Reflective entry Leninka

As a coach, I think this session was very productive. I was more comfortable in the listening part with Patrick. Also, all my gestures demonstrated I was doing it. In the first session, it was difficult for me to have all my attention to the coachee. But this time, it was easier and I listened carefully at the important details of what Patrick was saying.  In the mirroring part, I asked plus information of what he was dealing with in order to have a complete background of the situation. After one session, we had more trust to each other, so Patrick would gave me more inputs that helped me as a coach. In my opinion, I used a lot of mirroring. I asked him about what were the main stressors in his life and we discovered what he could improve to reach his objectives in each area of his life balance. The summarising part was very useful in the session too. I told him about the main aspects of our conversation in order to find what parts of his life balance needed to be changed.  After that, I asked him about what things he can do to improve his time and we discovered a lot of opportunities about what he can do.

As a coachee, I was less shy. It was very easy for me to talk about my life Balance and share what I was trying to improve of it. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that you are not organizing your time, as you want. This session made me realize that I was so stressed about my intellectual activities and I was not having time for myself.

Patrick helped me understand that I should do other activities to improve each area of my life balance. Sometimes, I am so absorbed for the university that I don’t realize that I have another life besides that. What I discovered in all the session was that I could organize better my time and it’s just a decision to begin with. So, we talked about what activities I can do in order to feeling better with each part of my life balance.  After that, I realized that I liked to a lot of things and I don’t have necessarily leave them because I’m studying at the university.

At the end of the session, we found we had similarities about things we want to change. Also, we talked about an action plan for improving our life balance. I think this session was very useful for me because actually, I have an issue with organization.

 As a coach, I was feeling more confident of myself and I encourage Patrick to improve certain areas of his life balance. As a coachee, I had more trust with him and I recognized that I have a problem. Sometimes, it’s the most difficult part. I think for both, the trust atmosphere was better and we also find that this session is an opportunity to look deeper ourselves. 

Reflective entry about the second coaching session

For the second session, as a coach, I find that it was less difficult. Indeed, I found the first session harder that my expectations, so I began the next session with the thoughts that it will be hard too. When Leninka (the coachee) was talking, I noticed that it was easier for me to play the coach role. So, it was easier to adapt my behavior and to create a more confident and a more coaching environment. Like an example, I was more confident in the mirroring and the summarizing process. When Leninka was talking about some important stuffs, I summarized the main idea in my head. After, I verified if my understanding was right by sharing my summary with Leninka. When I was not totally right, she repeated her idea in other worlds and it helps me to understand her situation and to be more confined to coach her. Also, it was easier for me to question the coachee and to go deeper in some discussion. With this other information, it became easier for me to help her and to ask relevant questions. But, I had difficulties with two other process: the listening and the catalyzing.  Indeed, the coaching session was not at the same place of the first one. The new place that we choose was noisier, so it was more difficult for me to stay concentrated and to focus only on what the coachee was saying. With a lot of concentration, it was correct but, with time, it could be hard trying to always avoid the other not important noises. Also, you become quickly tired. Maybe it was not the good place to do a coaching session. The next time, we will chose a quieter place. Also, like the first session, it was still difficult for me to only let the coachee talk and to don’t interrupt her. To finish as a coach, it was still difficult trying to reach the catalyzing process. I feel like I was less confident with that part of the coaching process. In the other side, maybe I reached the catalyzing process, but I didn’t notice that. Next time, I will try to give more attention to that.

As coachee, I can say that I felt more confident to express myself and to answering to the questions of the coach. I can explain that by the fact that it was the second coaching session and I felt that my coach was more able to create a good atmosphere for the session. Also, it was easier for to express my ideas about the subject, because this one was more personnel and less intangible. To finish, the language barrier was less present in this session. Indeed, it was like we were more familiar with the accents and the way that the other person express herself. To finish, during the coaching session, I really felt that the coach was also better to reach the different processes of coaching. At the beginning, I thoughts that the session will be a little bit like the other before, but it was not. Indeed, I felt like the conversation was more constructive and the coach really helped me to see things in a different way. 

