Strengths assessment
Please complete the strengths assessment: Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) by going to (http://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register).
The survey will take 30 minutes, and you will receive a free report ranking your character strengths. The top 5 of your strengths are designated as signature strengths. Your signature strengths are essential to who you are, your authentic self, and bring excitement, energy, and fulfillment when expressed.
As you acquaint yourself with your character strengths profile, consider how you might keep your strengths visible; how could you symbolize your strengths?
How are your signature strengths instrumental in achieving your vision?
Also, reflect on how your strengths already appear in your chosen life domain for coaching.
During the coaching sessions, you will add depth to your understanding, start spotting how character strengths are developed in everyday moments and build an appreciation for where your strengths may be underplayed or overplayed and the need to balance them.
Please share your signature strengths with your coach by email before your next coaching session.
Goal inquiry
Inquire about your desired results from the coaching engagement. Review these instructions and ponder the questions; journal your thoughts and insights as you feel inspired.
What public and private goals do you want to commit to?
What main focus areas do you want to bring to coaching?
What goals have you set?
What values do you want to honor in your life?
What motivates you to action?
How have you created change in the past?
What works?
Target behavior
What changes do you want to make in your life?
How would you like things to be different for you?
What things in your life would you like to be different?
What goals do you have for changing your behavior?
Designing the alliance
In our initial coaching session, we will design the working alliance. For this purpose, please ponder these questions and prepare to answer them in our session:
What work do you want to do? What would you like to achieve as a result of our work together?
How do you want to receive feedback?
What do you expect from me in our relationship?
What can I expect of you in our relationship?
How do you want me to be as your coach?
What kind of support do you want from your coach?
Do I have your permission to intrude, challenge, and hold you accountable as your coach?
“Best Possible Future Self” exercise
Write expressively about yourself. Imagine what might be possible in your chosen life domain if you were to develop your character strengths each day and everything was going as well as possible.
Adapting the writing procedure developed by King (2001), you will write for 20 minutes at a time about different experiences and topics.
Here are your instructions:
“Think about your life in the future. Imagine that everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded in accomplishing all of your life goals. Think of this as the realization of all of your life dreams. Now, write about what you imagined.”
Do this for 20 minutes per day for three days in a row.
Alternative Instructions
Imagine that in 12 months, you are your best possible self. Think about the major life areas and the positive changes you’d like to see happen. Taking this time to reflect helps you clarify your goals and life direction, giving you a stronger sense of purpose. It also helps you by highlighting the small steps to create your ideal future. It’s important to ensure your vision is authentic. Focus on tuning into your real desires, not just what you think is expected of you or what you think you should want. When you have a fairly clear visualization, write the details of your image and be as specific as possible. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling; write continuously for 10 minutes.
Research Background to the “Best Possible Future Self” exercise
A study by Sonja Lyubomirsky showed that after just four weeks of doing The Best Possible Self (BPS) exercise once a week, participants showed significant increases in wellbeing compared to a control group who didn’t do the exercise.
Further research has indicated that the BPS exercise is an effective positive psychology intervention for improving wellbeing, optimism, and positive mood.
When will you complete the BPS exercise?