Life Coaching Glossary
Action Step / Initiative
A specific, measurable, activity which is defined by the client and which the client agrees to complete to support their coaching progress is called an action step. Generally, a client agrees to complete their action step prior to the next coaching session.
Agenda
In coaching an agenda refers to having an attachment to a particular result or outcome and not being open to what unfolds naturally.
Blocking
A boundary is verbal communication that sets limits on what we accept or tolerate from others. That includes how others treat us... how they speak to us... what we'll give to them or what we'll accept from them. Boundaries are lines that draw and define ourselves. Boundaries teach others how to treat us.
Centering Exercise
A centering exercise provides the chance for both the client and the coach to detach from the activities, worries, or concerns from the day to become focused, or "centered" on the coaching session.
Check-in
The client's process of reporting in to their coach is called a check-in. Generally check-ins are made via email a minimum of once a week. Clients use check-ins to be held accountable to their commitments, to report on the status of their action steps, and to clarify their new insights that week.
Connecting Exercise
A connecting exercise provides the chance for both the client and the coach to detach from the activities, worries, or concerns of their day so they can become focused, centered, and connected to themselves and present for their coaching session.
Design Session
Is a face to face meeting (when possible) to design the focus and format of the coaching partnership.
Distinction
A distinction is a conversation aimed at explaining the separation, the gap, or difference between two separate concepts to clarify understanding.
Drains
Identifying those activities, relationships, thoughts that deplete energy.
Emotional Integrity
Being in emotional integrity means saying and behaving in accordance with our feelings. If someone feels angry but denies that to their partner, they are not in emotional integrity.
Feedback
Not to be confused with criticism, feedback is a nonjudgmental conversation that points out both positive and negative aspects of performance or positive and negative reactions to a person's behavior for the purpose of the individual's growth and understanding.
Forgiveness Process
A specific coaching session that focuses on using forgiveness as a gif to self, letting go of resentment and blame.
Fuels
Identifying those activities, relationships, thoughts and feelings that increase your energy.
Goal
In coaching, goals must meet the following criteria. They must be specific, measurable, time-based, realistic, within the coachee's control, and include a plan of action. Clients set goals so they can take action to create what they want in their lives.
Guided Visualization
Integrative Coaching uses guided visualization as its session foundation. A guided visualization is a process where the coach leads the client through a verbal meditation, including a series of powerful questions, to elicit the client's intuition or inner wisdom.
Inner Wisdom
Inner wisdom refers to our innate inner knowing of intuition where we access an intelligence or information not necessarily available to our intellects or thinking minds. Certain meditations or exercises support our more easily accessing our intuition with practice.
Integrity
Integrity is speaking and acting in alignment with one's own truth, values and beliefs.
Intention
Essentially, an intention is a wish stated as a word or phrase that comes from the intuitive mind. These are often present in preparing for a coaching session.
Internal Exercises
An internal exercise is a series of powerful questions designed to guide a client to their own answers.
Inquiry
Is a question posed, often at the end of a coaching session, to be pondered and answered later.
Life Coaching
Life coaching is the process of working with a trained coach targeting an area of life that is not satisfying and not in sync with an individual's dreams or beliefs in order to create change, reach goals and develop on a personal level.
Life Wheel
A life wheel is a a pie chart document a client uses to assess their satisfaction with each area of their life.
Milestones
Milestones are markers used to track progress along the path to achieving a specific goal. Milestones are specific, measurable, time based, realistic, and within the individual's control.
Mirroring
In mirroring the coach reflects back to the client what they have said without parroting word for word. Mirroring supports clients in going to a deeper level of clarity.
Naming
Is the process of giving a name to a problem, experience, feeling or thought so that it can be explored and meaning can be identified.
Personal Process
Your personal process refers to your own personal experience of transformation and change unique to your journey, needs and visions.
Personal Responsibility
Is the willingness of the client to accept 100% responsibility for the circumstances, choices, and behaviors in their lives. Only by accepting full responsibility can the client then become empowered to change or re-direct their life.
Presence
Our ability to authentically connect with the thoughts and feelings of others is known as presence.
Projection
When we are emotionally triggered by someone else's behavior and are judging them, we are projecting the very quality we are judging, on the other person. In projection, we don't own or recognize the quality we're affected by as a part of ourselves.
Sacred Place
A physical space you create in you home that's quiet, serene and free from distraction is your sacred space. It may be a meditation area, a cozy sitting area, candles or objects that connect you to your own spirituality.
Self Sabotage
Self sabotage is making choices and engaging in behaviors in direct opposition to our beliefs and desired.
Shadow Belief (Sometimes called Gremlins)
A shadow belief is an unconscious belief we have about ourselves that directs our life choices and limits us in what we create in the world. A very common shadow belief is that one is "not good enough" or "not lovable".
Spiritual Practice
A daily ritual or practice to reconnect you to yourself and the universe or spirit. Spiritual practices vary from person to person but include such routines as deep breathing, meditation, prayer, yoga, walking the beach or sitting in nature.
Story
In the coaching, a story refers to our version of reality or our perception of how things occur for us. When we speak of "story", we are talking about the way we see things and experience as the reason we are the way we are. Our stories limit us and keep us believing we are less than we are, or unable to accomplish our dreams.
Sub-personality
is the part of the self that we do not identify with or own. It is a part of our subconscious we do not want to be or recognize in ourselves. By integrating this aspect or part of ourselves, we are empowered to accept the quality that the sub-personality represents and drop our self judgment.
Transformation
A shift in perception that opens up new ways of experiencing the world and allows for personal growth is referred to as transformation.
Underlying Commitment
An underlying commitment comes into play when we are saying we want something but are continuing to produce contradictory results. An underlying commitment shows we are committed to something else than what we say we want.
Vision
In coaching, a vision refers to a client's visual perception of how they would like their life to be in a specific area. Visions are characterized by strong feelings, inspiration, emotion and elicit passion and excitement from the client at the prospect of creating that vision.
Vision Map
To help support a client in creating their vision, they create a vision map, a poster with snapshots, pictures, words or illustrations that are related to their vision and inspire them to create it. It's a symbolic representation of their vision.
Ultimate List of Advisors
Is a list of people, real or imaginary, that can be used to gain additional perspective on thoughts, ideas or initiatives. A coachee might be asked how one of their advisors might respond to an intention.
