About the cards

Self-coaching cards - more than 500 impulses, that will point you to success

I remember the moment when Ľubka, with sparkles in her eyes and appropriate amount of proud, handed me the cards. „This is my precious. We have been working on it for a while”, she said. I opened the pack and put the cards out. I like paper, photography and smell of a fresh printing. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. A lot of questions crossed my mind. One by one, I was shooting them at Ľubka. And she answered patiently. I think it was after a fifth question when I realized that she is trying to suggest me, that I am not the only one who is curious about her answers. So I decided to write down “frequently asked questions” and to share answers with you. And the responder is the most suitable person for it, the author - Ľubica Takáčová.

 

 

What can you find in pack of cards for managers or in an every day - pack?

“More than 500 questions divided by certain areas, which most often appeared during the coaching interviews. These areas are named in every pack, on one main card, and are the sum of self-development issues with a particular continuity of contents. Topics and questions, which are related to them, are defined by the type of card. In general, the first type of cards supports the increase of manager’s professionalism. The second type can help you to deal with everyday challenges, to start your way and lead you to personal success. In addition, in each pack you will also find more than 50 thematically related photos and inspirational quotes.

How did you create these questions? What inspired you?

„I wrote them down gradually. Often, it was after some coaching interview, when I realized how deep self-awareness the question caused in client's mind. I also formed them according to different areas, which they are covering. For example, when it comes to time management, usually, we are dealing with priorities, balances and we are trying to define our own time-thieves. So I named the directions that are appearing to be the most questionable in selected areas and need to be solved preferentially. To solve means to find a solution that brings balance, happiness and general satisfaction.”

How did you choose photos that are on the back side of each card?

„One main idea is standing behind the selection. Photography, by itself, captures the moment. And moments are beautiful reflections of our thoughts and situations from our life. Choosing photos and connect them with topics, was very beautiful moment for me, when I wasn’t aware of time or dimension. We had two databases. The first one contained approximately 25 000 professional photos created by successful Slovak photographer Karol Srnec. The second one was mine, and also contained honorable number of photos. Choosing photos - captured moment connected with a certain topic - was fun but also very difficult process. Every single one of us can imagine a different picture that is connected with a certain topic, so me and my husband were trying to achieve as highest understand ability as possible, but at the same time we wanted to be creative and inspiring.

For whom are these cards?

„Coach-free coaching for managers is dedicated to people that lead or work with other people. And Coach-free coaching for every day is dedicated to everyone who is interested in self-coaching and wants to positively start their lives in certain areas. Moreover, both products are useful for people who are dedicated in self-coaching, for people who want to be educated in this area or want to pay more attention to it, but also, for us – coaches. We are setting an example in processes of development. We have a need to explore our own mind and attitudes. So cards are very interesting and personal gift for my colleagues and relatives.”

When we can see the most significant benefit of these cards?

"Unfortunately, the process of coaching during which I accompany the client as a coach, is in most cases limited by time and budget of a submitter. After a termination of cooperation, the client remains unaccompanied, on his own. And this is the moment when self-coaching cards will help. With their help, it is possible to ensure continuity in self-development and self-coaching. If the people are interest in them, they can survive and achieve positive benefits from this tool even without the presence of a coach. These cards can significantly help the people who are dealing with life crisis or looking for answers but they did not have time to find a coach yet.”

What can we achieve by using these cards?

„It gives you the opportunity to stop and think about what’s happening in your life. What kind of situations you are experiencing, what gets you mad or what are you missing. It is more probable that while you are looking for your own answers, you take the situations more like challenges that need to be solved and you don’t take them as an unsolvable problem. In fact, all questions have character of targeted and positively directed impulses, which effectively leads you to your own best solutions.”

What can the regular work with cards bring us?

„In my opinion, the cards will bring you positive and natural habit and the ability to get control of your life. Grab it! Take it to your own hands. Regularity also brings the ability to create self-discipline. And this is one of the key to success!”

What is the additional value of the cards?

„The additional value is capturing experience and expertise from several years of my coaching practice. Only the one who is trying to find their own answers is capable to see the magic and power of directly targeted coaching questions. Also, people are capable to identify their own findings, and implement them into their lives more easily.”

„What to do with these findings?”

Ideally, write them down. I also recommend it to my clients, to go back to their answers and revise their notes. Sometimes it is enough to capture key thoughts and transform them into words and phrases. It doesn’t have to be a sentence. Note down means to materialize the idea and it is actually a way how to focus your attention and mind to the process of solving certain challenge. When it is named, it is half way solved – this is my creed! J”

How does it work in practice? Can you share some certain experience, when clients come to important findings?

For the last few months, I gathered up a lot of beautiful findings that we have experienced, and noted down, with our clients. One of the most beautiful experience for me was when one client wrote to me: “I am happy when I make a cup of coffee and thanks to your cards I can explore the hidden secrets of my mind!”

“As a success-story I also consider a manager’s confession, which was also very pleasant for me. I am working with this client for more than a year and once he said to me that after he found out the answer to his question, he changed his approach to people. Literally he said: „When I started to do things, which I found out during the answering, I stopped fighting with people but started to make agreements!”

Thank you for an interview.

Jana Podhajská.