Valorie Burton - Life Coaching for Successful Women: Powerful Questions, Practical Answers

Table of Contents

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE , OREGON

Contents

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Life Coaching for Successful Women

Copyright 2012, 2020 by Valorie Burton

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-8027-2 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-8028-9 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

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I dont think it is by accident that our paths have crossed. Perhaps something about this title spoke to you, and that tells me a little something about who you are: You are a woman with high aspirations. Youve probably already achieved a measure of success, whether in your personal life or professionally. You know success takes perseverance and work, and it takes growth. And you are willing to seek out ideas and advice that will help you grow into the kind of person who can achieve the desires that are in your heart.

No matter how successful we are or how high our aspirations for the future, we all need to be intentional about our growth. Coaching is a powerful way to do that, even self-coachingthe process of pausing, reflecting, and intentionally choosing our steps forward, especially in the face of challenges, opportunities, and obstacles. And thats just what this book is all about. It is a self-coaching tool for you, designed to help you think about what matters, build the courage to do what matters, and a vision for your relationships, career, money, health, and spiritual life that energizes you.

I have spent more than 20 years pursuing my lifes callinginspiring women to live more fulfilling lives. I do that through the power of writing and speaking and coaching. I began my career in marketing and public relations, even found success running my own public relations firm, but I knew deep down it wasnt my calling. I was good at it, but sensed it was not my purpose. It took a couple of years of prayer before I got clear about what I should be doing professionally. And when I did, I took a bold, but frightening leap of faith into a new careerfirst as an author, then as a speaker when my books brought opportunities to share my message all over the world, then as a personal coach to clients in every state and more than a dozen countries. And now as founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute, training others as coaches and resilience trainers, and giving individuals the research-based tools to live more fulfilling lives. Id love to say I never looked back or doubted or felt afraid, but thats not true. Especially in the early years, while building a business from scratch. My fear whispered doubts in my ear that took all of my faith and tenacity to overcome.

I dont believe in fearlessness. We all feel fear. Our big goals can scare us. Our past failures and mistakes can drive us to downsize our dream. Our disappointments can paralyze us with the fear that hope is futile, and entice us to settle for less than the desires God has placed in our hearts. And the frenzied pace of modern life can leave us fearing that we will run out of time, that missing out will be our greatest regret, and cause us to choose the false urgencies of a digital life over the meaningful acts that bring true fulfillment.

What I realize is that the tool that can help us make meaningful choices that lead to authentic success is coachingthe courage to pause, reflect, and work our way through powerful, life-changing questions and options that invite us to be intentional about our life. In my life, this process has coached me to a wise answer anytime I have been faced with fear or blindsided by a personal or professional setback, or intimidated by a big opportunity. And week by week, I have shared these insights through a weekly column called The Coaching Session, in which I present insights and challenges that we face on the path to authentic success, along with powerful questions to coach readers to their own wise and powerful answers.

My publisher, Harvest House, loved these weekly inspirations so much that they asked if I would be willing to turn them into a book. That book was originally released as Your Five-Minute Personal Coach and then as Start Here, Start Now , and came out not long after my national bestseller, Successful Women Think Differently .

I was thrilled when the president of my publishing house came to me recently with the idea of refreshing and rereleasing this book, and boldly reaching out to the audience whom I believe I am called to serve: successful women. I have written each mini-chapter with our drive, our unique set of work/life challenges, and our deep longing for purpose and meaning in mind. Ive updated it with new mini-chapters and concepts, and hope you will use it to coach yourself to success in the ways that matter most.

And before we get started, I want to tell you what I mean when I use the word success . Whatever you assume I meant by the word successful in the title of the book is what I am guessing you want more of in your life. Most people want success, whether they define it as having a happy family or climbing the corporate ladder or building a healthy bank account or fitting into a size six dress. But before you turn the page, lets define success more intentionally.

As I define it, success is a harmony of purpose, resilience, and joy. When these three elements flow together, you will experience true success. Think of it this way: Success is living your lifes purpose and embracing resilience and joy as you do. Purpose is about making a difference in the lives of others. Service fulfills the successful woman.