Friday, May 11, 2007 at 12:12am
Hats off to my coach
Column: For His Glory
Have you ever been involved in something that had great results, but you weren't quite sure how it happened? That is what happened to me this semester. You see, I got very good grades despite the fact that I am juggling seven to eight master's-level classes a semester. Sixteen credits is pushing the envelope. This is not including the responsibilities I have at my church as the personal ministries director, writing a weekly column, treasurer/secretary for a religious liberty group and facilitating a weekly financial peace seminar. I also have personal relationships to foster as a friend and a husband. I not only spend time with my wife doing things we like, but I also help with the dishes and laundry and cleaning around the house. As I am sure you know, your life and mine can be very busy. I needed to do something different!
You see, every semester I was scrambling during finals week, finishing papers while studying for exams, just to be able to complete all my assignments. My wife dreaded the end of the semester, because she knew she would be spending Saturday nights alone because I would be burning the midnight oil trying to complete everything. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired about always stressing out during the end of every semester. I needed a different approach. They say one definition of insanity is "trying to do the same things over and over again and expecting different results." If that's the case, I was going insane. I sought for a solution and I found one in a coach.
A coach, you may ask? What is a coach? A coach is a person who helps you work through whatever goal you want to accomplish. In my case, I needed to be better organized in order to complete my assignments two weeks before finals. I did not want the stress nor did I want to stress my wife out. Consider the mission accomplished. I totally enjoyed this semester. I was so stress-free, I did not even realize, when finals week arrived, that I was completely done. Nothing to do, nothing to worry about, just study for finals and watch everyone else scramble to complete assignments. I couldn't believe it, yet that is the power of being coached.
As I look back, I didn't see any particular reason why this semester should be any different. As a matter of fact, I had more papers to write this semester than in any previous one. Yet because of coaching, I was able to complete all of my assignments in an organized manner. One by one I knocked them out, each bringing a deeper hunger to accomplish my goal. What is amazing is that coaching is not counseling. We weren't there to talk about my childhood or intimate aspects of my life. We were there to accomplish my goal, period. Throughout the semester my coach kept me focused on my goal by asking pertinent questions and holding me accountable. She did not give me advice; rather, she got me to think of different possibilities to find the solutions that got me to organize myself better. It was amazing how creative I can be in an area that I consider my weak point when I am asked penetrating questions. Ideas began to leap into my mind and different possibilities arose. I started seeing why organization is not my forte, but instead of it discouraging me, it gave me hope that I could improve in that area.
Getting a coach to encourage me, hold me accountable and listen to my thought process on how to accomplish my goal opened up my mind to a realm of different possibilities. Like a muscle that you have neglected finally getting into shape, being coached brought vigor to an area in my life I thought I could never improve. Now I look forward to improving my organizational skills, and I have already seen it spill over to other areas of my life. My finances are better, my relationships are better, and I find more time now to worship and praise my God. Getting coached this semester was like having someone rooting me on throughout my journey. It was like fog clearing up from the road ahead, because the motivation for accomplishing my goals came from within.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
You see, every semester I was scrambling during finals week, finishing papers while studying for exams, just to be able to complete all my assignments. My wife dreaded the end of the semester, because she knew she would be spending Saturday nights alone because I would be burning the midnight oil trying to complete everything. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired about always stressing out during the end of every semester. I needed a different approach. They say one definition of insanity is "trying to do the same things over and over again and expecting different results." If that's the case, I was going insane. I sought for a solution and I found one in a coach.
A coach, you may ask? What is a coach? A coach is a person who helps you work through whatever goal you want to accomplish. In my case, I needed to be better organized in order to complete my assignments two weeks before finals. I did not want the stress nor did I want to stress my wife out. Consider the mission accomplished. I totally enjoyed this semester. I was so stress-free, I did not even realize, when finals week arrived, that I was completely done. Nothing to do, nothing to worry about, just study for finals and watch everyone else scramble to complete assignments. I couldn't believe it, yet that is the power of being coached.
As I look back, I didn't see any particular reason why this semester should be any different. As a matter of fact, I had more papers to write this semester than in any previous one. Yet because of coaching, I was able to complete all of my assignments in an organized manner. One by one I knocked them out, each bringing a deeper hunger to accomplish my goal. What is amazing is that coaching is not counseling. We weren't there to talk about my childhood or intimate aspects of my life. We were there to accomplish my goal, period. Throughout the semester my coach kept me focused on my goal by asking pertinent questions and holding me accountable. She did not give me advice; rather, she got me to think of different possibilities to find the solutions that got me to organize myself better. It was amazing how creative I can be in an area that I consider my weak point when I am asked penetrating questions. Ideas began to leap into my mind and different possibilities arose. I started seeing why organization is not my forte, but instead of it discouraging me, it gave me hope that I could improve in that area.
Getting a coach to encourage me, hold me accountable and listen to my thought process on how to accomplish my goal opened up my mind to a realm of different possibilities. Like a muscle that you have neglected finally getting into shape, being coached brought vigor to an area in my life I thought I could never improve. Now I look forward to improving my organizational skills, and I have already seen it spill over to other areas of my life. My finances are better, my relationships are better, and I find more time now to worship and praise my God. Getting coached this semester was like having someone rooting me on throughout my journey. It was like fog clearing up from the road ahead, because the motivation for accomplishing my goals came from within.
— — —
Gio Marin is an author, currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Visit For His Glory, the blog, and send an email to {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.