Start with what’s “left over” from 2013.  There may be tasks or projects on a “to do” list that need to be completed before the ball drops on 2013.  Identify what you want to complete and decide to do, dump, delegate or discern before the year is out.  “Discern” refers to considering in prayer and choosing wisely based on direction from God.  As you discern, maybe there are items on your list that need to be intentionally carried into 2014.  If that is the wise choice, then bring those tasks and projects intentionally and confidently into the New Year.  Otherwise, deal with each by doing, dumping or delegating before the end of the year.

After dealing with your tasks and projects, resolve 2013 in light of forgiveness, gratefulness, grief and celebration.

Forgiveness.  Who do you need to forgive?  From whom do you need forgiveness?  What will that involve?  Is a direct conversation needed?  If so, how will you make that happen?  When will you make that happen?  Remember that you cannot control anyone else’s response;   you can only control your acts of or requests for forgiveness.  But you can choose to do your part to resolve issues of forgiveness, with the hope of freedom from unresolved pain for yourself or someone else as the New Year begins.

Gratefulness.  Who do you want to thank?  Surely 2013 has revealed some people that need your thanks.  Who has blessed you over the past 12 months?  If the task of identifying people to thank seems too big (because let’s face it there are many people to be grateful for in a year), look at the biggest challenges and highlights of the year and chose three to five people who were instrumental in helping you at those times.  How will you thank them?  You may want to be elaborate in your expression of gratitude and if so, go for it!  But a simple “thank you” can work well, too.  You can go simple, especially if the alternative is none at all.

Grief.  What must you grieve?  Avoiding the full experience of mourning a loss is not helpful to moving forward.  If your loss is tragic and requires the support of a counselor, then by all means make 2014 a year of healing and don’t let 2013 end without identifying and scheduling with a counselor who can help you.  But even the common losses, disappointments and setbacks can unnecessarily continue to drag on into 2014 if you let them.  Identify losses you need to grieve and consider what it would take to go through the grief and put it behind you.  You may need to allow yourself to feel your emotions.  When you’re ready, you may benefit by doing something that symbolizes your intent to finish your grief and move on.  For me, grieving always involves me being honest with God about my thoughts and feelings and then listening for His response and ultimate peaceful resolution.  What do you need to grieve and let go of?  And how will you do that?

Celebration.  What can you celebrate?  What from 2013 is worthy of celebration?  You achieved.  You grew.  You were blessed.  As the clock gets close to midnight on December 31 there will be great anticipation of celebrating the New Year and all that the future holds.  But don’t forget to identify what you can celebrate from this year past.  How will you celebrate?

I pray for a blessed resolution to this chapter of your life – one that fuels your steps into the new year with renewed strength and peace!

For example, as a new coach I remember being so thrilled to have a new client that I was willing to offer any scheduled time that would work for my new client – never mind if it would work for me.  I have seen the same thing happen to other new coaches.  However, if you have an ideal schedule, you can offer a new client a couple of appointment times that will work well for you rather than randomly scheduling appointments based on what is good for each of your clients.  You may have to be flexible, based on the availability of your clients, but as you make your adjustments you can do so intentionally, being mindful of your ideal schedule.

I use Google calendar as my scheduling tool.  Within Google calendar I can create and use several calendars, and I can select which one or which combination of calendars I want to view.  I have created one I call “Ideal” and when I’m scheduling a meeting or planning my day/week/month I use it as a guideline for how to map out my “Real” calendar.  Google calendar allows me to see both the “Ideal” and the “Real” side-by-side which is helpful.  Of course other electronic calendars have the same function (check yours to determine the possibilites), and similar calendar views can certainly be done on paper as well (my previous method 🙂 ).

It is not important for me to strictly implement my ideal schedule – that would feel very constricting for me.  Instead I view it as a tool that helps me make intentional choices about how I spend my time – and that actually feels very freeing.

The basics.  Even the best of coaches can loose track of the basics. Like time management.  Time management is pretty key to balance.  And we all want balance, right?  We want our coaching clients to have life balance too, right?  And yet life happens, our own balance is rocked and sometimes we need to get back to the basics.  Like time management.

I’m surprised at how many coaches come out of training without a plan for effective time management. Put simply, I’m surprised at how many don’t really keep much of a calendar.  Ouch.

