This document provides a summary of 12 self-coaching tools for 2012. The tools include creating an autopictography to gain insight about one's current life, googling lists of values to determine one's top 10 values, building a vision board with images of one's goals, watching the movie "Finding Joe" to navigate life changes, practicing facing fears by imagining conquering them, scheduling tech fasts to disconnect from technology, writing one's imagined obituary to focus on life goals and contributions, compiling a list of inspirational quotes to follow principles from, surveying friends and family for feedback, creating an initial "D-version" of projects to overcome perfectionism, tuning into one's intuition through a "t

1. 12 Most Innovative !
Self-Coaching Tools of 2012
By Mark Strong, Executive, Career and Life Coach,
Mark Strong Coaching
www.markstrongcoaching.com

2. 01
02
03
Create an Autopictography
Google Your Values
Build a Vision Board
If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine There is nothing more important in coaching Once you have a realistic view of your current
what two weeks of pictures will reveal! You can than guiding your life by your true values. Yet life and have identified your values, you can
create a simple “autopictography” to gain when many people begin the coaching process, next create a new picture of what you’d like
immediate invaluable insight about your current they don't know what they value most in their your life to ideally encompass. A vision board
life. Just take photos of yourself in action as you lives. If you’re one of them, start with a Google can help with this by allowing you to compile
go about your plans for the next two weeks. Try search of the words “list of values,” and you’ll be images that remind you of your goals in a
to capture what’s around you, who you’re with, presented with a wide range of values to choose single place that’s visible. The process of
what you’re doing, and how you feel. Upload all from, based on various predetermined lists. building a vision board is easy: just take an
of these photos to Flickr or iPhoto, and review Spend some time reviewing these lists, and then ordinary bulletin board, and cover it with
them as a whole. This exercise will help you see determine which 10 values you hold most dear. photos, words, trinkets, and other reminders
things in a new light, as an outsider might see Knowing now that these are your top values, of goals that you’re working toward. You can
you. Be alert for trends and patterns—do you what decisions might you make differently in change the elements on your vision board as
like what you see? This is a great first step to your life? Are you living in alignment with your your goals evolve, or as you achieve certain
kick-start the coaching process, since you must values? If not, make adjustments accordingly.
things that you’re working toward. For an
be aware of your starting point before you can extra boost of inspiration, take a picture of
make changes.
your vision board and keep it as the
background image on the screen of your
computer or cell phone.

3. 04
05
06
Watch the Movie Practice Being a
“Finding Joe”
Dragon Slayer
Use Courage Training
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve Making our fears real is an important way to Develop a routine that allows you to practice
planned so as to have the life that is waiting for vanquish them. Try to manifest your fear into small acts of personal bravery throughout the
us,” says mythologist Joseph Campbell. This something tangible, and then develop a routine day. For best results, first identify what issues
could just as easily be a philosophy for life and to “kill” it each day. To take a simple example, if in your life require an extra dose of confidence,
career coaching. If you’re not quite sure whether you’re afraid of elevators, find a picture of an and focus your courage training in those
you’re ready to start coaching or where to elevator, and spend some time studying it. Then areas. For example, if you feel apprehensive
begin, the movie “Finding Joe” will provide food rip the photo in half and throw it away, about asking for what you want, your routine
for your thought process. The film navigates the symbolizing your triumph over this fear. Another might involve asking for an extra sugar at a
stages of what Campbell famously dubbed “The idea to practice “getting rid of” your fears in this restaurant. If networking makes you nervous,
Hero’s Journey,” which consists of challenges, way is to imagine what you’re afraid of, and practice saying hello to five strangers each
fears, dragons, battles, and a return home as a envision yourself slicing your fear in half or day. Build on your successes over time, and
changed person—everything each of us goes otherwise rendering it powerless.
watch your confidence to ask for what you
through in learning to “follow our bliss.”
want grow.

4. 07
08
09
Try a Tech Fast
Imagine Your Obituary
Go on a Quote Quest
Is an over-reliance on technology taking over There’s no better way to put life in perspective Quotes from those we admire can serve as a
your life, stealing precious time that you could than by visualizing the end of your journey. To do powerful tool for inspiration in helping you to
be using toward growth and self-development? this, try writing what you hope your future live your best life. My favorite is: “No matter
A tech fast may be just what you need. The key obituary might say about you. Focus on how many mistakes you make or how slow
to a tech fast is to schedule it, because what describing in detail what you will have your progress, you are still way ahead of
gets scheduled gets done. You can start by accomplished, and what you want people to everyone who isn’t trying.” Develop a list of 25
blocking out a small amount of tech-free time on remember about your life and contributions. You quotes or lessons that best define who you
your calendar (say one hour), and expand the can use this present-day retrospective exercise want to be, and how you will live your life. You
“fast” as you begin to reap the benefits. During to help inform how you need to act now—and can look for quotes in your favorite books or
your scheduled hour, no screen time is allowed what changes you need to make—in order to online for starters, and continue to be watchful
—silence Blackberries, email, and smartphones. reach your goals.
for them in other sources as you go through
Log off of your computer, and don’t check texts. your day. Once you’ve compiled your list of
Instead, use this time to discover something favorites, post them in a prominent place
about yourself. Write in a journal, enjoy a hobby, where you will see them often, and work on
meditate, exercise—reclaim the time for you.
following their principles.

5. 10
11
12
Survey Your Friends
Create the D-Version
and Family
Take the Tummy Test
Too often, our desire to be perfect keeps us in No one knows you better than your friends and Exercises and strategies are great tools for
paralysis. Instead of waiting for the ideal family do—for better or for worse. To find out coaching—yet nothing is stronger than your
situation before beginning a project, get what others perceive as your strengths and own intuition. When in doubt about what
comfortable with putting together a “D- areas needing development, send an email to decision to make or which direction to go in
version” first. Although it may not produce your friends and family asking for their honest your life, take the tummy test, otherwise
your best work right off the bat, committing to feedback. You can request their comments and known as a “gut check.” You want to go in
beginning with a D-version can help you break advice on specific areas of your life, such as the direction of joy rather than fear,
through perfectionist tendencies and get the how they rate your abilities in certain skill sets. If authenticity rather than people-pleasing.
ball rolling. So if you need to write something you want the questionnaire to be anonymous, Tune into what your intuition tells you about
but don’t know where to begin, just open up a use Survey Monkey, which is a free online the choices in your life, which will register in
document and spend 15 minutes writing the resource. Surveying experts on “you” is a great your stomach as a sense of rightness and
worst version possible—then close the way to get a different view of your life.
clarity, or stress and tension. Take the
document. Go back tomorrow and your mind tummy test often in 2012, and follow its
will have conspired on your behalf on how to results to a happier and healthier you.
make it better. Keep going back and revising
your D-version until you have an A.