Soft General

3 min read
Aug 28, 2021
Self-Coaching for Developers: 101 Guide

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” once said John Lenon. And that is so true: sometimes, life can hit harder than anything, bringing unexpected challenges on us. 

In moments like these, we may find ourselves on a crossroad: we undergo certain transitional changes. So how do we make sure we’re heading the right way? Life coaches at SoftGeneral help all the employees with self-identification, and the first stop on this path is self-coaching.

Why do you need self-coaching?

Coping with turbulent times requires self-determination, and that’s the reason you should consider self-coaching. First, it helps you raise awareness of your thoughts, values, habits, strengths, and weaknesses. Then, as a result, you can decide: what’s holding me back? What moves me forward? What is essential and what isn’t?

Top questions to ask yourself

To get the right answers, you first need to ask the right questions.

1. Is this what I want?

Surprisingly enough, this is the easiest yet the most important one. First, try to understand which direction this is all going. If you don’t like what you see, it’s not too late to make a turn at this point. 

Think of whether you’re becoming a person you want to see of yourself and how this corresponds to your ultimate life goals.

2. What grew old inside of me?

Just like an old thing on your wardrobe, your outlook on life might get outdated and need to go away. Of course, you might hate to let it go, but this is what needs to be done nevertheless. For your own sake. 

3. What’s new about me? 

Let’s look at things on the bright side. 

Try to get a proper look at yourself (just don’t look in the mirror – take a look inside instead). You might find some new perspectives or different angles you haven’t thought of before. Your personal attributes and qualities may also undergo a particular transformation. 

Now it’s up to you how you want to apply your newly discovered super abilities. But remember: with great power comes great responsibility. 

4. How should I respond?

You are where you are right now as the result of your actions and life choices. Take a retrospective view of all the important decisions you made. Would you change anything? 

Here is our advice: make no regrets! They won’t do you any good. But make sure you learn from your experience. 

5. How do I rearrange my life according to the new goals? 

A good piece of advice: try to gradually change unless you have a solid reason to act otherwise. Try out things and see if they work for you. Be patient and persistent.  

How to interpret my answers

Most importantly, make sure you don’t forget your answers. Write them down and … forget about them for a while. Then revisit and see if you got all of them right. Is there anything missing?

If you don’t have a good answer at a time – try to make your best guess. 

What to start with?

We recommend doing self-coaching regularly. But if you’re open to doing it occasionally, it’s crucial to recognize the situation, so it comes to the uttermost help.

At SoftGeneral, life coaches teach employees to enhance themselves with self-coaching, explore their true wishes, and move towards goal realization. We believe it’s important because people who balance their lives efficiently are more productive at work, feel happier, and are less prone to burnout. Our door is open to top-notch IT experts; just send your CV, and we’ll share the list of appropriate vacancies with you.