what is a life coach – Page 3

Winsight Episode 23: Your Legacy

09/30/201409/02/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/winsight/23_Winsight_Episode_23_-_Your_Legacy.mp3]

In tribute to whom I believe is the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, episode 23 is about cementing your legacy. Legacy is something we tend not to think about until we get older. Maybe it’s the thought of mortality that gets us thinking more purposefully about how we’re living. WHY doesn’t matter as much as WHAT you’re doing today to shape it.

In this episode, we’ll ask the hard questions to unlock the answers to your legacy, such as:

How do you view failure?

What do you want your personal brand to be?

What do you want to be remembered for?

What are you doing today to take a step closer to your legacy?

Be bold. Act with purpose. Comment below and show you’re serious about shaping your own legacy!

National Coach Academy Review of Growing Forward

09/19/201409/18/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

The professional coach behind the Growing Forward coaching service is a former youth pastor. This fact alone should give anyone looking for solid and effective coaching services reasons to be hopeful. Youth pastors help teenagers and young adults resolve personal issues and develop effective new attitudes as well as address attitudes and mindsets that may be holding them back. Best of all, youth pastors are trained to reach people on an emotional level in a ‘real’ and personal way without the often off-putting ‘clinical’ ambiance of professional psychotherapy or other more formal types of counseling.

Besides the training of the person behind Growing Forward, Scott Asai, what makes this particular coaching service interesting is that it focuses on a holistic ‘meaning-based’ approach to personal coaching. We all need a sense of meaning. We all need a sense of purpose. In fact, if we’re all honest, we can all trace our issues to how this deep and fundamental need is, or is not, being met in our lives.

Winsight Episode 1: Introduction to the Winsight Podcast

07/08/201407/03/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/winsight/01_Winsight_Episode_1.mp3]

So I’ve jumped on the podcast bandwagon after seeing the majority of the entrepreneurs that I follow regularly do them consistently with great results. I’m not a huge radio/music listener, but I see the benefits of audio learning.

In this introductory podcast I’ll cover:

How podcasts are a “passive” learning tool
Why I use sports analogies with my coaching clients
Why I don’t market myself as a Life Coach
Why flexibility and reinvention is key to your success

This is going to be a fun ride and I need your feedback and comments to tackle the subjects that matter most to you. Please leave your comments/suggestions about the podcast below and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Emotional Buying

12/24/201301/23/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

As logical as you think you are, most of our decisions are made purely out of emotion.

Take a look at most commercials, advertisements and retail stores/eateries…

It’s simple: we see something that appeals to us, we buy it.

All great brands know if you have a nice design (packaging), you significantly increase your sales.

Take for instance Costco. The reason they don’t label their aisles (and frequently move around products) is because they’re hoping you’ll make extra “emotional buys” that you didn’t plan on.

So as a consumer, how do you counter your mortal ways?

Wait.

Yes, that simple. The next time you’re on Amazon searching, put items on your wish list instead of purchasing them right away. I bet in a week you’ll forget what you saw. If you remember, buy it then.

Emotion doesn’t wait for logic, unless you command it to.

Examine the last time you lost your temper. Was there really a good reason to blow your lid? (most of the time, no.)

If you pause, leave the situation briefly, then return and you’ll probably respond differently.

That’s why marketing is geared toward penetrating your heart more than your mind. Brands prey on filling your emotional needs.

We think we make decisions with our brains, but usually that’s not the case.

I’m not suggesting you become a robot, just be more mindful of how you make your decisions.

Make sure the “cost” doesn’t outweigh the verdict.

Don’t Organize, Prioritize

02/13/201301/23/2014 Scott Asai1 Comment

How do you make decisions?

Every day decisions, such as: what to wear, eat and do probably don’t take much thought.

But what about those more important decisions?

What factors do you weigh?

What process helps eliminate possibilities and choose the best option?

This isn’t something you’ll achieve overnight, it’s really a personal decision that takes some “internal excavation” and reflection.

Sometimes in order to start the process, an example can help get you going.

I can’t speak for you, but let me share my “5 F’s” that help guide my life’s decisions:

Faith

Family

Friends

Fitness

Food

I put them in order of importance because prioritizing based on what’s most important helps me make the best possible decision in lieu of circumstances.

The bigger the decision, the more I rely on my “5 F’s” for direction.

Making important decisions is more than just a random flip of a coin. It affects your future.

What are your priorities?

Circle of Life Coaching

01/30/201301/23/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

Who’s the ideal candidate for life coaching?

Maybe understanding the process will help you make a decision…

Clients hire coaches to help them get stuff done. Here’s how it works:

Thoughts: This is where it all starts. What’s your “self-talk?” What are you saying to yourself on a daily basis? What you believe is usually what comes true. This is why optimists usually succeed and pessimists sabotage themselves. Although this may sound cheesy, it’s accurate: “If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

Feelings: Our feelings are triggered by our thoughts, not the other way around. If you don’t believe me, ask an engineer. Feelings are a secondary reaction based on what you are thinking about. Even though the thought may last a split second and the feeling can last a while, it still starts with your thought process. That means you can basically manipulate the way you feel.

