FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

Free Life Coaching

with

The Phoenix
Self-Help Life Plan

Ambrose A Hardy

A Free Self-Help Four Week Life Coach Program

linked to a dedicated web site at
www.replanyourlife.co.uk

Page 1

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

Life Coaching involves looking at your present lifestyle and working out what
needs to be changed in it in order to make you a happier and more fulfilled
person. Typically, it involves you in regular weekly communication with a Life
Coach who guides you in making a full lifestyle and career assessment, prompts
you to answer pertinent questions about what you want in life and challenges
you to set and work towards your chosen goals.
However, hiring a Life Coach in today's difficult economic times can for some
people prove to be beyond their financial means or can prove to be a fairly
expensive experience. This e-book and the fuller Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan has
been written to help such individuals. Of course, self-directed Life Coaching has
some limitations as compared with having a real live person with whom you
interact. Nevertheless, very substantial progress in personal, career and general
lifestyle development areas can be made by following through the steps set out
here.
This e-book is linked to the Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan dedicated web site at
www.replanyourlife.co.uk

Page 2

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

By
Ambrose A Hardy

This free e-book sets out for readers a tried and successful approach to
making positive life changes on a self-help basis. It is a much shortened
version of and introduction to the Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan which is a free
online and detailed life coaching program set up to help individuals to
achieve the lifestyle change that is important to them.
The Plan in this e-book is set to cover a four week period while the fuller
Plan found at www.replanyourlife.co.uk - covers a ten week time-frame.
Both self life coaching plans are completely free of charge.

The author reserves the Copyright of this e-book and document but
permits the e-book's circulation anywhere provided the following
conditions are adhered to:
No charge is made for the e-book
No alterations, additions or omissions occur in the document.
This e-book and self life coaching program is offered as a free public
service. It may be given away, included as a free bonus with a purchase
or placed for free download on a web site.
The full Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan may be found at the author's web site
at www.replanyourlife.co.uk

The Plan and advice set out in this e-book is suitable for most adults interested
in exploring life coaching and who wish to consider making positive changes to
their existing lifestyles. However, if you are suffering from a serious mental
condition, have experienced severe trauma or currently have a serious addiction
the content of this e-book may not be sufficient to bring about the life changes
you desire. You may also need to seek appropriate skilled professional and/or
medical help. The author can accept no responsibility for any adverse effects or
experiences which a reader may attribute to working through the Phoenix SelfHelp Life Plan.

Page 3

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

CONTENTS

1. ABOUT THE PROGRAM

2. LIFE EVALUATION

12

3. VISUALISING THE FUTURE

16

4. PERSONAL PLANNING

19

5. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

23

6. FURTHER RESOURCES

27

About the Program's Author

Page 4

30

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

1. ABOUT THE PROGRAM

You have downloaded this free e-book which I hope will prove to be
of some service to you. Perhaps the title has intrigued you and you
are merely curious to see what it is all about? You have probably
heard about the acclaimed value of life coaching but, maybe, you
have not yet had the opportunity or the financial means to test it
out. This is your chance to try the approach for free.
Or maybe you feel very strongly that there needs to be some
change in your life and you are not entirely sure of what you can do
to bring it about? Or perhaps you just dream of a better and more
harmonious existence? Or could it be that the level of stress you
experience is just making you wonder if you can take any more of
your present life?
Whatever your perspective, there is no doubt that working through
a self life coaching program can assist you greatly in bringing about
greater personal stability, clearer life direction and an improved
sense of fulfilment in your life.
Many of us, at some stage in our lives, have uttered the phrase I
need to sort out my life... I need to make some changes.... More
likely than not, it was a painful complaint about the way things
were going in life at the time. It also implied an awareness that our
personal life was in some way inadequate or could be improved.
However, for many in this situation, nothing was done about trying
to make things different. Maybe we just didn't know where or how
to begin. Perhaps we shrugged our shoulders and just kept going,
hoping that things would eventually get better.
Page 5

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

In your own case, whatever your initial thinking about the title or
the reason you downloaded the e-book, it seems likely that, right
now, you are not entirely satisfied with your present lifestyle. In
today's world, many people feel like you. Many wonder if they can
do anything which will make a real difference to the quality of their
day to day existence. For some, their present lifestyle has just
evolved over years and has become complicated, wearisome and
dissatisfying. Maybe it's the job, the relationship, lack of time,
family matters or just the way your present world has become.
Maybe you need to make some personal changes, like reducing
body weight, or limiting how much you eat or taking more exercise.
Perhaps you are searching for some sense of meaning and spiritual
purpose in life. Whatever the reasons, things are just not right for
you as they are.
You probably recognise that right now you really only have two
alternatives:
either
to accept things as they are at the moment and hope they will
get better
or
to make a decision to make some real meaningful changes to
your lifestyle.
If you choose to accept things as they are, they might or might not
improve but the outcomes will probably be outside your control
and things might get even worse. If this is your choice there's
probably little point in you reading any further here. Good luck to
you.
However, if you decide that you are willing to work to make life
changes then this e-book, and the life coaching program contained
in it, is for you and it should prove of real assistance. The e-book
will give you some helpful ideas about how and where to go from
here. So read on.

