Checking in

One tool I often offer to many of my coaching clients is a check in.

It works like this.

I ask them to choose a moment in their day for a quick check in. A point to take stock of how things are going. Crucially there’s no judgement, just noticing.

The best time varies. If it’s a work issue, perhaps this is something they do as they travel home from work. For something outside work, perhaps part of their bedtime routine. Or for fitness, the end of a training session can be the perfect time. For some people weekly works better, though generally it’s easier to remember things that happened that day.

The exact question tends to vary too.

Where people are working out their goals, I encourage them to reflect on what they did today and how they felt about that. This can give them a lot of insight into what they enjoy and what energises them.

Once they’ve decided on specific goals, the focus can shift to checking in on how much time they spent working towards those goals, and what progress they made.

Clients who check in like this even semi-consistently tend to really make progress. They come back to their next coaching session with a deeper insight into themselves. Sometimes that results in new goals emerging. Sometimes it helps them to identify what is getting in the way of focussing on the next step. Or sometimes just a deeper appreciation for what they have achieved already.

Just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference.

What might you need to check in with yourself about?