A Coaching Model Created by Donna Jackman Wilson
(Life Coach for Women, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)
My RESTART model is motivated by a burning personal desire and a delight in seeing people discover, develop and grow into their true and best selves.
My RESTART model encourages you to choose your new path decisively and confidently.
Everyone, indeed each of us has at some point, reached crossroads in our lives and have had to make decisions and choices which were critical to our future. Sometimes we take a leap of faith and voila! it all comes together. Other times, however, as a result of our leap being myopic, it causes us to end up in a muddy pool where we spend time blundering around until we finally climb out thoroughly muddied. Or, if we are lucky, we get hands that help us out of the pool but we are still left to find our way forwards.
What we really need in a time like that is someone standing with us on the crossroads, asking us the right questions in order to take the path that leads us to our best future.
I let the word “RESTART” spiral upwards so that my client can automatically start thinking optimistically. The aim is for them to reach higher levels of success and happiness.
Reach forward and grasp your future–
As the client stands at the crossroad of their new beginning, I should ask them: “where do you want to end up, what is your end goal” and “what’s your next step”.
Ease yourself forward
The client has identified what they want to achieve, we then continue on a path of exploration of what is most important to the client and what changes they may need to make within themselves to draw closer to their end goal. This step should identify any limiting beliefs they may be harbouring with an encouragement to drop the same. As the client charts their new way forward, I should create space for reflection and new ways of thinking.
Savour your moment
I should ask the client what they are seeing, feeling and hearing at the moment in order to help them visualize their new path. Moving from their comfort zone into the testing zone will require them to trust the coach’s support as together we explore this empowering moment.
Take the reins of your life
To transport the client from the vision to their new reality, I should continue to ask empowering questions like“who are you now that you have moved from the crossroads to your desired path” and“you are now in charge of the direction you wish to take, where would you like to go”. I should ask questions like “what is the new learning” and “what support structure will there be to support continued growth”.
Act upon your dreams
So the client is now called upon to plan actions towards their end goal or together with the client and I design smaller action steps towards their ultimate goal. The magic starts to happen as the client tentatively pursues their dream, creates structures and pushes boundaries – new thoughts and therefore new emotions evolve.
Rev yourself up
I should check with the client for sustainable and time specific goals so that the dream does not turn into a nightmare of discouragement/disappointment. I should ensure that the pace is measurable and unhurried and therefore achievable. The client now has the capacity to do or be exactly what they want.
Transition time
The client has successfully advanced as close as they ever will be to their desired outcome and is encouraged to reflect on who they have become and who they have rebooted themselves into. They have trusted their guts, faced their fears and made themselves vulnerable to the coach, released their true self and are ready now for their new experience.
