The Dream Dean

I just finished reading another coaching book; this one is titled, “The 90-Day Coach: From Zero Clients to a Fully Booked Coaching Practice in 90 Days or Less” by Jonathan Milligan. It’s another interesting take on creating a life coaching practice – especially in 90 days or less.

My friend Joanne Conrad has decided to join me on this journey, to document our results from each of the weekly activities (13 weeks total). To be honest, I have ZERO interest in creating a one-on-one coaching practice, but I think there are strategies and suggestions in the book that could be useful in building my practice – whatever that may be.

Week 1 Chapter: “The Power of Picking One Lane.”

Action Item: Write your transformation punchline, using this formula – “I help [specific audience] achieve [big result]. And you need to do it in ten words or less.

Results:

• Bill: “I help educators unearth purpose for themselves and their students.”
• Joanne: “I help emerging professionals identify and achieve meaningful work.”

Takeaways: This was hard to complete for me because I have a tendency to be wordy and try to fit all my thoughts into one sentence. I have 8 sticky notes with different statements, all over 10 words. My statement came to me a couple of days ago and I’ve been saying it to myself for the past few days to see if it resonates (it does). I chose the word “unearth” because, according to Google Gemini,  it “implies a more difficult or laborious process. It suggests digging or searching for something that’s buried deep, either literally or figuratively. It often carries a sense of significant effort and a surprising or valuable discovery.” And that describes purpose and meaning exploration perfectly!

Another takeaway is that I know I want to work with faculty, staff, and administrators in higher education. I would like to show them how to use the activities, tools, and resources themselves first, then share it with the students they serve. As I get more comfortable with various AI tools, I’ll be able to show how they can integrate results from various activities (like this statement) and create academic, career, and life plans.

If you have a few minutes, create your own statement and post in the comments!

On a side note, one of my colleagues shared in one of her posts that people don’t care about purpose. I have a hunch that she has a very narrow definition of purpose, which most people would define purpose as “finding your why.” So generic. I would contend that purpose encompasses several different areas:

• Connection – Pursue and cultivate deep, meaningful relationships with people, groups, and communities that provide mutual support and growth.
• Legacy – Provide specific ways to help the world, leave something behind, create a lasting impact on future generations, or contribute to the benefit of humankind.
• Expressive – Seek out creative pursuits that are appealing, adventures that produce awe and wonder, and/or rewarding experiences that bring joy to yourself and to others.
• Accomplishment – Pursue value-driven personal and professional goals that arise from challenges, aspirations, and sense of fulfillment, which are deeply intertwined with personal growth, character development, and endeavors that benefit others.
• Religion/Personal Philosophy – Follow religious/spiritual practices and/or develop philosophical beliefs that help you interpret the world and your place in it, connects you to a higher power, and/or provides a guide to the “good life.”
• Enrichment – Engage in learning activities that enhance your growth, allow you to practice your craft, and/or encourages self-development/self-improvement.
• Service – Unselfishly use your time, talents, and resources to care for, give support to, and/or help others in need to give back to your community and make a difference.

Taken in this context, most – if not all – people have an interest in exploring at least ONE of these areas in their lives. Just wanted to put it out there…