Welcome to my book about how to self-coach, direct and lead effectively throughout the chapters of your WorkLife Story. Here is a preview of what’s inside, along with the main ideas and the meaning behind these.

WorkLife is our life at work, where we spend one third of our lives. It is also the impact our work has on our life outside of work, and the impact our life outside of work has on our work. All areas of our life in and out of work are so intrinsically linked, they cannot be separated, nor do I believe should they. I believe WorkLife needs to be considered holistically.

Self-Coaching is the process of guiding your growth and development, particularly through periods of transition, in both the professional and personal realms.

Self-Directing is a series of independent actions and judgements free from external control and constraint. Independent individualism from an independent mind, without intervening factors or intermediaries.

Self-Leadership is having a developed sense of who you are, what you can do, where you are going coupled with the ability to influence your communication, emotions and behaviours on the way to getting there.

In this book I tell four stories:

1. His Journey To and his Discovery Of his Ability to Self-Coach, Direct and Lead: Matt’s story of how he realised because of his self-efficiency he had already developed his ability to self-coach, direct and lead, and that this came naturally to him.


2. From the World of Publishing to Companion-Animal Practitioner, Making Personalised Dinnerware for Discerning Pets and Dog Walking: Janet’s story of how she carved out a new WorkLife by embracing her interests and hobbies, self-coaching, directing and leading through each phase.


3. Working Remotely – Lawyers in Cyber Space: Gerald and Barbara’s stories of how they created a new way of working during the economic downturn by combining the traditional approach of their profession with a more non-conventional approach.


4. What to Do When Uncertainty is a Certainty. What You Can Learn from Actors and the 3 Rs of Drama – (The Big) Reveal, Realisation and Reaction and How to Manage Your Present while Creating Your Future

I share the exercises that helped to work through these challenging situations to resolve the dilemmas. I present these exercises as the following assignments for you to work through:

Discover Multiple Pathways

This assignment is to help you to think about what you want to do and where you want to go in your WorkLife. To consider possibilities based on what you like to do in and out of your workplace.

Design a Course of Action

This assignment is to help you to increase your commitment to your WorkLife plan.

Develop Your Self-Coaching Abilities

This assignment is to help you to develop your ability to self-coach.

Develop Your Self-Directing Abilities

This assignment is to help you to develop your ability to self-direct.

Develop Your Self-Leadership Abilities

This assignment is to help you to develop your ability to self-lead.

Continue to Develop Your Self-Coaching, Directing and Leadership Abilities

This assignment is to help you to develop the practice of forward-looking reviews and personal quarterly off-sites to work on fine-tuning your ability to self-coach, direct and lead.

Develop a Practice of Continuous Self-Feedback

This assignment is to help you to remain open to feedback along the way to allow you to know the adjustments you need to make to be and do your best.

Develop a Practice of Insightful Self-Questioning

This assignment is to help you to have regular de-briefs with yourself with regard to the learning you take from yourWorkLife events and experiences.

Identifying Whether You’re a ‘P’ or an ‘F’ Player

This assignment is to help you to identify where to focus your creative energy and brain power to effectively manage your present while creating a world-class future