Page 6

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

APPROACHING LIFE CHANGE

Before you start attempting to make any life changes, it seems to
me that there are at least four things you need to sort out first:
ONE: You need to know what is wrong with or lacking in your
present lifestyle.
If you can't work out what it is in life that's causing you concern
you probably will never achieve much improvement in how things
are.
I call this first stage of the life coaching program LIFE EVALUATION.
TWO: You need to really know how you want your future life to be.
Have you really thought about this? Can you visualise your happier
lifestyle? How would you go about changing things?
I call this second stage of the life coaching program VISUALISING
THE FUTURE.
THREE: You need to be able to work out and set down goals which
will take you to where you want to be.
Goals are the pathways you must follow if you are to reach your
intended destination. Most goals cannot be achieved overnight but
need to be worked on in step by step fashion.
I call this third stage of the life coaching program PERSONAL
PLANNING.
FOUR:You need to be prepared to devote the necessary time and
effort to making the desired changes.
This will require personal planning and some self-discipline. Are you
strong enough and sufficiently serious about lifestyle changes to
maintain the effort needed? I call this fourth stage of the life
coaching program PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
Page 7

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

You will not make any worthwhile life changes until you have dealt
with the above fundamental considerations. To put it another way,
you need to know where you are now [the HERE of your life],
where you want to go [the THERE of your life] and how to get there
[your selected Goal pathways]. Hopefully, the self life coaching
program contained in this e-book will give you some basic guidance
on each of these.

SOME BASIC PRICIPLES ON LIFE CHANGE

Before you begin to assess your present lifestyle, it is important
you recognise a few important principles:
You have little power to change other people or external events.
You can only change yourself. So limit your proposed changes to
what you have full control over.
Personal stress generally arises from our individual responses to
events and people [stressors].
You cannot stop the stressors but you can manage your reactions
to these situations.
Goals for change need to be specific, realistic and measurable.
If your goals are simply pipe-dreams, high hopes or vague
assertions no real life changes will be forthcoming. It is important
to have some way of knowing whether or not you are achieving
your goals.
You need to have some form of plan as to how you are going to
implement your selected goals.
If you don't devise a suitable plan and time-frame, all your good
intentions may be wasted.
And, perhaps most important of all:
You need to understand that personal happiness and fulfilment
have more to do with how you think and what you believe in than
with external circumstances.
Page 8

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

In evaluating your lifestyle, you will need to look closely at your

habitual thinking patterns, your deeply held values and and the
range of your beliefs. You may need to make some fundamental
changes in these areas.

DOING YOUR PERSONAL RESEARCH

Make no mistake about it, changing your lifestyle is a big
undertaking. As already stated, it involves lifestyle evaluation,
visualising how your new life might be different , selecting
appropriate goals and laying plans to implement them. This
involves a lot of research about yourself. You have to ask yourself
many questions about your present and anticipated future lifestyle
and many ideas and answers have to be carefully worked out. For
this reason, it is sound sense to equip yourself with a private
notebook in which you keep the jottings of your various thoughts. If
you try to keep all your information in your head, you will surely
forget some valuable aspects of it.
With conventional life coaching, you are generally able to use your
live life coach as a sounding board for ideas and as a source for
prompting you with relevant questions. Self life coaching is a little
more difficult in this respect and you may have to work somewhat
harder because of it. However, if you are lucky enough to have a
close friend or buddy with whom you can share your ideas and
plans, do make use of this valuable human resource. If you do, just
make sure that the goals you select are what you want and do not
allow yourself to be talked into personal development goals that do
not appear appropriate to you. However, always listen carefully to
what your buddy says and give full consideration to any
suggestions made. If you haven't got a buddy, never mind: just
keep going on your own.
You
are
always
welcome
to
email
the
[ambrosehardy@yahoo.co.uk ] and to ask any question.

