The Power of Alignment: What Is Alignment Coaching and Why Do You Need It?
In the intricate dance of life, finding harmony in our steps can be challenging for many. Finding balance through aligned action is possible. And that’s where alignment coaching steps in.
What is Alignment Coaching?
At its core, alignment coaching is a dynamic process that helps folks synchronize their inner values, goals, and actions. It goes beyond traditional life coaching by delving into the concept of alignment—aligning one's thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors with their most authentic self. Alignment coaching is an action-oriented methodology; understanding the self is a vehicle to inspired action.
But Wait, What is Alignment?
Great question! To understand what will happen during alignment coaching, or whether alignment coaching is right for you— you first have to wrap your mind around alignment as a principle. To say you’re “in alignment” is always a statement of whether or not something you’re doing is congruent with who you are.
Every day, we make A LOT of decisions and take a LOT of action. Adults could be making upward of 35,000 decisions every single day. Yowzers. When you make those decisions, you get feedback from the environment around you— good, bad, neutral (this is one way to describe karma, but that’s a topic for another blog). When you’re doing something aligned, the feedback is very often neutral or positive. When you’re doing something out of alignment, the feedback is very often negative. Think of a time when you snapped at someone you care about because you were having a bad day. That knot you feel in the pit of your stomach is a good indication that you’ve done something out of alignment with something you value.
In the coaching space with clients, I often refer to this as “finding your north;” understanding your internal landscape, and calibrating your compass to always point you in the right direction. In the context of alignment coaching, this principle is applied across four pillars of exploration.
Alignment coaching is about finding your north. It’s about understanding your internal landscape and calibrating your compass to always point you in the right direction.
The Four Pillars of Alignment Coaching
These four pillars form the body of the work done during alignment coaching, each pillar building upon the last.
Values
Our values are like the operating system running in the background. They drive a lot of our subconscious behavior. Often, we have values but it can be difficult to articulate what they are. Think of it like your native language— you can speak it fluently, but when someone asks you to explain an underlying grammar rule it can be challenging to do so. Your values are similar; they’re in there, but many were programmed so long ago that it can be hard to call them up. There is also the issue of cultural, social, religious, and other outside forces that can influence our values. Many times you find upon deeper examination that a value you hold isn’t actually yours, but one you think you should have. When you step out of alignment with a value, you may register the sensation as guilt, frustration, hurt, shame, or discomfort. Without a holistic understanding of your values, you may feel confused or unclear about why something feels yucky. So delving into what your values truly are, without judgment or performance, is the first pillar of alignment coaching.
Visions
With our values map in hand, we can start to see an early vision of what feels in and out of alignment in life. During this pillar, we work with exercises and powerful questions designed to help create a safe space for dreaming and visioning without limitation or judgment. Our values form the foundation of alignment, and our dreams and visions build the house on top. Alignment coaching is holistic; the Visions Pillar explores 360 degrees of life to uncover professional, personal, and relational alignment intentions. For many possible reasons, many people have not had the space or safety to say their quietest dreams out loud. Alignment coaching co-creates a safe container in which to name and give power to these quiet dreams. Inevitably, a lot of sneaky mindsets and limiting beliefs will bubble to the surface here, and they are placed in a parking lot for exploration during the subsequent pillar.
Mindsets
Brains are wildly complex and inventive when it comes to keeping us safe. Many of our earliest beliefs are formed by the brain doing just this: trying to keep us physically, emotionally, or relationally safe from harm. Luckily for many, we’re able to create enough evolution in our lives that we’re no longer in immediate danger of harm. But these vestigial mindsets don’t always catch up, and when we’re stuck in old patterns of thinking in new scenarios we’re now in limiting belief territory. Limiting beliefs lead us to take actions that are out of alignment with our dreams, goals, and desires. You may desire a healthy, fulfilling romantic relationship, but the belief that you’re too broken to be lovable leads you to sabotage a good thing before it starts. You may desire to increase your salary at work to reach a financial goal, but the belief that you don’t deserve to earn more stops you from taking steps toward your goal. You may dream of starting a business, but that old belief that you’re not capable or disciplined enough stops you from starting. This pillar is the most challenging. It calls you to identify beliefs that are getting in your way, to move from a “fixed mindset” (this will always be) to a “growth mindset” (I can learn a new way of being), and to actively transform and or replace old patterned thinking with more empowering thoughts. This pillar prepares you for action. Limiting beliefs will come up along your journey— that’s human. What you do with them determines whether or not you reach your true north.
Actions
We have our values, our vision, and tools for transforming the beliefs that limit us. Now it’s time to take aligned action. This phase helps you to bridge the gap between your vision and what you’re doing to get there. Ever get a job offer and feel unsure about what to do? With an alignment approach, you can explore the lens of whether the opportunity takes you closer to or farther from your vision for life. Does working in a specific industry pull you out of alignment with a core value? Would the financial setback allow you to progress toward an important milestone in your journey? Is the opportunity a contingency step, something that is required to help you along your path before you can step out onto it? This pillar explores your decision-making and supports you as you grow in the skill of taking actions that align.
Why You (May) Need Alignment Coaching
You may not need alignment coaching. But if anything in this blog so far is tugging at you, you just might. Here are some of the benefits of alignment coaching to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Clarity in chaos
Life is hard. It’s complex. There’s suffering, and there’s joy, and we’re all trying to make sense of our place in it all. Alignment coaching serves as a compass, helping you navigate through that chaos with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.
Breaking through barriers
Personal growth can be difficult. If you’re reading this, you’re probably beginning or well into a personal development journey. That personal growth plateau of “I’m AWARE…but what do I do now?!” is rough. Limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns will stop your progress unless they are transformed. Alignment coaching empowers you to break through these barriers and get back to the personal and professional growth you aspire to.
authentic living
A lot of people are attracted to confidence. But what is confidence and how do you get it? IMHO confidence is just authenticity by another name. Alignment coaching helps you to develop authenticity by uncovering what is actually important to you and giving you a framework to align your actions to who you are.
ACHIEVING goals with purpose
Alignment coaching isn’t about CRUSHING GOALLLLSSSS. We do that here— but with intention. It’s a purposeful process that reframes goals and success as a meaningful journey of self-discovery and celebration.
Greater wellbeing
A lot of stress and pressure can fall away when you move into a space of peace with your values and your vision. Alignment coaching fosters greater well-being by helping you align your actions to what fulfills you.
Starting Your Alignment Journey
Choosing alignment coaching is a commitment to your own growth and self-discovery. It's about embracing change, challenging the status quo, and aligning with the person you aspire to become.
As you explore the power of alignment coaching, remember: the journey is unique to you. It's a personalized exploration of self, guided by a coach dedicated to helping you unlock the tremendous potential that lies within. It’s a collaborative, nonjudgmental, and supportive space that creates the foundation for you to explore.
Curious about alignment coaching with Master Certified Alignment Coach Santana Inniss? Schedule a free discovery call to learn more or join the New Year, Aligned You Alignment Challenge!
May you be well,
