Tag Archives: The Quotable Coach

My Highest Aspirations

Posted on by

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.”

– Louisa May Alcott, author

Image from Flickr by Tommy Clark

Image from Flickr by Tommy Clark

There’s an often-quoted goals study from Yale University in 1953 indicating that the 3% of graduates who had clearly-written goals achieved far more than the 97% that didn’t. This study has been shown to be untrue.

There is, however, a study from the Dominican University that shows the following:

1. Those who write down their goals accomplish significantly more than those that do not have written goals.
2. Goal achievement is more likely when accountability is supported by a friend, mentor or coach.
3. People who also make a public commitment to others achieved more.

Exercise:

Write down your highest aspirations.

Make a public commitment to your goals, and ask someone committed to your success to hold you accountable. You can even call me at 248-740-3231 to tell me your goals.

Tell me and I’ll forget

Posted on by

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

– Chinese Proverb

Since my first job as a middle school science teacher in Philadelphia, I have always been fascinated by the process of learning. Back then, the old-school didactic method of teaching did not truly help children to grow in understanding, or to consistently retain information.

As a coach, I engage clients in a multitude of learning experiences, where practical. “On the court” involvement over a six month time frame is critical to long-term understanding.
You can find out more about my Personal Excellence Training here:

http://www.dempcoaching.com/personal-excellence-training

Exercise:

What professional and personal lessons do you most wish to learn that will make the biggest difference in your life?

How can you build greater involvement and real-world experience into the lessons, to support your desire for greater understanding and long term achievement?

“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.”

Posted on by

“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.”

—John Ruskin, English artist and art critic

Image from Unsplash by Jose de la Cruz

We all know people who are self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic and arrogant. Most people have at least a trace of these attributes. A typical reaction we have with these people is to withdraw and to avoid them. When people exhibit these behaviors, their worlds become small packages.

When we become far more interested in the lives of others – including family, friends and colleagues – our world expands exponentially.

Exercise:

How many people would attend your funeral, or attend a party that would celebrate your life?

If the people in your life were to write a eulogy for you, what would you like it to say?

Forget to be Afraid

Posted on by

“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”

–Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the USA

Image from Pinterest

My journey into the coaching profession is definitely an example of getting so wrapped up in something I almost forgot to be afraid.

At the ripe old age of 35, I threw caution to the wind and left a 12-year career with a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company to sign up for the job of “coach” with:

1. No salary (You ate what you killed!)
2. No benefits
3. No coaching clients
4. No general agreement about or awareness of the profession – it was truly in its infancy
5. A wife and two young children, plus a considerable mortgage
6. Modest savings, with about 6 months of living expenses

In spite of these factors, I found myself enthusiastic and excited to partner with people and help them achieve breakthroughs in their personal and professional life – just as Olympic athletes work with coaches to achieve their full potential.

Exercise:

What can you be so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid?

Our Greatest Glory

Posted on by

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Image from www.imdb.com

Image from www.imdb.com

One of my favorite movies of all time is Rudy,  in which the main character is a small and very feisty football player with a passion for the University of Notre Dame. Through dogged determination, persistence, and a tenacity rarely seen, he takes quite a beating by being a veritable practice dummy for the first team – and eventually rises to glory in the final hours.

Exercise:

What are your passions and commitments to which you give your all, no matter how often you fall?

What inspiring “Rudy” stories have you participated in or observed?

What stories are yet to be written, in which you will experience future glorious moments?

“A friend is a loved one…”

Posted on by

“A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.”

– John O’Donohue, poet, philosopher and Catholic priest

QC #1016a

Someone once told me that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. That puts friendships in a very special category of relationships.

One of the key attributes of our friends is that they are tuned into our personal life frequencies. We are far better together than apart.

Exercise:

What are two to three areas of your life that need to be awakened? What would you consider to be a wild possibility in these areas?

Who are the friends that bring this special spark to your life, and how can you be this kind of friend for others?

The voyage of discovery

Posted on by

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

– Marcel Proust, novelist

Imagine seeing life from the perspective of:

  • An infant, toddler, fifth-grader, or teenager
  • A millennial
  • A Gen-X-er
  • A Boomer
  • A senior citizen
  • A person of the opposite sex
  • A person of a different religion, race, or cultural background
  • The eyes of a more analytic, or more creative, person

… you get the idea!

Exercise:

What expanded value do you discover when shifting your perspective?
How can you continue to look at the world through many sets of eyes in the future, to expand and enhance your life?

Meet The Quotable Coach [Video]

Posted on by

In this 7 minute video you’ll learn some interesting facts about Barry Demp (The Quotable Coach), including:

  • What my dream job would be … if I wasn’t a coach. 🙂
  • What my favorite quote is, and what it means to me.
  • How I started my first business at the age of eleven.
  • Why I left a Fortune 500 company to become a coach, 22 years ago.

To find out more about my coaching, you can visit my site Barry Demp Coaching.

“Of all knowledge, the wise and good seek most to know themselves.”

Posted on by

“Of all knowledge, the wise and good seek most to know themselves.”

—William Shakespeare

Image from Unsplash by NeONBRAND

The pursuit of knowledge is a never-ending journey. Whether we wish to win the national spelling bee or master our own vocation, the inner journey to amass the necessary amount of information is daunting.

The journey within oneself can be mysterious and enlightening.

Commit to a personal journey of inner discovery and self-awareness. Discover your strengths. If you are not sure what they are, ask those close to you. Discover your unique abilities and talents. Discover your core values and fundamental beliefs.

Exercise:

Consider creating a daily self-discovery journal or log to capture your observations once a week. Share those observations with a close colleague or family member.

Quality of Life

Posted on by

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

– Vince Lombardi, American football coach

Image from www.transformation-catalysts.com

Image from www.transformation-catalysts.com

I have had the honor of coaching over 1,000 individuals over the past 19 years.

The pursuit of excellence in all areas of their lives is a common characteristic. I even named my six-month coaching program “Personal Excellence Training,” where each person gets to plan and execute their own personal excellence journey.

Exercise:

List five to ten of the most important areas of your life.

The list may include family, career, health, finances, community, faith, relationships, education, service, leadership, sports, skills, hobbies, travel, or other things.

Answer the following question for each area you listed:

What would I accomplish if I fully pursued personal excellence in this area of my life?