Space, Simplicity and Creativity as a Coach - Rasheed Ogunlaru

The Easter break has always been a great opportunity for me to pause, take stock and look ahead. It’s a time synonymous with spring cleaning and fresh thinking. It’s also a powerful time to connect with three important things: Space, Simplicity and Creativity.

It's a great 'job' being a coach. We get to help people to flourish, thrive and find fulfilment of the journey of their lives. But as we know life journeys often come with many challenges. Keeping balance and perspective can be among those challenges for everyone - and the busier your coaching practice becomes the more of these pressures will affect you. So here are a few tips that may help.

Space

We have to start with space. Without space, there is no room for content and content becomes cluttered mentally and physically.

Pause for a moment. What does space evoke for you personally and as a coach? Is it about home and working environment? Is it about the big outdoors and nature? Is it about your own inner being and room to be and breathe personally, spiritually, energetically and mentally?

1. What is the main content of your life and your work at the moment?
2. Are you allowing enough time/ space for you, your wellbeing, loved ones?
3. Do you need to allow a little more time for new opportunities for marketing, management or admin activities for your coaching practice?
4. Are there any simple changes or tweaks that you could make?
5. What things, activities and thinking do you no longer need and can you reduce/ let go of?

Tip: Have a clear out at home, your workspace, emails and computer files to help create space.

Simplicity

Space leads us beautifully on to simplicity. We help clients simplify their lives, their thinking and get clear on their priorities. But I meet many coaches, healers, therapists and NLP practitioners who do not afford themselves the same privilege. Let’s take a moment to coach ourselves. Take a piece of paper and write down:

1. What is most important to you in life and work overall?
2. What are the most important themes in your life and work at the moment?
3. What things in life are unimportant when all is said and done?

Tip: Even as a coach it is possible to get caught up trying to manage to many differing goals and objectives. If you’ve got lots going on or some key issues in life to address, I recommend that you set yourself one goal (either Personal, Business/career or Relationship) for the rest of 2017. It will help you focus and help you know instantly whether you’re on track or not.

Creativity

To me, creativity is a bit of a bottomless universal-well of magical possibilities from which we can all draw - but usually only when we are open and allow ourselves the space that we’ve explored above.

Creativity evokes different things to different people.  It also plays itself out differently to everyone. It points to so many things that are part of the fabric with which we work as coaches: inspiration, nature, gifts / talents / skills, potential, instinct, intuition. It’s also about many of the things that often take a back seat in life: fun, play, experimentation and much more.

I meet many people of all backgrounds who underplay and perhaps under-estimate the power of creativity. “It’s like a magic tool in the box that often gets overlooked and forgot” in favour for all the pragmatic ones. But often it’s the tool that can unlock many blocks, pressures, stresses, fixed mindsets and create new paths, ways of thinking and can restore balance.

• First ensure you have time for your own hobbies, passions and interests
• As a coach, note what energizes you and utilize it even more
• Give yourself time in nature so you can always retune to your nature
• Practice what you preach: life balance, self-love and following your path.

Tip:  Follow your energy; allow a few minutes each day where you can just be. Be more curious, compassionate and appreciative of yourself and everything in nature.  Also, when it comes to building your practice as a coach, trust your own creativity and inner wisdom as much as any ‘well tested system’. I’ve found in my career that following my instincts has served me very well – it’s just a case of listening and trusting. This creativity will enhance and support your work.

Look out for Rasheed’s featured article on 25th April in our 6-part 'Coaching Academy Author Series', where he will talk about how coaching inspired his book.

Follow Rasheed Twitter @RasheedOgunlaru

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