Patrick

Life Balance Analysis - Leninka

I think the aspects of my life that has been well developed are the intellectual activities, family activities and cultural activities. I’m not totally satisfied of my actual life Balance because I can do more activities and not getting absorbed for all the intellectual activities that I have to do. With regard to the intellectual activities, I practically live in the university. Therefore, I think the intellectual activities are covered. I think my family activities are not completely developed but I try to talk to my family more than three times per week. Thus, I can have still a connection with them.

Regarding to the cultural activities, I think they are very important, but sometimes I can’t develop them because of the intellectual activities.  In this aspect, I’m not completely satisfied, but I try to see a movie each week or go to an exposition when I have the opportunity.

I feel that I have to improve my activities in all the following fields:

Physical activities

·       Go to the gym at least three times per week. I used to do it before I started with the master, so I think I can start with an exercise program again.

·       Practice a winter activity. Currently, I’m in a PEPS course of ice-skating, I think this activity will help distract myself and also enjoy the winter. I should practice more outside the course, at least once a week.

Spiritual activities

·       I should practice yoga, I started to do it in the summer but I quitted. I think it’s an interesting practice for meditation and be more relaxed.

Social activities

·       I should cook typical food of my country to my friends at least once a month. This is a practice I completely left because of all the things I have to do every day.

·        Go to a pub every month with friends. I think I should not quit dancing, because I used to do it in Lima every 2 weeks and it’s something I miss since I’m here.

Intellectual activities

·       Read one book once a month because I want to do it. I can read in Spanish and being more comfortable about my reading. I should begin with 2 books that I brought from Lima. After that, I can start a book in English or French so I can practice the language.

Cultural activities

·       I should go to the cinema once a month. I left this practice since I arrived before.

·       Go to the museums every month or when there is an interesting exposition. I visited all the museums of Quebec and Montreal when I arrived here, but I quit this practice when I began the master degree.

·        

This week I will start with the next activities: I will go to PEPS, especially to the gym and this weekend I will go to the cinema and the winter’s carnival.

Life balance analysis

Rating of the life aspects:

Physical activities: 75 %

Spiritual activities: 15%

Family activities: 75%

Social activities: 80%

Intellectual activities: 70%

Work activities: 75%

Cultural activities: 15%

I think the development of each aspects can be improve by one activity by aspect. And, sometime, one activity can have impact on more than one aspect. To start, I really like to go to the gym, but I don’t always take the time to go there, because I often have something else to do. So, to help me, I can plan some gym workouts in my agenda and respect the planning. This measure will help me to add more physical activities. After, I know there are some Yoga activities at the university’s sports center. If I register at some regular Yin Yoga class each week, that will help me to improve the development of two aspects, which is spiritual and physical aspects. About the family activities aspects, I could call my parents and my twin brother more often. Indeed, they live far from Quebec City and I only see them once a month. After, I can be less shy and ask my friends to do more activities with them. Usually, I’m waiting that they propose to do something, but sometime, when it happens, I am busy. So, if I take the lead more often, I will be more active in my social life. To improve the development of the aspects of cultural and intellectual activities, I could start to read books about history. I really like reading and history, so I can start to mix these two things. I think that reading is a good intellectual activity and history is related to the culture. To finish, my spiritual and physical activities aspects. I can do a more effective planning of my homework and studies like with the help of an agenda and some schedules.

There are some things I can stop to do to help me to have a better life balance. First, I can try to stop to go at the bed so late. Often, I’m tired in the day and those episodes of tiredness can slow down me in my activities. So, at the end of the day, I didn’t do all the things I would have liked to do. Usually, it’s the spiritual, intellectual, cultural or physical activities which are set side. Also, like I said previously, I’m a shy person, so I don’t really take the lead to plan some social activities. If I do some effort and try to be less shy, I will be more satisfied in my social activities aspects. To finish, I can stop to do procrastination. Indeed, I think a can save a lot of time and be more efficient is a stop to postpone the stuff I really need to do.

Today, just before going to sleep, I decided to read some pages of my book about the mythology.  I really like reading before going to the bed. Also, I decided to plan some gym workouts in my agenda for all the week and the next week. The next challenge will be to respect my planning, but I know I can do it.

Patrick St-Pierre