Page 9

author

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

THE TIME FRAME

When you draw up your personal plan to achieve the goals you
have selected, make sure you have a definite time frame in mind.
This will, to some extent, depend on what your goals are and how
many you are planning to achieve. At the least, give yourself a
time-frame of a month or up to three months. You will also need to
work out some way of measuring your progress throughout your
plan's duration.
To help you in using this e-book, it is suggested you try to follow a
minimum time frame of four weeks using the format set out below.
In the first instance, it is recommended that you limit yourself to
two or three goals.
Below is a suggested approach to your adventure into the life
coaching program set out in this e-book. Each of the steps
suggested over the program's four weeks is detailed in subsequent
chapters.
Week One
Read through the e-book completely once, then re-read it and
evaluate your lifestyle carefully by responding to the guiding
questions provided. Then work out and write down your selected
goals for lifestyle improvement. Set up your personal plan within an
appropriate time-frame.
Week Two
Start your personal plan and review your progress at the end of the
week. If necessary, make goal adjustments for the next weeks.
Week Three
Carry on with goal implementation efforts. At the end of the week,
reward yourself in some way if you have kept to your personal plan.
If you haven't, make further adjustments or re-work Week Three
again.
Page 10

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

Week Four
Continue working on your goals as planned. Conclude your Plan at
the end of the week if you have met all your goal requirements. If
not, carry on for the following week or until you have achieved all
your goals.
And that's basically how to go about it. Sounds straightforward
enough but it requires your persistent commitment and
determination to achieve what you want. Remember you are taking
steps towards a more acceptable lifestyle, not making a dramatic
lurch into it. Implementing your personal plan can be the first
successful step to making the life changes you want. After
completing this self life coaching program for the first time, you can
think again of what your next steps might be. This might involve
the planning of new goals and the setting up a new personal plan.
So, when you have finally achieved your goals in this first round of
the program, re-evaluate your lifestyle in terms of where it is now
compared to when you began. If you have chosen your goals
carefully, you should be aware of a quality change in your lifestyle.
You should now feel happier, be more at peace with yourself and
interacting more effectively with others. Give yourself a big and
meaningful reward for what you have achieved.
The next chapter gives you some basic guidance on how to carry
out your life evaluation.

Page 11

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

2. LIFE EVALUATION
You need to spend some considerable private time working through
this section of the e-book.
Your objective is: to work out what is wrong with or lacking in your
present lifestyle.
To accomplish this task you need to give yourself adequate time to
sit down, preferably alone, and to make a thorough scan of the
whole range of your present life. You are searching for the
situations, events, recurring happenings, interactions with others
that are seen by you as somehow problematical. You may be able
to pinpoint one issue as being an area causing you major concern
while other issues may be of lesser significance. It is probably
helpful if you work out up to three issues which are somehow
causing difficulties.
In doing this, it is important that you select only issues over which
you have some control. For example, to state
I don't want to have to earn my living
is of little use as most of us are required to do so if we are to
survive. Clearly, you have no real control over such a choice.
However, you might state
I don't want to continue working in my present field
In this case, you do have a choice, though it may mean you have to
find a job or career in another work sector.
Page 12

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

As another example, you might state:

I want to be taller and more intelligent
Sorry again but not an acceptable choice. There is probably little
you can do about either of these personal attributes. However, you
could state:
I want to be thinner and appear more attractive
In this case, you do have things you can work on if you are
prepared to put in the effort.
Notice too that some of your present life dissatisfactions might
arise because of the absence from your lifestyle of certain activities
which you regard as important and potentially satisfying. For
example, you might acknowledge statements such as the following:
I
I
I
I
I
I

need
need
need
need
need
need

to
to
to
to
to
to

exercise more
get a more efficient life routine
spend more time with friends
stop procrastinating
develop my interpersonal skills
manage the stress in my life

In carrying out the analysis of your lifestyle, remember also

bear in mind what I said in the Introduction:

to

You need to understand that personal happiness and fulfilment

have more to do with how you think and what you believe in than
with external circumstances.
Give some thought to the range of beliefs and values that are
important to you and which, to a large extent, guide your life.
Some of these may not be immediately evident until you have
given considerable thought to how you think when you are faced
with making important personal decisions. Focus on guiding
questions such as the following:
Page 13

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

Are my beliefs and values truly of my own choice or did I inherit

them from elsewhere?
Are they meaningful in my world today?
Is part of the dissatisfaction with my lifestyle related to trying to
live my life according to someone else's rules?
Should I consider modifying or ditching some of my entrenched
beliefs and values?
Am I expecting too much of myself?
Am I giving sufficient time and thought to my own needs?
Also ask yourself:
What do I really want in my future life?
Where do I want to be and what do I want to be doing in three or
five years from now?
Am I really happy in my present job/ location/ social environment/
relationship?
Is there something fundamentally lacking in my life at the
moment?
Do I like and respect myself and treat myself as I would a good
friend?
Do I generally achieve what I set out to accomplish? If not, why
not?
How would I rate my communication and relating skills? Is there
room for improvement?
Page 14

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

Do I have a spiritual perspective on life which I find supportive?

