Lottery insanity. “One day, my numbers will goes up,” you must persuade your clients of the value of time and the here and now. Inquire about what they could be doing right now to pursue their dreams. If you have a client who likes to own a house with a view of the sea, what can they do today, even in a small way, to help them achieve their goal? They could, for example, investigate the costs of this type of house, inspect the proposed location, or create a long-term plan that includes all the small tasks that must be completed to help them achieve their dream. You could gently point out that they are giving up their ultimate freedom by putting their future hopes in the notoriously long lottery odds. This is the ability to take control of their lives by taking positive action that produces the desired results.
They are functioning on the treadmill. If your clients are stuck and can’t see a way out, ask them to list all the jobs, careers, or professions they could do if they didn’t have any constraints. Explain that they must write down all ideas because you want a long list. Before the next coaching session, they should send you a copy of the list. Their next task is to rank the list in terms of “ease of completion,” “cost-effectiveness,” “impact on family,” and “impact on self.” The client then assigns a score between one and four to each of these four categories, followed by a simple total for each idea. The maximum score for any thought is sixteen, and the minimum score is four. The opinions with the lowest scores are the ones to work on first. You must assist your client in determining their task prioritization. Ask open-ended questions until they decide which ideas to implement. Then coach them on how to make the change. If your client struggles with this concept, copy the form below and give it to them as a reference.
From 1 to 4, mark each idea. The best option has the lowest score.
| IDEAS | TO DO | COST | EFFECT ON FAMILY | EFFECT ON SELF | TOTALS | BEST CHOICE |
Priorities in time. These clients repeatedly return without completing a task because they “didn’t have the time.” This is usually not a real-time issue: it is a commitment impediment. Genuine-time management issues can be quickly addressed by recommending that your clients take a time management course or read a time management book. If you discover a commitment problem, you must confront your client about their behavior and remind them of their commitment to themselves and you. Remind them of the benefits they stated they would receive if they reached their goal. Question them about why they consistently fail to deliver.
Adrenaline addiction. Several of your clients may be burnt out due to working too hard and playing too little. They thrive on the adrenaline rush of a crisis. They claim that when they have short deadlines, they perform better. They enjoy the buzz and may be unwilling to give it up. Assure these clients that the rush of achieving their goals through their efforts is an equally powerful but healthy and long-lasting high. Some of the advanced techniques covered in Chapter Eight on Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Chapter Seventeen on the Spiral Coaching model will be required.