The Tgrow MethodThe TGROW method is widely used in life coaching sessions. In each session life coaches take their clients through five steps, although not necessarily in sequence.
The letters stand for:
Theme
What’s on your mind right now? Where do your priorities lie? Are there any problems in any particular area of your life which you feel need attention? Which features of your life are you most keen to change?
- Health: do you have sufficient energy to carry you through each day, and, if not, what are you going to do about it?
- Career: are there any issues in your working life or business activities which need attending to?
- Money: have you any financial problems that need dealing with?
- Home life: is everything OK with the people you live with, your husband/wife/partner, your children and wider family?
- Social relationships: are you getting pleasure from an active, varied and fulfilling social life?
- Hobbies: do you have interests and pastimes that provide enjoyment and take your mind off the pressures of life?
- Lifestyle: how do you want to live? What do you want to experience? Do you have the way of life you would ideally choose for yourself? If not, are you clear what would be the perfect lifestyle for you, and what you would like to change?
- Personal development and spiritual life: does your self-esteem need a boost, or are you considering becoming involved with a particular religious group, or taking up a spiritual practice such as prayer or meditation?
- What, if anything, do you no longer want in your life?
In reality, of course, you can’t separate out these areas of your life, because they have a significant effect on each other. Your work affects your family life, stress levels, intimate relationships and health, and soaks up energy you may prefer to devote to your hobbies and pastimes. Equally, your home and family life impinges on your effectiveness at work, and so on.
Goals
Are you clear on your goals? Indeed, do you have any goals – long, medium or short-term? If you did have any goals, what would they be, and can you think of anything you can start doing now that would move you closer towards them?
Is there one goal which, if achieved, could make the others fall into place and transform your life? Would, for instance, a career or business goal solve a pressing financial problem and allow you to pursue a cherished hobby or fulfil a longing to travel? If so, is there something you could do within the next two weeks, seven days, or even today to make a start?
We’ll take a more detailed look at the goal setting process in the pages ahead, and suggest a useful goal setting pro-forma.
Reality
While it is important to have goals, it’s also important to be realistic about your chances of achieving them. Setting yourself challenging goals within impractical deadlines can
be very damaging, because you are almost certain to fail. Make sure you’re not asking the impossible of yourself.
Take stock of your present situation. Try to understand all the factors which impact on your goals:
- Where are you now in relation to each goal?
- What resources do you have? What do you need? How will you acquire them?
- Do you have all the knowledge, skills and personal qualities you require?
- What’s been holding you back? Are there any obstacles? How significant are they?
- What have you done so far? Did it work? What stopped you going further?
Options
How many options do you have for achieving your goals? List them. Do some research: read widely, surf the net, ask around. Rule nothing out at this stage, no matter how far fetched it seems.
Where there are several feasible options available, look at each in turn. Identify those that seem best and consider how they will achieve your desired outcome. Look back over your options from time to time; reviewing them may spark off new ideas.