My desire is to move forward confidently embracing my coaching skills to inform how I plan and interact within meetings, class environments and in building stronger leaders within our church. I want to move more comfortably into the coaching mindset as I interact with others and use my deep passion for learning to create weekly time for reading/listening to coaching related material. Documenting my progress and celebrating my wins will be one way I can mark my progress, as well as identify the skills/practices I need to become a masterful coach.

By the end of the year I want to be able to celebrate having accumulated 100 coaching hours. I want to have established a practice of utilizing coaching skills within the church setting: meetings, individual leadership coaching, Confirmation classes and adult classes; continuing to transform my conversations/relationships with my adult children and grandchildren and extended family.

A small step I can take this week to align with my Coaching Goal is catching up on my Coaching Class assignments.

I'm seeking to increase the effectiveness of my coaching. Most important to accomplishing this transformation will be to increase my logged hours of coaching practice. I will pay special attention to preparing myself for sessions as well as following up after sessions. I will continue to listen to the comments of observers and plan to record an occasional session.

By the end of 2022 I hope to have made significant progress towards establishing my practice (want to formally launch by end of summer). I will continue exploring the role of Synod Coaching Coordinator. Additionally, I plan to complete my mentor coaching and to have made significant progress towards logging 100 Coaching hours (minimum 60 hours).

Small steps that I will be taking in the next week include taking next steps in creating my business plan, Continue to build my potential client list, make initial contacts with 6 "friends" to ask them to consider being clients. Additionally, I will continue my conversations with the Synod Staff as efforts continue to "establish a culture of coaching" in the Synod.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?

For me it is building my confidence that I have what it takes and that I am not an imposter. It is because of this I want to work on taking on 2-3 clients in the coming year that are not church staff. I also want to work on attending the monthly coaching seminars whether it is the book discussion or topic discussion.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?

As I shared above I want to start with getting 2-3 clients to work on improving my skills as well as having my own coach if I can financially afford it.



What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?

I think finding one student from Luther Seminary that would like to create a coaching relationship.

The transformation I am seeking to become a more masterful coach is to intentionally identify myself as a 'trained coach' publicly. I want to become confident in this skill and identity in order that I might enter into outside church relationships to build my coaching practice. I also hope to be transformed into the coaching mindset to the degree that it becomes my natural way of being. As in other times in my life, I know that one day I will simply "be in the coaching mindset" not realizing it until I reflect back on a situation, day, or event and noticed that I did it without even thinking about it. In the end this takes a plan and practice.



By the end of 2022 my plan is to have finished my mentor coaching, accumulated 100 hours of coaching, and have 5 clients outside of the church leadership world. I would like to focus on coaching teens and parents of teens. I also plan to have transitioned to a pastor-coaching model with the church leadership. My website will be up and running, I will have my coaching packets prepared and ready to offer.



Small steps. That is the way to keep my blood pressure down. Small steps include finishing my ACC training well; continuing to coach and be coached in my triad; talk with others who can help me with the business side of building a business and brand. One other thing I will do is to READ books/articles/blogs related to coaching, coaching as a healing art (not sure where I will find this but I will go on a hunt!), and building a brand. In Lent I spent a lot of time reading but reading things that help me to escape--books can be great for this. Now it's time to focus and continue to investment I am making in myself to continue in the 'helping industry' without being in parish ministry exclusively.

Yesterday I experienced a shift in my thinking about coaching that I can only describe as "owning" the idea of becoming a coach. This change in perspective motivated me to take more direct steps to establish my coaching business right now, April 22, as a trained coach. This week I began sharing with people I randomly meet that I am a trained coach inviting them to reach out if I can be of any help to them. Also,



1. The transformation I'm seeking to become an extraordinary coach is to reframe my motivation for being a coach in the first place. It's not about getting clients and developing some profitable business. My motivation is focused on loving and caring for people by partnering with them to achieve their God-given potential more quickly and easily than they could on their own. My thinking is that by focusing on loving my neighbor everything else will fall into place.

2. By the end of 2022, I'd like to be ACC certified and actively coaching three-ten clients as well as using my coaching skills to help family, friends and colleagues move toward their preferred futures.

3. Steps I've taken/am taking: Yesterday, I purchased the domain name, www.ridgeviewcoaching.org, selected a Wordpress stylesheet and am waiting for it to propagate onto the web. I established an email account for it: tom@ridgeviewcoaching.org. Today, I updated my LinkedIn and twitter passwords, explored calendly and youmail (to create a virtual business related phone number separate from my personal number) and worked on a logo as part of establishing my brand. Additionally, I invited a person outside of my congregation/denomination to contact me for a pro bono coaching session and am finishing The Book of Coaching having read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team last week. This coming week, I am going to explore the technical aspects of podcasting. I have this idea of producing 60 second podcasts titled "View from the Ridge" that offer a daily powerful question for listeners to consider and a weekly podcast titled, "Someday Saturday" where I discuss strategies for tackling those things we tell ourselves, "I'll do that someday," while sharing with listeners my personal experience of tackling my own 'Someday" list.



