When I am coaching clients, at the end of the session, I will ask them what they learned about themselves. And often, the reply takes some form of "I remembered what I had forgotten. I knew this about myself, but somewhere along the way, I forgot."
And isn't that a very human and understandable kind of forgetting? We have so many experiences that sometimes the new conclusions and learnings push out the old ones. We only have so much cognitive space. We may have to hear ourselves say something out loud to remember it and apply it to new situations.
That's why the coach approach is so powerful. People have the knowledge and experience to answer their own questions. When a coach listens deeply and asks powerful questions, clients tap into their own strengths and memories to discover (or rediscover) their own solutions. They own the outcomes because they have uncovered the approach, strategy, or solution that "rises to the top" for them, out of the options they have identified.
Coaches sit in the passenger seat of a car, helping with navigation or whatever the driver needs. Clients are the driver of their own life and goals. Happy travels!
