This is the second part of a series of posts explaining the most powerful model I use with my life coaching clients. Read The GROW Model – Introduction to find out what it’s all about.
Now that you know what your ideal situation would be, it’s time to compare it to your present situation (or, as we geeks would say, run a diff command).
That way, you’ll know how big a chasm stands between your reality and your dream situation, which will later help you build just the right bridge to cross that chasm.
(I assume you already have a goal in mind from GROW #1 – Goals. If not, go back and find one first, before you continue reading below.)
After that we’ll have a good hard look at everything you already possess that will help you move towards your ideal situation!
How does your current situation compare to the ideal?
One of the biggest beliefs of life coaching is that you know far more about your own life than anyone else ever could. You already have all the right answers to your life, you just need to get at them.
So, I’m simply going to ask you a couple of questions, and it’s up to you to take the time to answer them. I won’t be telling you how you will change your life for the better, you will find out all that by yourself.
Grab a pen and a piece of paper (or open up your favourite word processor), and let’s get started!
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- What do you spend your time on, during a typical week?
Make a list of the biggest categories you spend your time on, like work, sleep, commute, cooking, watching TV, social, and anything else you want to ad. And figure out how much time you spend on each of them, during a typical week.
- Are you happy with how you spend your time?
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- How, specifically, will you know that you have achieved your ideal goal?
- Where are you now, in terms of that goal?
- What needs to happen for you to move from here to there?
(Take the time to answer those questions.)
What resources do you already have?
And now for the second part. We will find out what assets you currently have that could help you move towards your ideal goal. Take a few moments to answer the questions below:
- What skills do you already have, that could help you move towards your goal?
- What relevant knowledge do you already have?
- Who do you know that could help you?
- What tangible resources do you have that could come in useful?
- What skills/knowledge do you need to gain to achieve your goal?
(I highlighted the third question because it’s very, very important. Take the time to think it through.)
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And to give you a real-life example, when I answered the above questions about my chosen area of life, life coaching…
I found out I had almost all of the skills I needed. Except I wasn’t very good at finding customers. So I needed to build that skill to achieve my goal.
I already had a big resource in terms of my blog here, as well as a couple of extra information courses (for example, my anti-procrastination e-mail course.)
I also realized I know quite a few life coaches, as well as one of my friends who was going through a coaching certification course. And he had access to plenty of tips and information about finding customers. So that was going to be my first plan of action. (But more on that later.)
Answers the questions now, you will thank yourself a hundred times over
Yes, it might take you some 10-15 minutes, or even longer just to answer those questions properly. That seems like one hell of a long time online.
But it’s just 15 minutes. Just a drop in the lake of your life. But like a drop of an indicator in a bucket of hydroxide, a single drop is enough to turn the whole lot pink.
(Okay, I’m not sure where I was going with that analogy…)
The point is, when you look back at this moment, weeks from now, and see how much just answering these questions led to… How you got clear on what you need to do in order to move towards your ideal situation… How you then acted on that (based on steps 3 and 4 of the GROW model), and improved your life. How you then used the GROW model repeatedly, for other areas of your life…
Well, you know what I mean 
Take your time to answer all the questions above, it will make a huge difference to your life!
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Next part: GROW #3 – Options
(Previous part: GROW #1 – Goals)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It is amazing how these steps are gradually but surely transforming my life. I feel like the clatter is being thrown overboard. I can feel lots of freshness and clarity of thoght. Thanks for this wonder working model.
@Lilly:
I’m glad it’s working for you. And you can thank yourself for actually applying it – a lot of people don’t get that far.
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