Recently, while talking with a recalcitrant client in our weekly coaching session, he kept repeating, "I know I have to flip the script, I know I have to flip the script."

He was repeating these words with his head in his hands, as he was "looping" (what I call it when clients are recounting a story, they have already told me either before or, in most cases, within the same coaching session)

I then asked him what this script was, that he said he needed to flip. He drew a blank, and this is where I decided to take the reins on our session.

"Coaching isn't therapy, coaching isn't counselling, and coaching in my practice isn't enabling a client to continuously complain about their situation in life, which they have not attempted to change. My job is to guide you. My job is to hold you accountable to the dreams you have outlined that would lead to your definition of your ultimate happiness. My job is to help you get out of your way.”

Most people need this guidance and without clarity on what is getting in your way and what the way even is, (your goals) many struggle to stay the course despite knowing that persistence and consistency are key.

I had a boss ask me when he returned from lunch one day, “Why aren’t you working?”

I answered, “Because I didn’t see you coming!”

The Howarth effect is a term used to describe the phenomenon where people perform better when they believe they are being observed or monitored. This effect is named after psychologist David Howarth, who researched the impact of observation on performance.

When individuals know they are being watched or evaluated, they may experience increased motivation, focus, and effort to perform well. This heightened awareness of being observed can improve personal performance in various tasks and activities. The Howarth effect highlights the influence of social factors and external feedback on individual performance. It suggests that the presence of an audience or the perception of being monitored can enhance an individual's performance by triggering a sense of accountability and pressure to succeed.

Overall, the Howarth effect underscores the psychological impact of observation on personal performance and highlights the importance of social context in shaping behaviour and outcomes.

Tony Robbins jokes, "How many life coaches does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.”

As a mind and body coach, I’m a qualified personal trainer. I run five outdoor group training classes each week on Manly Beach on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. These classes are strength-based circuit classes, boxing classes and Bootcamp, which participants have volunteered to participate in and paid for the privilege.

Once I have outlined what the sequence or structure of each class is, I then walk around the group with a stopwatch, and aside from correcting form so that my clients are getting the most benefit from the exercises, I find that I am predominantly catching people out for stopping what they are supposed to be doing or stalling on starting, especially when it comes to burpees. To remedy this, I tell the class that I’m not starting the stopwatch until the last person has started moving in the way that they are supposed to be.

These aren’t lazy people; they are fit and fun-loving individuals, and I really enjoy the banter that accompanies the “helicopter coaching” of each class. I mostly enjoy reminding them of why they are doing these classes and how this connects to their life goals, specifically, longevity.

Back to my script-flipping friend, I asked him what this script was to remind him that he didn’t have a script to flip because he wasn’t journaling, the essential practice of every agreement I have with my clients.

Journaling is writing the script for how you want your day to run. As one of the first things I encourage my clients to do daily, journaling precedes meditation to clear the monkey mind chatter and allows you to plan your day and recall yesterday. I encourage you to write your "to do" list on another palm card or note to carry with you for the day.

So, as far as flipping the script goes, you are the script writer for your life. So, write your role as the leading lady or the leading man, who is the story's hero who lives happily ever after, because you stuck to the script…



Flip well.

DL