for yourself as successful in achieving your goals?

* If you answered ‘Yes’ to 3 or more of the questions above then you might be a great candidate for coaching services.

For more information or to book a coaching session contact:

Eric Barker
Proactive Futures
61 Lightburn Avenue
Ulverston
LA12 ODL

01229 582842

Success
How to Set the Wrong Goal

(This is an excerpt from the Wisdoms Edge newsletter, if you like it go to www.wisdomsedge.com for more down to earth biblical based wisdom articles.)

Goals are important. But they attain their full importance only when we reach them.
Total Quality Success requires us to have a goal, perhaps more than one. And it's imperative for us to set them well.
Consider the effect long-term goal has on us. The goal might be getting a better job or more money, or it might be taking an overseas trip. This kind of goal is something that's in the distance.
But that's the problem. It's so far in the distance that getting there takes a long time. It demands an extraordinary amount of desire, motivation and self-discipline to get there. And not everyone has such stamina to make it.
But what would happen if our goals were numerous and shorter term – and therefore smaller and much more achievable? For one thing, there might be less discouragement if people achieved more of their goals. With each smaller achievement, there's a reason to express enjoyment and satisfaction at a job well done. And such enjoyment can be experienced time and time again if our goals are numerous, small, and eminently achievable.
So long-term goals, while good in a broader sense, can have a negative impact unless we break them down into smaller achievements.
For example, when I teach a student the piano, the long-term goal is clearly to have the student play the piano well. But this is achieved only by the student learning a lot of music and playing it well. Each piece of music, however, is an incremental step along the way. So each piece successfully learned is a reason to celebrate victory.
But if we are to apply Total Quality Success principles to the piano student, then each piece he learns must incrementally improve in quality so that there is a constant record of continuous improvement. This is all it takes to create great pianists – plus time each day to put in the practice.
And this is how our aims and goals must govern our lives. We need a number of small goals that are thought of in terms of quality. When we do our next activity, there should be some kind of improvement in its quality, and the time after that, another improvement in quality. This is how you get Total Quality Success in the long run.
It's been said that a long march is achieved one step at a time. So, too, is quality in our lives, whether it'sin regard to business, family, or other activities.
– Ian Hodge, PhD
(Dr. Hodge is author of the book Making Sense of Your Dollars: A Biblical Approach to Wealth.)