- Jenn Steliga
Review, Reflect, Prepare
A well-designed plan builds in time to reflect and adjust where needed.
I frequently ask my clients to review, reflect and prepare before and after each session. For example, after session one, they’ll review what we covered, reflect on what they learned, and prepare for action steps between sessions as well as preparing to make the most of their time during our upcoming session. This is a great practice to develop as you’re working to develop the habits and discipline necessary to achieve your goals.
The beginning of the month is a perfect time to review, reflect and prepare. Review the previous month. What action steps did you set for yourself? What did you accomplish and not accomplish? Take note of the things that happened last month. At this stage you’re making observations of what happened in the past month, with no judgments attached to those observations. Write these observations on a piece of paper, white board or chalk board. Next, reflect on these things. What went well? What didn’t go so well? What will you do different in November? What will you continue because it’s serving you well? Keep writing these ideas down. Finally, it’s time to prepare. What specific steps will you take in November to continue working toward your goal? What systems do you need to maintain, adjust or put in place to support your development of positive habits? If you have a coaching session planned for November, what do you want to accomplish during that time with your coach?
This is a great daily and weekly practice as well! Pressing the pause button for a few moments of quiet reflection will help keep you clear and focused on your values, goals and dreams and allow you to adjust course as necessary. And finally, celebrate your wins along the way! It’s important to recognize what you’ve accomplished in pursuit of your goals and take the time to soak up that amazing feeling of having done something you set your mind to do. Give yourself grace for the things you didn’t do so well, and set in place a plan to improve! With patience and persistence, you will reach your destination.
If this sparked your curiosity about coaching you can schedule a free 15-minute discovery call here to learn more. My promise to everyone who calls is an open and honest conversation about your fit for coaching. There is no judgment here; I’ve made my share of mistakes with money - we all have at some point. But we pick ourselves up, learn from our mistakes, and move on to a better future.