How do you balance your own professional development and well-being as an online teaching coach?

Although SMART goals are indeed an ingredient, I think the order is reversed. You don’t start with SMART goals to identify your values. Instead start with your values to help identify your goals. Many people underestimate the power of being in alignment with your own values. When you are, your decisions become easier and you are better able to set and maintain healthy boundaries. When you are in alignment, your goals are sourced from a place of confidence rather than FOMO. Often times we think false beliefs that we are unworthy, suffer imposter syndrome, etc. and these fears cloud our vision of what is possible. Instead being centered and grounded in your authentic self will empower you to know the correct path to take.

Some people are not accustomed to providing valuable feedback and may (due to their own challenges) not be the best source of feedback. Instead of asking random people, it is better to identify people you trust to provide you feedback. If you have not leveraged the kinds of relationships that would provide that sort of support, joining communities where it is not only taught, but modeled for you might be the next step. In my experience, the best way to provide feedback is to create a compliment sandwich. Provide what someone did well, then offer feedback using terms like “have you considered” or “I wonder if” then provide another compliment. Suggest from a neutral POV so the other is empowered. It also helps to ask specific questions.

One thing I’ve found is helpful to disconnect completely. I like walking in the woods alone. It helps me to get in touch with my senses; listening to birdsong, letting oxygen into my lungs, the smell of the soil and feeling the breeze on my face makes me feel alive and connected. We are exposed too many distractions in our daily lives and they drain our energy. So creating space for myself and doing nothing is the best self-care activity for me

scheduling self care - " Me time " is a must - to becoming the best coach you can possibly be. Taking a time out ,understanding the importance of how to manage your clients in the best way possible. It is very easy to fall into the trap as a coach to having the Superman complex- where you end up putting yourself needs below everything else. Not only can this have a major harm on your own personal needs but it can lead to you ,giving the wrong advice to your clients ,because you are over working yourself. You need to understand what your capacity is as a coach ,and a person. A tailor your day around, when, where and how you are the most effective and efficient in both helping your clients and yourself

Self care seems to get a bad wrap these days. Yes, it is vital to attend to your needs, yet it’s so much easier than what others make it out to be. Becoming aware of your body and brain’s needs is self care. Your brain requires regular breaks from focusing so it can integrate. This means every 30-60 mins take a day Dream break or simply shift your thinking from focusing to visioning. This allows the brain to move from the Task Positive Network (TPN) to the Default Mode Network (DMN). As the brain shifts networks, it integrates what you’ve been focusing on and networks the data with other information you know. This allows for insight and creative ways of viewing a situation, where if you had remained focused, you would not have experienced.