Two initial steps to get you started:

1.  Don’t be without a scheduling tool for 2012.  If the way you did your calendar for 2011 worked well for you, then you probably know what system you’ll be using for 2012.  But if it wasn’t working, find a system that will best meet your needs.  I’ve decided I’m making a transition to Google calendar.  That seems efficient for me because I will have easy access on my phone.  Also, because I can create and share family calendars in Google calendars, I will be much more efficiently organized overall.  You may use a paper and pencil day planner and if that works for you, great!  Just don’t be without a calendar for 2012.  I challenge you to identify your scheduling tool now if you haven’t already.  Don’t wait until January.

2.  Once you have identified your calendar system for 2012, schedule time to sit down with it and get it organized with all the important dates and information you will need starting January 1.  Yes, I’m saying schedule a time – before January 1.  If you’re continuing with a system that has worked for you in 2011, you probably won’t need a lot of time for this.  But if you’re starting with a new system, you many need a couple of hours or so for this – and maybe more time if, in addition to scheduling, you’re learning a new computer interface or how to synch with your phone, for example.

If you are a naturally organized and efficient with your calendar, you probably stopped reading by now.  Congratulations to those who find this easy and natural!  As I mentioned, I have over the years had mentor coaching clients who start out as coaches with essentially no time management tools.  For me (and I have observed this with my colleagues – experienced coaches – as well), I will fully admit to times where my balance is rocked and I need to get back to basics.

In an upcoming post, I will be talking about actual “time management” and how that is different from scheduling a calendar.  However, now I am off to work on my 2012 Google calendar…

And by the way – if you absolutely love your calendar system, please share in comments!  I’d love to hear what is working for you.

What besides coach training contributes to your success as a coach?

Coach training is key, but not the only answer for your success as a coach in business or ministry.  Of course, first and foremost your success is defined by God’s call and work in your life.  And most likely God will use your coach training as key to the success to which you’ve been called.  But he will also use other factors in your success as well.  Completing an excellent Christian coach training program will not be the sole factor.  Other factors God may use include  your previous business and technology expertise, your established network of contacts, your personal community of support, ongoing mentor coaching, and your investment of time, money and hard work. 

Before you invest your money, time and heart into coach training, become familiar with options.  Even before you evaluate your options, get very clear on your unique God-breathed vision.  Use that vision as a guide for choosing the training you will take.  Then follow God’s lead as you make the best use of your training and resources to step into the coaching vision to which you’ve been called.

For more information on your options:  www.mychristiancoachtraining.com

In my mom’s Christian family, she was never allowed to go to movies.  My father’s Christian family went to movies occasionally, but he became a pastor and married my mom which meant we typically did not go to movies.  There were people in the churches dad pastored who thought it wasn’t appropriate for Christians to go to movies.  However, I remember a time when I was about twelve years old and dad took me to see Fiddler on the Roof.  Of course my memory of this experience is special.  But my dad felt it necessary to drive to the next town, so no one we knew would see us and so we would not to offend any of my dad’s parishioners.

A few months ago, I had a conversation with a friend whose oldest son is in the media communications program at a Christian college.  She told me about an interesting statement one of her son’s professors had made.  He said that if Christians had entered the film industry at its inception, rather than originally shunning it as a career option, the state of film and movies today would be very different.  He held strong beliefs that Christians can be salt and like in a dark world. 

As I thought about the film industry, I began to consider the mainstream recording industry.  When I was in high school and college there was, of course, only “Christian” music and “secular” music.  Now there are increasing numbers of Christians working in the mainstream recording industry – excellent musicians and songwriters, today’s popular artists who claim faith in Christ but aren’t labeled “Contemporary Christian” artists.  If they are played on Christian radio, it’s because they first have hit songs on pop, rock or country charts, for example, and their music crosses-over to the Christian charts. 

I recently listened to an interview of alternative rock band, Switchfoot.  They were playing at a radio gig with a list of popular chart-toppers on the bill.  When asked about their Christianity, they said who they are as people – as Christians – influences their artistry and songwriting, but they don’t call themselves a “Christian band.”  A band member expressed their view, “Christianity is a faith, not a music genre.”  So they live their faith and play their music and record hit songs that are played on “secular” radio stations.  I also enjoy Lifehouse, Jonny Lang and Kris Allen, who do the same.  If you follow popular music, you can find others – and you may have your favorites on the tip of your tongue as you read.

