How is your heart, dear one?

Last week we witnessed terrifying and rage-inducing events at the U.S. capitol.

I've been sitting with rage, hesitance to be performative in my response, and fear of re-traumatizing you.

I hope you took breaks, rested, and are continuing to commit to action while taking care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

As a coach, I've been wondering what roles and responsibilities coaching has in all of this.

At the beginning of my coaching certification program, our program leaders, Sarah Jawaid and Damon Azali-Rojas*, invited us to reflect on this question:

What potential does coaching have for transforming our world for the better?

Collectively, there was an initial sense that this question was naive. Or maybe that was just me. (I was admittedly more cynical before spending 9 months learning how to up my coaching game alongside dedicated, full-hearted, imaginative, and unshakeable community organizers and activists.)

But I also wanted (and still want) to believe, that personal healing and alignment matter for the good of all.

Don't get me wrong - I don't expect anyone who joined the domestic terrorist attack to sign up for coaching or therapy any time soon...

But I do get to see each and every day, the power of investing time and energy in, and creating space for imagination and possibility with folks working to make their organizations and this world a better place.

And maybe that's where the healing and transformation have to start.

What potential do you think coaching has for transforming our world for the better?

Thanks for reading. Back to our regularly-scheduled PART 3 of the Planning with Purpose series, weekly bite-size tools to help you get going with your healing, impact, and momentum in a new year.

If you missed previous parts in the series, you'll find them here.

In this series of 5, you will receive emails on these topics:

1. 2020 retrospective and gratitude 

2. Hopes and goals for 2021 

3. Identify your motivations and purpose (Today!)

4. What you need to reach your goals

5. How to visualize the future to make your goals come true

Today is day 3: Identify your motivations and purpose

For this activity, you need:

• a notebook or paper (and your notes from prior weeks)

• something to write with

• a quiet place to focus

• a friend or partner (virtual or in person)

Step one:

Next to your top 3-5 goals from previous weeks, you should have a second column. In it, write either:

• “What does this make possible?” or

• “What is the impact of that?” It can be a personal impact or social, environmental, organizational, or other external impact.

Step two:

Working with a partner, or asking yourself solo, read out one goal at a time.

Ask for each goal: “if you have that, then what is possible?” until you reach a core purpose or motivation.

Do for each goal, then switch partners.

Write in your notebook what comes up.

What did you learn about your motivations or larger purpose?

If this served you, take a picture of your notebook and share it on Instagram or Linkedin and tag me (@juliafirestonecoaching on Instagram and Julia Firestone on Linkedin) so others can try it too.

Stay tuned for the next part in the series in one week!

If you finish all 5 weeks, email me a picture of your work for the chance to win a complimentary one-hour coaching session valued at over $400.

You got this.

Julia

P.S. Ready for a big career transition but scared to go it alone? The League of Impact Leaders is the only boutique innovation leadership accelerator build for and by purpose-driven people in transition. Throughout the program, you'll gain:

➡️lifelong skills of using innovation to grow your impact,

➡️organizational culture change approaches to strengthen your org and retain talent,

➡️and confidence in your leadership to influence your organization AND the wider world for the better.

Curious to learn more? Here's the link to get the scoop on the program and meet me 1:1 to find out if The League of Impact Leaders is right for you: https://juliafirestone.com/league

*My teachers Sarah Jawaid and Damon Azali-Rojas have started their own coaching certification and they are hosting their first BIPOC, social justice coaching certification cohort at Coaching for Healing, Justice, and Liberation. The application process is open till January 29. Application link: https://www.healingjusticeliberation.org/cohort.

NOTE: This post is copied over from my old blog and was originally posted January 13, 2021.