Is your fire lit for 2024?

I was reminded of the power of fire recently. Random I know, but vibe with me. A good friend who I met through the world of facilitation was sharing how fired up she was for 2024, the fire was lit under her and she was ready to go.... 2024 watch out!?

Although I am only emerging out of slow-anuary, reading her message fired me up. It got me excited and drove some curiosity too.

Asking questions to myself such as:

• What am I fired up about right now?
• How can I nurture and grow that fire??
• Who can I share this fire with? (Connection for me, is paramount)

Maybe these questions will resonate with you??

I want a coach but am I ready? Let's chat readiness.

If you're considering working with a coach - whichever type, these questions could support with getting you into that headspace of reflection. Sometimes we think we're 'ready' for something but perhaps other areas need priority first.

People have different interpretations for what this means but what I'm referring to here, when I say 'coaching readiness' is: how ready are you to work with a coach? How ready are you to embrace change - whether internal or external, and receive feedback/observations on this en route? At different points in their life, not everyone is. Here are a few of the signs that I've found indicate coaching 'readiness' - and then a couple that indicate the opposite.?

• Energy. If someone jumps on a connection call with you ready to dive into some questions and exudes energy. They may not have any answers (focus of coaching!) but you can feel that they are ready to get stuck in. Ready to invest their time, energy and of course - financially too.?
• A Learner's Mindset. When someone embraces the fact that they don't know everything (spoiler - nobody does) and they're ready to be challenged, to move outside of that comfort zone - as uncomfortable as it may be.?
• Open to Change. This one is a toughie. Somebody may come onto a conversation saying they 'want a change/need a change' but when you dig into it - the interest or commitment isn't really there. For the coaching partnership to work - both sides need to be invested in this and so this is something I do spend time on during that first call. I've learned - always a lesson!?
• Awareness of what coaching is - and isn't. This isn't something a potential client may come onto the call knowing, but through the course of that conversation - which is why it's so vital, they can come to learn this. In coach marketing, we're always told to 'sell the transformation' but really, on those connection calls (or however you term them), it's assessing for fit. Can you work together to achieve a change, some growth, a focus. From that change (etc.,), transformation happens but the thing to remember here is - this doesn't always show up in the way in which you think it might. Which is in itself, a thing to accept.?

How do you know if someone isn't ready for coaching?

• Again - not black or white. But from what I've seen. If someone if seriously fixating on price rather than what is involved, the connection might not be there. If we as the coach, find ourselves trying to 'justify' what we do, its a null-game.?
• Non-committal. 'Maybe', 'let's see', 'Can we have another quick chat'. For whatever reason, sometimes don't want to commit. And if they don't want to commit to coaching with you, maybe they wouldn't be ready to commit to change either. Or it can be a 'fit' disconnect and many (many!) people don't like to address this outright. I generally follow up with one email - because I forget about these things too (human!), and then I leave it. The marketing pros may snigger at this but I believe the people you're meant to work with, you will.?

If you're a coach, what have I missed here if anything? Or perhaps you don't agree on some... Share below, all views welcome.

Here's where I've been learning this so far in 2024 -

A period for reading, listening and learning. Let's go!?

Did you know - every additional month of parental leave taken by the father increases the mother's earnings by 6.7%? I've been reading 'Good Guys ' - trying to learn more about allyship and how to incorporate this into the mental load and conscious inclusion work I've been doing and when I saw this stat coming from Sweden, it made me dig.?

A lesson in life from the hero that is Jane Fonda. This woman is incredible. 86 and advocating for causes that are genuinely going to affect generations to come. This podcast - a beauty and also threads in some needed humour.?

Chasing that elusive fulfilment we see and read everywhere? Check this out from The Observer's Agony Aunt. Sneaky spoiler - many of us externally reference (what do others think) rather than internally reference first (what really matters to me). Working on this can be a game-changer.?