So what do movies and Switchfoot have to do with coaches being certified by ICF or taking ICF accredited training?  Well, for anyone who has heard me speak or read my writing about this, you know that I believe God has called each coach to a unique path that for some requires ICF certification and for others does not.    Probably the biggest reason that some coaches are called to pursue certification is so they can apply for and step into jobs that require ICF certified coaches – whether those jobs are in Christian or secular organizations.  Just like in the film and recording industries, some Chrisitans coaches are called to jobs that aren’t labeled “Christian.”  Sometimes to do those jobs, ICF certification is required.

But another reason struck me last week.  I received an email asking for referrals of coaches who could participate in an excellent coaching research project.  The participants needed to be ICF certified.  What made me sad was that I wondered how many Christian coaches would qualify.  I know a lot of Christian coaches, and quite a few ICF certified coaches.  This is niche-specific research and I don’t personally know someone in this niche who is ICF certified.  But you can count on me to contact my network with the info in an attempt to connect with coaches who would qualify to participate in this research.  Why?  Because my network is made up of Christian coaches and I would very much like find Christian coaches who are qualified to participate in this excellent coaching research.  I want Christians represented in the research, to bring salt and light to the mix.    

I want each Christian coach to follow the unique path that God has called them to.  For you, it may or may not involve ICF certification.  But for those who are called to ICF certification and to those who open the doors for themselves to get jobs out “in the world,” I say thank you for being salt and light.  Thank you for bringing Christ with you into your “secular” work environments.  Thank you for being available to represent Christians coaches by participating in excellent research.  Thank you for making yourself available to impact the fast growing field of coaching.  And thank you God, for calling each of us to unique purposes – for Your glory.

As the moderator of this large-scale webinar, I have seen the Powerpoint presentations of all the speakers – and this one is definitely going to be worth the time and money.  The cost is only $159 for all three days and the recordings; even if you can’t attend the live sessions (via telephone and your web connection), the recordings alone will be worth it.

Successful, experienced Christian coaches and experts are generously sharing high-impact marketing strategies.  It’s great information, shared by a richly-diverse group of coaches who live for Christ. All eleven presentations will be excellent for sure.  Here are examples of what’s on the schedule:

• Jackie Nagel’s – www.synnovatia.com – topic on Wednesday is online social networking (you keep hearing about it – find out how can you put it to practical use).
• Beth Cole – www.thewebservant.com – (you know I often recommend her wholeheartedly whenever I can) will do presentations on SEO and membership websites.
• Susan Whitcomb – www.careercoachacademy.com – has put together a great presentation about closing sales (which can be a very difficult challenge for many).
• Based on the pre-session event, I’m looking forward to an inspiring presentation by Chris McCluskey – www.christian-living.com – titled Progression in a Recesion:  The Psychology of Growing Your Business in Tough Times.

This morning I attended a prayer session (via phone) with conference sponsors and speakers.  If you are going, you have been included in fervent prayers.  If you haven’t signed up yet, go to the site now and take on the eSummit!

No.  That’s not what I think.

What I think is that decisions are best made according to mission and vision (hopefully you read those posts, too, so you know what I’m talking about).  Your best training decisions will be based on your unique calling.  Take the training that will best prepare you for your unique purposes.

For examples:

• If your vision includes working for a business, church or ministry organization that seeks ICF certified coaches, obviously accredited training will be your choice. 
• If your vision includes developing a professional coaching business, then you will do very well to learn all you can about the profession and to consider fully the value of ICF accredited training and certification.
• If your vision includes applying coaching in a ministry setting, and you are sure that ICF approved training or certification will never apply, then hopefully you will seek an excellent training program, taught by well-trained, experienced and successful professional coaches.

No one can tell you “the truth about” what training program you should take.  That is for you to discover, as you seek God’s leading and uncover the unique purposes for which you were created.   

God has shown his faithfulness, sustenance and blessing to Christian coaches who have been trained in a variety of programs – ICF accredited or not – Christian or secular.  God is able to do the same for you as you step into the calling for which you are made.

I’m going on vacation and won’t be posting for a week or so.  Come back then, or if you haven’t done so already, go to the right of this post and enter your e-mail address for the updates.