The Self Coaching MODEL

Every aspect of our lives can be categorized into one of these five categories within the Self Coaching MODEL.

I’ve created a downloadable pdf for you to use as a quick reference. Below, I elaborate more about this MODEL & how to use it to Self Coach.

The Self Coaching MODEL is not a new concept — however, this MODEL in its arrangement, is courtesy of Brooke Castillo from The Life Coach School.

Everything starts with CIRCUMSTANCES: these are things in our lives that are factual, out of our control: this includes our pasts, the weather, and others behaviors. How we know it is factual is everyone will agree on it, or can be proven in a court of law. Circumstances TRIGGER our Thoughts. 

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” 

Viktor Frankl — an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, writer, and Holocaust survivor.

Next are our THOUGHTS: the sentences looping in your minds. They are the narratives we tell ourselves about the Circumstances within our lives. ALL THOUGHTS are OPTIONAL! THOUGHTS are the cause of all of our problems & our successes.
Thoughts CAUSE our Feelings.

FEELINGS: The vibrations in our bodies caused by our thinking. Don’t confuse vibrations with sensations. Vibrations stem from our minds and travel to our bodies — sensations stem from our bodies and travel to our minds. A feeling is ONE WORD: sad, mad, glad, happy, frustrated, elated, anxious, etc.
Feelings DRIVE our Actions.

ACTIONS: our behaviors — what we do and don’t do within our lives — actions, inactions & reactions.
Actions CREATE our Results.

RESULTS: outcomes and consequences of our actions, inactions, or reactions. Results will ALWAYS be evidence of our original Thought.

Learning to use this MODEL in your life is a game changer.  Here are a few helpful tips when navigating the MODEL yourself.

First, practice the act of watching & becoming aware of your mind and the multitude of thoughts swirling around. Don’t judge them, be curious and just become aware. Next, start to fill in the model based on a result, an action, a feeling, a thought, or a circumstance.

Asking thoughtful questions will help maneuver through the MODEL. Here are some questions you can ask: So what? What am I making this Circumstance mean? When I think this Thought, how do I feel? When I Feel this — what actions do I take? What are my actions, inactions, & reactions? What’s the outcome from my action, inaction, & reaction? Does the Result of my actions show evidence of my original thought?

Bonus Hack — learn to use the MODEL to create your goals and dreams.  Just place the result you are wanting into the result line and work your way up by asking your future self those guiding questions.

The more you practice the model, the more awareness you can create in your life, allowing you to become a more deliberate co-creator in your own life. 

Feel free to ask me any questions you might have concerning the MODEL. And if you are wanting to explore some areas (or thoughts) in your life with a Life Coach, please reach out, I am more than willing to work with you through whatever you bring to the table.