Power Tool: Vertical vs. Horizontal

Self Reflection

1. What is your bridge is to the vertical and how does that connection empower you in the horizontal dimension of your life?
2. How can you expand your depth of awareness in the vertical plane?
3. How might more balance between the vertical and horizontal dimensions create a shift in your life?
4. How would the quality of your life improve if you made a daily, regular practice of accessing the vertical?

Coaching application

Coaching is goal and action oriented. Goals and actions are carried out in the horizontal world of action and doing. However, goals that have little personal meaning or connection with the vertical plane are not likely to be sustainable. They will lack the enthusiasm, energy and drive that come from being connected to our deepest values, beliefs, wisdom, intuition, and purpose. As coaches, an important service we can provide for our clients is to help them to become aware of the importance of accessing the vertical and balancing it with the horizontal in their lives in order to access the energy to achieve their goals, and live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Reflection

1. How can we, as coaches, bring this concept to our client´s awareness?
2. How can we help our clients to become aware of the role of the vertical in their lives?
3. How can we coach them to discover which tool or technique would be helpful for them to tap into the vertical? Questions to explore what would be a meaningful practice for them, might include:
   a. What language do you use to explain the bigger picture of life? Is it religion, consciousness, spiritual, nature, the universe, energy?
   b. What does the role of introspection, reflection, meditation have in your life?

Suggestions

We can help clients to create realistic goals about a practice to tap into the vertical which resonates with their belief systems. For some it might be yoga, prayer, meditation, and breath work or qi gong. For others it might be sitting quietly with closed eyes listening to classical music. For some it could be a 30 minute walk in nature or sitting beside a stream. Whatever they need to do to feel at ease, relaxed and at peace. It is important that the practice be realistic and something at which they will be successful. Many report that sitting still for a 20 minute meditation trying to keep the mind blank is extremely stressful! Leading the client in a brief guided meditation, or 5 minutes of guided breathing during a coaching session, can allow them to test the benefits without overwhelming them. Finally, we can coach our clients on how to bring their insights into the horizontal world of action, as they move towards their goals. As Alan Seale writes, action without meaning is not sustainable. Meaning untransformed into action remains empty.

Suggested reading

Covey, S. (1999) The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. New York, New York: Fireside, Simon & Schuster Seale, A. (2011) Create A World That Works. San Francisco, California: Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC Yogi Bajhan.