Not sure what to focus on / Feeling purposeless or lost
🔎 Client Situation: Not Sure What to Focus On / Feeling Purposeless or Lost
Client expresses confusion, drifting, lack of direction or clarity. They may say “I don’t know what I want,” feel disconnected from goals, or lack motivation without knowing why.
⚡ Techniques & How to Use Them
1. Values Elicitation
- How: Use reflection, card sorting, or guided questions to help the client discover core values. Ask: “What truly matters to you?”
- When: When clarity on identity, meaning, or alignment is missing.
2. Life Timeline Reflection
- How: Explore significant life events (highs, lows, turning points). Ask: “What have these experiences taught you about who you are or what you want?”
- When: To reconnect with inner themes and patterns.
3. Ideal Future Visioning
- How: Guide a visualization of the client’s ideal life 1–3 years from now. Explore: “What are you doing, feeling, creating?”
- When: When the client lacks a compelling direction.
4. Energy Audit (Joy vs. Drain)
- How: Have client reflect on what gives vs. drains their energy. Track over a week. Identify emerging themes.
- When: To find hidden clarity in daily life patterns.
5. Passion Mapping / Curiosity Clues
- How: List things the client enjoys, is curious about, or would do if failure wasn’t an issue.
- When: When stuck in “I don’t know what I want.”
6. Ikigai Exploration
- How: Use the Japanese concept of Ikigai: What you love + what you’re good at + what the world needs + what you can be paid for.
- When: For deeper purpose or career clarity.
7. Wheel of Life Scan
- How: Use a visual tool to assess life balance (e.g., career, health, relationships, fun). Ask: “Which area do you want to shift first?”
- When: When they don’t know where to begin.
8. Morning Pages or Free Writing
- How: Encourage 5–10 minutes of daily writing. Prompts: “What do I want?” “What would I do if I knew?”
- When: To surface unconscious desires or clarity over time.
9. Identity-Based Coaching
- How: Ask: “Who do you want to be?” or “What version of yourself are you becoming?”
- When: When external goals feel empty or undefined.
10. Purpose Reconnection Exercise
- How: Ask: “If you knew your life had a purpose, what would it be pointing toward right now?”
- When: To help the client reconnect with inner meaning or contribution.
🔎 Powerful Coaching Questions
- “What are you longing for, even if you can’t name it yet?”
- “What gives your life meaning, even in small moments?”
- “If your confusion had a message, what would it be saying?”
- “What have you always been drawn to — but talked yourself out of?”
- “What would clarity look like, even if it’s just for today?”
Tip: Feeling lost is often the start of deep self-discovery. Create safety, curiosity, and space for meaning to emerge naturally.