How Self-Talk Can Expand Your Clients’ Potential

By Janice LaVore-Fletcher, PCC, CMC   / Aug 18

Coaching Clients to Change Limiting Beliefs My last post talked about positive affirmations that you can use in life and how the practice of quoting  scriptures can  affirm positive words and feelings.  This week, I want to write about the power of our own words and the impact on how they can build a person up or tear a person down .

Our self-talk turns words, thoughts and feelings inward and  can either become limiting, self-sabotaging beliefs or empowering and inspiring beliefs . Imagine if you had a best friend who talked to you the way you talk to yourself sometimes.  How long would you keep that friend around?

At some point, most of us have been blessed to experience positive people in our lives who affirmed us and believed in us, even when self doubt crept in or when we were losing sight of a dream.  Maybe it was a high school coach, a  Sunday school teacher, parent, spouse, sibling, or friend.  Do you remember the kind of encouraging words the person used? I remember my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Anthony. Each time she handed out a test, she would smile at me and say, “Oh I feel you are going to get another A.”   I always studied for her tests because she raised the bar and expanded my vision and I wanted to meet that goal.  And, her words played over and over in my head as I was studying for her tests,  “I am going to get another A.”

One of the nine “IAC Coaching Masteries” is “Perceiving, affirming and expanding the client’s potential“.  When the coach sincerely “demonstrates belief in the client’s potential”, without going over the top or being a Pollyanna, the client is more willing to take actions to step out of their comfort zone, and challenge their self limiting beliefs.  As a coach, you can encourage your client  to pay attention to their self-talk and focus on positive affirmations using words, pictures and feelings to imprint positive self-talk.  It is amazing how a client can begin to see themselves differently when they imprint these new pathways in the brain over a period of time.   A shift begins to take place, and as their confidence grows, the client is more motivated to take action and accomplish more.   Speak encouraging, affirming words into their life and make a request for them to adopt a new habit of speaking positive affirmations daily.  One technique your client can use is to write them on  index cards and read them each morning and in the evening.  And, you can help them understand when they catch themselves speaking negative self-talk,  to immediately correct it by saying, “that ‘s not like me anymore”... and immediately change the words into a positive statement.  Parents, think of how you can help your children build a strong self image by guiding them to change their negative self-talk into more positive self talk.

Maybe this is a good time to review the free MP3 recordings of positive affirmations that I posted in my bl0g last week.   Someone asked me to share one of my favorite affirmations…  one of my favorite affirmations is “I am a beloved daughter of the Most High God,  the Creator of the Universe, the Alpha and the Omega.  He lives inside of me. I am known and loved by God and I am highly favored.”

What is your self-talk?  How can you build up yourself and others with your words?  When will you start?

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverb 23:7

Coaching Minute: Tips on Getting Things Done Today

By Janice LaVore-Fletcher, PCC, CMC   / Apr 25

Most of us begin each day with a long list of tasks on our “to do” list, all of them calling our name. And, most likely the list is in both our personal and our professional life. It is a common request among coaching clients to ask for support in how to get re-focused and create boundaries and get more done in their day. With so many demands, one can easily feel overwhelmed and lost focus on the big picture.

How many times have you looked back at the end of the day, wondering what was accomplished?

Let’s look at a few ways to get re-focused, and back on track today. And, do it again tomorrow until new habits are formed.

Tips to refocus and re- energize to feel accomplished at the end of today:

to-do-list-in-coaching1. Eliminate the distractions. Get rid of the barriers that are causing you to avoid getting things done – it’s that simple! Forget about checking email every five minutes; those emails will still be there when you complete your task. Make a list of the distractions, and eliminate them. Here are a few most of us can relate to:

  • Set all phones, (yes that includes your smart phone) on silent for a while and give yourself permission to let voice mail take over
  • Close the blinds in your office if you find the outdoors distracting you
  • Turn off the radio, stock market reports, tv
  • If you are not on the computer, turn off all the bells and whistles and turfn away from the monitor and try to avoid looking at the screen until the task at hand is completed
  • Temporarily close the door to your office to allow for privacy and reduce the number of “drop ins”. Sometimes, you may also want to hang a friendly note on the door asking not to be disturbed and post the time you will be available.
  • Do It, Delegate It, or Defer It! You have only these 3 options when going thru your paperwork and emails.. Do it if it takes less than 2 miutes. Delegate it – if the action will take longer than 2 minutes ask yourself “am I the right person to do this? If the answer is no, delegate it to the appropriate person. Defer it if the action will take longer than 2 minutes, and you are the right person to do it. Schedule the time on your calendar as needed.

2. Prioritize your work or it will prioritize for you! Rather than working on projects simultaneously, take one thing at a time, focus on it, and worry about all the other projects later. Ultimately, you’ll get a lot more done and you’ll finish it more quickly. You’ll also be recognized by the high quality that you deliver when you’re free from distractions. Find a way to prioritize what works best for you. Choose either the project that has the earliest deadline or the one with the least components so you can finish it quickly and get it out of the way. There are pros and cons to both systems so tackle it whichever way works for you. Read More ›

Coaching Minute: Zap Those Annoying Energy Drainers

By Janice LaVore-Fletcher, PCC, CMC   / Apr 21


What is an energy drainer? Well, it is anything that you put up with, take on, adjust to or are dragged in to. An energy drainer can be someone else’s behavior, an annoying situation, a crossed boundary, a frustration or an unfinished project. Here are some examples of energy drainers: excessive clutter in the garage, cabinets, unfiled stack of papers, cluttered desk, the neighbors’ barking dog, a doorknob that is falling off, a leaking faucet, poor customer service, clothes that no longer fit, traffic, not being paid on time, and the list goes on.

Think of energy drainers as that little bit of white noise in the background. You’re not really aware of it, but it’s there and it’s having an effect on you and your performance. These energy drainers create friction and increase your frustration level. Energy drainers distract you from your focus because they are always there in the subconscious mind dancing around reminding you they need your attention. During times of major change and transition, excessive energy drainers can take an otherwise gifted, effective and skilled person and cause him or her to behave in uncharacteristic and unproductive ways. In effect, excessive energy drainers take an already difficult situation and turn it into chaos! Instead of allowing these to zap your energy, I want to encourage you to zap the energy drainers and reclaim your energy, one energy drainer at a time. Read More ›