Actions: How you feel determines how you act. For example, if you’re depressed you can suffer from “inaction,” or not doing anything. On the flip side, if you’re inspired to take a risk, you usually go for it and don’t think about what could go wrong. This is where most people get stuck. You want to act, but don’t have the incentive to. Hiring a coach can be beneficial because he/she provides the accountability to reinforce what you said you would do.

Results: This is the sum total of everything covered. Think of a personal trainer. You hire him/her to help you accomplish your goals. Their job is to create a program that caters to your needs. Coaches are like personal trainers for your mind. A coach can give you the extra push when you get stuck. They won’t do the work for you, but they will help you navigate so you can get it done.

Now that you’re informed, are you interested in hiring a life coach? Feel free to reach out here.

Sexier Than Inspiration

01/02/201301/23/2014 Scott Asai3 Comments

Everyone wants to be inspired, but let’s be honest…like a bouquet of flowers, inspiration at best lasts about a week.

Beyond inspiration lies action. Although not as appealing, it’s what makes an idea, reality.

Think about it. How often have you thought about an idea that has unlimited potential, yet a couple of days later it’s tossed aside like last week’s new toy?

You know what transforms inspiration to action? Accountability.

Yup, the A-word can be positive or negative motivation, but either way use it for what it’s worth!

New Year’s resolutions never become tangible goals because there’s no one to be accountable to.

Before I became a coach, I hired one. I remember how motivated I was between meetings to show my coach how much progress I made since the last time we talked.

Was it because I wanted to prove to myself I could do it? Was I afraid to look like a failure to him?

Probably a combination of the two, but it was one of the most accomplished periods in my life.

Start this year off on the right note. Don’t settle for just being inspired. Get stuff done!

How Busy Are You?

09/12/201201/23/2014 Scott Asai1 Comment

“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.” – Alfred A. Montapert

If you ask people “How’s it going?” chances are they’ll say “Busy.”

What does that mean? That answer is used like a badge of honor these days.

If you’re not busy, does that mean something is wrong with you?

What if you took pride in not being busy? Meaning prioritizing your time to spend it on who and what you value.

Maybe people equate success with being busy. In our fast world, carving out chunks of time can be looked down upon. If you’re not doing something, you must be wasting your time, right?!

At the heart of the matter, what are you moving towards? If you’re busy because you’re chasing something that is significant, great! If you’re busy just for busy sake, maybe you should take a step back and reevaluate how you are spending your time.

Time is finite and depending on how you frame it, there’s way too much or never enough. In the end, what really matters: how busy you were or how you spent your time?

Think about that. How busy are you?

Why Starting is so Important

08/29/201201/23/2014 Scott AsaiLeave a comment

This week’s guest post is by my friend, by Ben Arment. One day I was searching the Internet for great website designs and found Dream Year. I contacted Ben and we connected about our visions for the future. Thanks Ben for inspiring me to chase my dreams.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
-Joe Sabah

One of the interesting turn-of-events in going after your dream is that people find out what you’re capable-of after you do it.

They had no idea you were interested in the field, let alone that you could actually do it. Or that you were available to do it.

Many of us wait around for someone to give us a “dream job” but organizations only hire people who are actually doing the dream. They don’t know you for what they can’t see.

Think about it – if you’re a cog in some company’s machine, all people know you for is being a cog. If your dream only exists in your mind, it’s invisible to the rest of the world.

It might as well not exist at all.

This is why starting is so important. You don’t even have to succeed. Just start. Fail gloriously if needed. But the very act of starting will bring your dream to the surface.

People will know your interests. They’ll see your hard work. Suddenly, you’ll become available to them. A consideration.

And as we always say in Dream Year, the waters don’t part until the heel of your foot hits the surface.

Startup Life Coach

06/14/201201/23/2014 Scott Asai1 Comment

Today’s economy brings uncertainty, so instead of hoping a regular job will provide stability, many people are turning to start their own companies.

I’m fortunate to be a part of a young entrepreneur community called Career Synergy. We get inspired by other’s success stories and are focused on how to help each other. From aspiring to serial entrepreneurs, the best way to learn is to interact with those are are doing it.

What if you’re at that place where you are starting to scale and grow? You’re multitasking doing strategy, leading and selling. How do you have enough time to juggle everything? Honestly, you can’t. That’s where a life coach can help.

Zappos and Google have proved that business isn’t just about products, but about creating an engaging, productive culture that attracts the best talent. Performance happens naturally when distractions are taken away. What once was seen as a “perk” is now very much a reality.

A life coach at your company is similar to athletes hiring a personal trainer. The added support, accountability and perspective can be the difference between victory and defeat. Life coaches can be hired as independent contractors or employees, depending on your needs. Think of it like a proactive HR. Sitting down with a coach weekly or bi-monthly gives employees an opportunity to vent and problem solve with an objective voice. Imagine walking into a coach’s office at the top of the hour, then leaving in a rejuvenated state less than 60 minutes later. Coaches can diffuse potential bombs before they reach HR.

Hiring a life coach shows your workers that you’re invested in them. Motivational speakers are great, but a week later the effect has worn off. Setting goals with a life coach provides measurable results. Create a learning culture at your company by hiring a life coach!