The path to achieving our personal or professional goals can be difficult. The path may be unclear, but the light at the end of the tunnel brightens our way as we get closer. We need to keep in mind that every step we take will get us one step closer to our end goal. The wonders of getting closer and closer to meeting our goals should serve as reminders and motivation that we are one step closer than before. Yes, this means we have to devote part of our time to each step along the way. Whatever barriers may be holding us back, we need to continue pushing and seeing beyond the challenges to the riches and satisfaction. For many of us, pushing ourselves comes easily, but our goals are interrupted now and then. This holds us from seeing what lies ahead, which, in turn, affects our everyday productivity. I was recently motivated to get back on track to writing my dissertation after attending a session focused on coaching by Miranda Walichowski presented during a We Teach Texas webinar. Therefore, we will discuss the importance of coaching in our everyday lives.

Coaching has been around for centuries, yet we seldomly coach ourselves or those around us to achieve the goals we want. I want you to stop and think about the last time you coached yourself or someone else. With coaching, we can build a routine that can help us set strong pillars that are essential to our living: spiritually, physically, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and vocationally. This simple act can be a daily, weekly, or monthly guide and a reminder of what we seek to achieve.

Essentially, coaching should be like the food we need to survive. Coaching can become present in any area that can help you become the better self you wish to be. Yes, that means if my vision of my better self includes taking care of my physical health, then I need to coach myself or seek someone who can coach me along my quest. By coaching ourselves and others, we can determine and address the challenges that have been stopping us from succeeding. In doing so, we can become the best version of ourselves. This skill can help you and others reach goals by merely applying these steps in your everyday routine.

Take a minute and focus on one area you want to grow (e.g., physically, intellectually, socially). Once you have established the area you want to grow, I want you to think about where you are and where you want to be regarding this specific area. Be as specific and descriptive as possible. For me, I want to finish writing my dissertation by May, so I am currently 40% completed and want to be 100% by May.

Now that you have determined the area you want to grow, I want you to think about the barriers that have slowed or stopped your progress. Once you have determined the barriers, I want you to be specific about overcoming those barriers to be successful. For me, this means waking up at 5 AM three to five times a week from now until May and putting my best ideas on paper before anything else gets on the way. Every week, I am asking myself these questions to keep me accountable. I am coaching myself by setting up a routine that can mitigate the challenges I encounter during this phase in my life. I know that by coaching myself, I can stay on track and reach my goals. 

Now, if getting closer to your goals requires you to coach yourself by writing these questions on your fridge or mirror, or finding a partner that can ask you these questions, then go for it. By applying these easy skills, we can address challenges that are interrupting our growth. I hope this read helps you and your acquaintances move forward.

--- Mayra Vargas

Mayra Vargas is a master's and doctoral student studying Bilingual Education in the Department of Educational Psychology