Powerful Questions

I am a coach. I’m not the kind of coach that stands on the sidelines calling plays, sending signals, and wearing my voice out.  I don’t do Xs and Os.  Even when my kids were young and played sports, I didn’t do a lot of that kind of coaching.  I’m glad there are folks that do that and I’m equally glad that the success of young athletes does not depend on the expertise of folks like me.

I am what is often referred to as a Life Coach.  You have probably heard the term but may not have a clue what it is (other than some trendy psycho-babble-ish term that people call themselves who want to give you the six secrets to ultimate happiness).  Now, if you think that I possess the six secrets to ultimate happiness and are willing to pay me a lot for my great wisdom, maybe we can talk.  It won’t do you any good, but we can talk.

One of the reasons that I have invested a lot of time and money in learning how to coach is that it takes the pressure off me to be an expert.  You know what an expert is, right?  All you have to do is break down the word.  “Ex” means “former”.  A “spurt” is a “drip under pressure”.  As a former pastor, I would appreciate it if you could resist the temptation to apply that definition to me.

When I coach someone, there is an expert present.  It just happens to be the person that I am coaching.  I don’t bring any great secrets, expertise, or agenda.  I just ask some questions to help that person see himself more clearly.  I just help her tap into her passion and vision.  I listen, ask powerful questions, assist in brainstorming, and provide support and accountability to help people take their next step.

Now that I have spent half my allotted space with introduction, I am finally going to get to what is running through my head today.  That sounded like a preacher, didn’t it?  Sorry, old habits are hard to break.

I ran across a statement this week that really stood out for me.  “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”  When I saw that, it reminded me of a question that I have both asked and been asked in coaching settings.  “What would you like to be able to say about your situation 3 months from now that you cannot say right now?”  The next question would be, “What will it take for you to be able to say that?”

So, my friends, have I got a deal for you!  I am offering you an absolutely free, no obligation, blog-based coaching session right here and now.  Why?  Because your life matters to God and He wants you to be all that He created you to be.  Are you ready?  Here goes!

What could you do today (I mean in the next 24 hours) that you will thank yourself for on January 1, 2012?  What would a successful ending for 2011 look like for you?  What is keeping you from being the person you want to be?  What is the first step (even a baby step) that you could take that would move you closer to your goal?  Who do you know that could help you?

The greatest teacher who ever lived was also the greatest coach who ever lived.  Jesus knew when a question was more powerful than a statement.  Four different times the Bible records Him asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”  (Matthew 20:32, Mark 10:36, Mark 10:51, Luke 18:41) Since He was not only a great teacher and coach, but was also God in the flesh, He did not ask the question for His own benefit.  He could have easily evaluated the situation and said, “Here’s what you need and here’s what I’m going to do.”  But Jesus wanted them to put words to what was in their hearts.

So what do you really, really want?