A Coaching Model Created by Grace Kong
(Leadership and Executive Coach, CANADA)
The Journey
On the day you were born, life begins! A life which starts with a journey that takes you into a world filled with questions, unknowns, challenges, joy, memories and possibly much more. It is a life where the journey can take you as far as you wish to take it. However, the path in which a journey takes depends on the size of the ambition you have. Successful achievement of your ambition begins with a personal “drive” from within yourself with the hope to fulfill and achieve something that you had set forth for yourself. Without the desire to move you forward your ambitions will never be achieved!
Each ambition you conjure is unique. It has its own level of complexity and in some cases it may be composed of uncertainties, questions, hesitations and unknowns. Some ambitions may be very complex, which may be arduous to accomplish, leaving you with a feeling of despair that it is not achievable. But if you are determined and the ambition or goal is realistic and you have great intentions for yourself to strive for it and you can visualize what the outcome could be, you are then able to empower yourself to take the steps to achieving your ambition that may result in the joy, gratification and experience of success & absolute accomplishment!
As a baby or a young child the journey which you take is one which is usually led by others. Led through guidance and direction, such as learning how to walk, dressing yourself or reading a book. It’s a journey where you may not be in the driver seat but one where you are the passenger. However, as you grow older, you begin to take charge of the journey and you begin to think on your own, making decisions and setting your own destinations. You soon become the one who chooses right from wrong and the one who determines how to act, behave and interact with others, in each situation. When you reflect on this new passage, you are no longer the passenger in each situation, but you’ve now become the DRIVER in your journey of life. As the driver, the path you take to reach your destination(s) or specifically the passage you take to achieving your ambitions really depends how you steer & take control on the road to which you’ve set out for yourself.
Identifying Ambitions
Being in control may be overwhelming at times, especially when you desperately want to achieve a goal that you have set out for yourself. Breaking it down into ideal steps may help you in aspiring to the ambition that you set forth. But before we focus in on addressing these steps, let’s define “ambition”.
What is ambition?
Am·bi·tion [am-bish-uh n] – noun: ambition;
1. a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.
2. desire and determination to achieve success; a particular goal or aim; something that a person hopes to do or achieve; a desire to be successful, powerful, or famous; a desire to do things and be active.
“DRIVE” Coaching Model
The DRIVE Model (Determination, Realistic, Intention, Visible, Empowerment) are the steps that can help guide you through your journey by simplifying things to assist you in reaching your ambitions.
Determination
Determination is identifying the passion and the willpower within, to believe that the ambition which you wish to achieve is possible and can be accomplished. By clearly defining the ambition you’ve set out for yourself, you have begun to take the steps in acknowledging the importance of the goal you wish to accomplish. It is also to acknowledge that if the goal is achieved, there is likely a positive outcome at the end. An accomplishment which will surely result in success, triumph or an overwhelming feeling of fulfillment.
Assess your level of Determination before, getting into the “Driver Seat”:
Realistic
When identifying the ambition you desire, it is important to reflect upon how realistic it is. Is it a goal which you can possibly accomplish and/or achieve or is it a “pie in the sky”? Figuratively an idiom which analyzes an idea or plan that may seems good but is not likely to be achieved. If it isn’t achievable a number of things can happen, you can push yourself towards achieve something that may never be attainable. Resulting in frustrations, demotivation and aggravation, then possibly driving you to chase something that is unattainable. This can then possibly cause you to spiral out of control without you even knowing it. Similarly like a dog chasing his tail.
On the contrary, having a clear, well thought out “realistic” and achievable ambition which is truly attainable, authentic and within reach, can bolster excitement, energy and a drive within you to achieve it and actually successfully accomplishing it. Achieving success on this realistic ambition can bring happiness, a feeling of success and empowerment.
When you set your focus on an ambition you’ve identified, although it is realistic it may feel unattainable as it may be a challenging one. One which may require much commitment, time and perseverance. As discouraging as it may be, quitting or giving up on the ambition should not be the answer. If it is a truly a realistic achievable goal, accomplishing it can bring an overwhelming feeling of great success and joy, as the more challenging the goal is, successfully achieving it brings a greater sense of pride, happiness and self-fulfillment.
Intention
As Dr. Wayne W. Dyer an internationally renowned author and speaker simply put it; “…the power of intention is the energy that surrounds us all, and allows us to accomplish our life’s goal. If you change the way you look at things the things you took at will change.” It is the effort, determination and focus of achieving something. Intent is the driver behind what we are doing or thinking. It is knowing what the intent is that enables us to unlock the driver behind our actions and makes it clearer for us to see.
As you focus on your ambition, ask yourself:
Being aware of your intent is powerful. It is powerful as you are the one in the driver seat, creating and evolving your intention on how you will achieve your ambition. If you create the intent with the intention that you will succeed, then you will be successful. Creating an intent whereby you do succeed, is a great accomplishment in itself.
Visible
Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into visible. ~ Tony Robbins; Life Coach
Having an ambition without being able to visibly see in your mind the end result or what the accomplishment may look like in the future can makes it hard to achieve. As an example, going to College or University you know that after all the hard work that’s you put into the years, there is a high probability that there is a positive end. Being able to visualize your graduation day makes it easier to complete and reach your goal of achieving your ambition of obtaining your degree or diploma. Creating a vision makes the goal real. But in order to get you there steps needs to be taking, including putting a plan in place that will help you get there. Without a plan, as a driver you may get lost or crash without clear direction.
Not being able to visibility see where you are headed or what the path ahead may look like can create uncertainty, clouds judgment, lacks focus, increases frustration and perhaps heightening anxiety consequently impelling you to take a longer journey than you want. A longer journey may also result in redirecting you to take a completely different journey, your level of self-awareness may be questioned and may possibly lead you to discontinue on the journey you have engaged. Additionally, a failure to visibly envision a clear path or plan for a very challenging ambition may also result in the desire to quit before achieving it, to avoid the feeling of immense failure or disappointment. So if you can visualize what the outcome may be, with focus, clarity and DRIVE, it will offer greater direction, making it simpler to find your way to your accomplishing your ambition.
Empowerment
Lastly, as noted earlier, being in the driver seat you are the one in control. So empower yourself!! Be confident in knowing you have full control on how you will maneuver through this journey towards accomplishing your goal. Being able to take control of your destiny and feeling empowered can bring an overwhelming feeling of being vested in what you are aspiring to, which subsequently permeates a feeling of complete empowerment and excitement! An excitement that will give you the energy to move towards what you set forth for yourself in the first place. So as you take control, feel empowered, make decisions and press the accelerator to begin your journey to your ambition!
Put it into Practice
Don’t wait around! Take the steps; break it down into short journeys to reach your overall ambition. Consider what the pieces are and look forward and not back. The road ahead may be unclear, rough and hidden behind obstacles, but if you forge ahead and really DRIVE to your destination with a clear plan in place, you will accomplish whatever you set out for yourself. Put yourself in the Drivers’ seat, the success of achieving an accomplishment is worth the try!
As a coach, inspire and guide your client through this journey. Encourage them to sit in the Driver seat with the focus on small ambitions, ones that are quick and attainable and in time and with experience, they can push themselves to achieving greater ambitions along their personal journey of life!