Lastly, I'm going to begin working on my covid 15 (alright, you got me, 20) pounds I gained when my gym shut down by riding our stationary bike for 20 minutes, 3 times this coming week.

I am still curious where this coaching journey will lead me. I admit, I still at times fall prey to the "imposter syndrome" and wonder if I have what it takes to be a coach. I can say that I have learned a lot in this coaching class and this has led me to ask powerful questions in my relationships.



By the end of 2002 I hope to be ACC certified if I can get some more coaching hours under my belt. This week I will get some more experience as a cong. member wants to meet about possibly starting up a "singles group." I also shared with our synod staff that I am working at becoming a coach and he said he had been thinking about me as a coach for the "faithful innovation" coaching for congregations in the synod. I will see where this conversation leads and to some possibly next steps.



As far as a coaching business, I have thought about a niche to include reaching out to athletes and professionals. I am an Ironman triathlete and I am brainstorming how to be a personal well-being and professional coach. I am still fleshing out this idea.

As I look out over the remaining eight months of 2022, I have several goals that I hope to accomplish. First, with regards to ICF certification, I want to accomplish all requisite training, coaching hours, and successfully complete my certification exam. Bottom line, I want to at least hold my ACC certification by year's end. Second, I want to be on my path toward my PCC certification, via training and accumulating coaching hours beyond the 100-hour mark. Lastly, I want to maintain, via paying clients, a financial book that is in the black in relation to revenue and cost.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?



The transformation I am seeking, as I consider a Coaching future, is to be able to separate the ingrained psychotherapy approach from my many years of private practice and become comfortable in the simple yet powerful use of the specific coaching tools learned in this class. I will be more intentional in moving more from archeological to the architectural approach with clients. There is a therapy approach called Solution Focused Therapy that is very much present and future minded in working with clients. I will reacquainted myself with the modality and see what similarities it has with Coaching. It may help me feel still somewhat attached to my therapy roots with the bonus of enhancing my Coaching practice without deviating from the fidelity of the coaching model.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?



I have been working with a coach recently and the focus of our work together is practicing thinking outside the box. I am intentionally pushing myself at this stage of life to think even bigger than I have before, knowing that within the margins of the "bigger" is a very realistic and creative niche I can dive into. My goal is to have a working plan by July 4, 2022.



What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?



I have an idea that I'm playing around with in my head. I've decided to test the validity of my idea by contacting individuals and businesses that are similar in nature to what I have in mind and "pick their brain." I have a call list made up and I am setting aside time each day to make at least one call. I will also continue solidifying my plan through the creation of a vision board. I am going to make the vision board part of my dreaming and meditation time each day.

As I think about becoming a masterful coach there are two things that I really want to be working on. The first is active listening, and curbing the urge to jump in and give advice, instead allowing the other person to really work out for themselves what the best steps forward might be. The other piece for me is working on asking powerful questions. Given my work, I don't nearly as much about the churches and communities where our pastors are working than they do, so they are the experts and how do I ask them the questions that provoke awareness and help them see new possibilities.

I took this class to make me better at my job in working with pastors and churches to help them discover how God might be inviting them to be part of what God is doing. Therefore this is more about my becoming better at what I am already doing rather than getting certified at this time.

The small step for me is to just watch how often I talk and instead to focus on really actively listening to what people are saying to me.

Jim, I really appreciate your goals of: I will write down and review the gifts, strengths, and resources I see in my clients before every session so that I do not underestimate their wisdom, grit, and creativity.

I will spending more time learning about, and viewing the client as a whole person to better coach the WHO as well as the WHAT.

Also, I will commit to rereading "Leading Change" and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" plus "The Daniel Plan" for 2022/2023 winter reads.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach? Since I'm not seeking to coach as a business right now, I'm hoping I will just become more natural asking powerful questions in my travel business, in my ministry, and to my family.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings? Having completed ACC training and having practiced the skills at least twice!

What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals? Complete most or all of my remaining ACC assignments.

Jim: I think you're a good writer, and there's been lots of great content on this blog, but this one is really a home run. By telling your personal story of coaching development, you really open the door to seeing what's possible. Thank you!



Now to the questions:

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?

- I'm so new that I'm focused now on powerful questions, but I desire to grow into the ability to coach the who, not just the what.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?

- I would wish to celebrate substantial progress in logging coaching hours to attain my ACC certification.



What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?

- Frantically completing the homework! If I don't do it now while there's some margin in November I fear I won't complete.

I didn't begin this course with the intention of setting up a coaching business anytime soon, but as we conclude the course, I am much more motivated to begin the work now.



What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?

I am seeking to really grow in my presence and listening skills. I have already seen much growth in this area since the beginning of the class, but I hope to continue to grow in my coaching presence and attentiveness to clients.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?

By the end of this year, I will just be happy if I complete all of my course homework! But by the end of 2023 I would like to have completed by 100 hours, taken the exam and be certified.



What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?

Tomorrow I have my first independent coaching sessions that are not related to our group. I will be working on setting up coaching files and beginning to feel out what I would like my business focus to be.

