As a coach, I require that my clients journal in a private and secure online journal every day for the duration of our coaching period. The goal is to use the journal to really understand their values, their beliefs, their perspectives on the world, and their patterns of thinking. This insight enables me to help them reflect on their lives and make slight changes that result in transformational outcomes.

Here’s how it works: I give them journaling prompts, they journal, and then I provide comments that enable conversation and exploration to continue.

Below is a journal from one of my coaching clients after four weeks of coaching. At this point in her coaching journey, she is learning how to take responsibility for her thoughts and her emotions.

Read through the journal and post a comment as though you were her coach. Think carefully about how to respond so that you are enabling the coaching process to move forward.

“This week it was harder to stay happy. It took a lot of effort, and I know this won't come easy all of the time, but I definitely noticed that I had to work at it. Just a thought I was having.

My new boss told me today that he wants Roberta to supervise Melissa from this point on. She will no longer report to me. He wants my evaluation for Melissa by Monday so we can give her the opportunity to improve, or we will let her go before her probation is up.

At first I took it a little personally, but once I thought about it, I agree it makes great sense, and it takes me out of the equation. If Roberta also struggles with Melissa, then it will be the two of us who have experienced similar issues with Melissa—which confirms my experiences with her.

Surprisingly, I am very much at peace with this. I want to get past this next week. I don't feel really stressed or bad, just not exactly happy.”

As her coach, what would you focus on in this journal?

What valuable insight did you extract?

What do you want to know more about?

What direction would you go with this client?

Pretend that you are in fact, her coach, and craft a response to this journal entry as a comment below.