Life Setting

Client is working toward a goal — a promotion, a business launch, a degree — and when asked why, produces answers that are correct but not resonant. They use language of logic and expectation rather than desire. The Life Motivations section of this tool forces the connection between goal and genuine motivation that the client has been bypassing.

Frame this as a motivation check before a planning session. 'Before we build the action plan, I want to understand the why at a level that would sustain you through the difficult parts. The motivation section isn't about convincing yourself — it's about knowing what you actually believe.' Clients resisting this often say 'I know why I want it' but cannot withstand a second 'and why does that matter?' Name the resistance: 'The goal plan is only as good as the motivation underneath it. If the motivation runs out, the plan stops.'

In the Life Motivations section, watch for motivation statements that are actually obligations disguised as wants — 'I want to provide for my family,' 'I should grow my career,' 'I need to prove I can do this.' The 'need to prove' framing is particularly diagnostic — it suggests an external audience is defining the goal. Also watch for clients who complete the motivation section quickly and move immediately to the action steps table; the action step energy is often avoidance of sitting with the motivation question.

Start with the motivation statement and ask the client to read it aloud. Then: 'Does hearing that out loud feel accurate, or does something shift?' Many clients hear their own motivation language differently when they speak it. Then move to the risks column in the action steps table — not the steps themselves, but the risks. The risks the client names reveal what they believe might actually stop them.

Client expresses doubt about their ability to execute on a new goal, often using language that discounts previous successes — 'that was different,' 'I got lucky,' 'the conditions were better then.' The Life Achievements section surfaces the actual evidence base that the client's self-assessment is ignoring.

Frame this as evidence collection, not affirmation. 'Before we talk about what you're capable of going forward, let's look at what you've already done. The achievements section is not about celebrating you — it's about building an accurate picture of what you can do when conditions are right.' Clients who minimize their achievements often resist this framing because it feels like the coach is building them up before delivering difficult feedback. Name it: 'I'm not asking you to feel good about these. I'm asking you to look at them factually.'

Watch for achievements described in passive voice or attributed to external factors — 'we won the account' rather than 'I led the strategy that won the account,' 'the market was good so the business grew.' This minimizing pattern tells you the client has not claimed their own contribution. Also watch for clients who list achievements and immediately follow each one with a caveat — 'but then I...' The caveat pattern cancels the evidence before it can be absorbed.

After reviewing the achievements, ask the client to pick one they are most certain they can claim without a caveat. Then: 'What did you do in that situation that you could bring to this goal?' This bridges the evidence to the current challenge without requiring the client to perform confidence they do not feel. The action steps table then becomes a place to consciously apply what already works.

Client is energized about a new goal and wants to move quickly to planning. They have not identified risks — not because they are unaware of them, but because naming risks feels like undermining momentum. The action steps table's risk column forces the acknowledgment of obstacles before they become surprises.

Frame this as pre-mortems work, not pessimism. 'You have solid momentum here. Before we put the action steps in writing, I want to run a quick risk mapping — not to identify reasons not to do this, but to make sure nothing derails you in the first 30 days.' The resistance pattern is that clients who are motivated and ready to act view risk analysis as a brake. Name it: 'Risk mapping doesn't slow down action. It prevents the kind of setback that stops action entirely.'

In the risk column, watch for risks that are external and uncontrollable — 'the economy shifts,' 'my company restructures' — as the primary entries. These risks are real but unactionable. The more useful risks are internal and specific — 'I will deprioritize this when client work gets urgent,' 'I tend to stop when I hit a technical obstacle I don't know how to solve.' If the risk column is entirely external, the client has not done the honest assessment.

After reviewing the action steps and risks, pick the risk with the highest likelihood of occurrence and ask: 'What would you do if this happened in week two?' If the client does not have an answer, the action plan is not complete. Then: 'What is the earliest signal that this risk is materializing, and how will you catch it?' The combination of early-warning signal and pre-planned response is what separates a risk-aware plan from one that will be surprised by its first obstacle.