The transformation that I am seeking to be a masterful coach is to start coaching, to adhere to the best coaching practices and to continually improve in my coaching ability. I have one month left in 2022, so my goal for this month is to have a functioning website by the end of the month and that I can start marketing my business in January of 2023. I am meeting next week with a friend that will help me brainstorm some marketing ideas.

To become a masterful coach, I need to ask powerful questions in fewer words, limit question explaining and stacking, and to be more direct during the coaching process.



By the end of the year, I hope to increase the number of clients and finish my 100 hours of coaching. Professionally, I want to use the coaching technique in program planning with teams to ensure that we are thinking outside the box so our programs positively impact our community.



A small step I plan to take this week is to create a draft contract to use with clients.

I want to work on my mindset, so that I am more gentle and grace-filled in my attitude, compassionate and less biased in my assumptions, thoughtful in my approach, and more caring in my actions.



By the end of 2023, I want to celebrate having become a certified coach this year. I will *also* be celebrating using my coaching skills in professional settings -- which I have been blessed to start doing with and through the Office of Christian Formation and the Association of Partners in Christian Education, but I look forward to having the ACC certification under my belt to go along with it and growing my practice within A Place of Grace as well.



Each week, I am attending class and doing the homework. Today, I logged in to the continuing education Zoom call led by Dr. Villenueva. I am also practice-coaching with a friend who is also in training on a monthly basis and am coaching colleagues in various contexts monthly as well.

One transformation I want to see and celebrate by the end of 2022 (though I will likely work on this for the rest of my life) is internalizing more powerful questions so that they come naturally (or at least, more easily). I also hope to become a a certified coach. Steps I will take are continuing ACC Coaching training and listening to the audiobook "Coactive Coaching."

First off, your goals and reflections are both inspiring, and, if I am being honest, overwhelming!!

As a big reader, I look forward to checking out some of your recommended books.



I think the transformation I am seeking to gain greater coaching mastery is to be a more focused and less distracted listener. I know that practicing this in everyday life will spill over into my coaching work and generally enhance my work and personal relationships!

As I think about goals for the remainder of the year, there are a couple that strike me:

1) try out different systems of note-taking and organizing for the clients I have (I am currently adapting a notecard system that my cooperating teacher used many years ago when I did my student teaching)

2) build a website for my coaching

3) offer a coaching opportunity this fall (small themed cohort) through my local community education

4) accrue 45 hours of coaching



I plan to spend time this week working on my write-up/proposal for the community education offering (I had an informational call with the director a month or so ago, and I have a deadline of June 1 to submit that proposal.

As with many things, I will have a great session and feel super confident about coaching. The next day, I'll have a session that feels totally off and I doubt this journey. The transformation I am seeking is to be more consistently confident in the coaching process and my abilities as a coach. I want to be all in, but when doubt and questions arise, I can feel myself step back. To be a masterful coach, I know I need to be fully present and believe in the value and impact of coaching.



By the end of 2023, I want to have a clear idea of how I'll use the coaching certification. I want to complete my 100 hours and take the final test to become ICF ACC certified.



This week I will log the coaching hours that I've already completed so I can see if I"m on track to reach 100 hours by the end of 2023.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?



I want to become that much more attentive to the wisdom of the questions. I've often coached in the past more out of my gut and want to really grow in trusting the structure of coaching.



What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2023 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?



I'm looking forward to growing with Vibrant Faith in this, however I can, and being a strong networking resource to it.



What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?



I want to catch up on any missing work and make sure I'm processing it all personally.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?

1. I want to read and listen to the Core Competencies until I internalize them.

2. Want to focus on embodying a coaching mindset, develop curiosity and creativity to create powerful questions.

What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2023 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?

1. I'd like to obtain ACC certification by 2024.

What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?

1. Want to complete all my assignments for Vibrant Faith.

2. Reach out to some friends and family for coaching.

What's the transformation you're seeking that will help you be a masterful coach?

--I'm working on building trust in myself and my ability to accomplish tasks that are for me and what I want out of life.

What do you wish to celebrate by the end of 2022 related to your coaching business, being a certified coach, or using your coaching skills in your personal and professional settings?

--I want to be a certified coach by the end of the year.

What small steps will you take today or this week that are aligned your coaching goals?

--Getting these assignments done and setting up meetings with my coaching triad to get hours.

My biggest goal for the year is to figure out if coaching is even viable for me in my current context and if so, how to manage it in such a way that it is a joy and not an extra drain on my energy and time. Finding balance is going to be a challenge for me, so I'm using a Wheel of Life exercise every month to evaluate how I feel about my current state of balance and to monitor what small shifts I can make each month to make progress.

While I'd love to celebrate having 3-5 coaching clients, I'll mostly be happy if I find myself using these skills in my personal life.



In terms of coaching clients, I'd love to be able to flesh out my value proposition, and network or advertise for 305 clients.

I see my next steps as continuing to gain experiences coaching individuals so that I can practice the skills I have learned in my coaching education. Taking steps to creating opportunities to coach is something I am setting for myself to create.