Outside my work role, what do I do which provides a helping
service to others?
Currently, is there appropriate balance among my life areas of
work, home, family, relationships, friends, play and hobbies? If not,
what needs to be modified?
Do I have any health issues which are causing me concern? If so,
what do I need to do to resolve these?
Am I experiencing any significant financial or budgetary problems?
Do I need to seek expert advice and guidance?
What level of stress am I experiencing in my present lifestyle? Am I
coping with major life stressors? Do I need to make any changes in
this area?
Make brief jottings in your private notebook on your answers to all
the above questions. Do not be tempted to skip over any of them
as each one is concerned with an important aspect of your lifestyle
evaluation.
At the conclusion of your lifestyle examination you need to end up
with a few selected major issues which, if properly sorted out,
would you believe - enhance the quality of your present lifestyle
and give you hope that the future holds better prospects for you. Of
course, there will be a range of other issues but you need to leave
these aside for the moment. The few major issues you have
selected will be focussed on in the next chapter VISUALISING THE
FUTURE.
Before proceeding further, make sure that you have recorded your
findings in your notebook.
The next chapter will assist you in formulating the selected goals
which will be the pathways to your new lifestyle.
Page 15

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

3. VISUALISING THE FUTURE

This is perhaps the most important stage in your overall plan to
change your life for the better. Indeed, every life coaching program
sees this need to visualise your future as a vital initial step in
working to establish those goals which will lead you to where you
want to be.
Therefore, your next objective is: to get to really know and
visualise how you want your future life to be
If you have worked through and answered the questions set out on
pages 14 and 15 above, and recorded some notes on your answers,
you have already carried out a searching examination of your
present lifestyle. You have worked out what the trouble spots are
and you have selected two or three major areas which are causing
you general distress. You believe that if you could sort these
selected areas out, or include these new activities in your day to
day living, then your potential for personal happiness and lifestyle
fulfilment would be higher.
If you have not yet dealt fully with all the lifestyle evaluation
questions, STOP HERE and go back and complete this vital section
of this self life coaching program before proceeding further.
Now is the time to utilise the support of your imagination. Find a
quiet spot and time where you are not likely to be disturbed for at
least half an hour. Make yourself comfortable and try as best you
can to relax your body and mind. Now give consideration to the
Page 16

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

possible changes which you might choose to make in your lifestyle.

Close your eyes and try to visualise what your lifestyle would be
like if you were to make the changes or improvements which you
have in mind. Remember, it is probably wise to limit yourself to two
or three ideas for change.
In particular, try to imagine that your life has already changed in
the way that you are considering. Notice how you might feel and
respond to the changed life circumstances. Ask yourself some
searching questions about this new form of lifestyle. You might, for
example, ask :
If life was really like this, would a major part of my current distress
evaporate or would it at least be minimised?
Would my general feelings about life be more positive?
Would I feel more self-confident and have increased self-esteem?
Would I have greater energy and enthusiasm than at present in
tackling the normal chores of life?
Would other people find me easier to get along with?
Would my interactions with others be improved?
Overall, in this new lifestyle, would I feel happier and more
fulfilled?
If your answers to these and similar questions of your own are
generally affirmative, then it is likely that the selection of changes
you would like to make in your life are probably well chosen. If your
answers suggest that your new lifestyle would not significantly
improve how you feel, then perhaps you have chosen the wrong
issues to work on or to add to your life. If this is the case, you need
to go back to the drawing board and do some more hard thinking.
When you are satisfied that you have chosen features for change
which, if implemented in your future life, will most likely result in a
Page 17

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

personal lifestyle which is more rewarding and satisfying than the

way things are at the moment, you are nearly ready to move to the
next stage. Make jottings which are meaningful to you of what you
have worked out.
Before moving on, however, give yourself a break of at least
twenty-four hours. After this time, come back to your jottings. Do
the same imaginative exercise that you completed before. Again,
focus on the feelings which you think might result if your new
lifestyle had all the ingredients you plan for. Again, ask yourself the
same and similar questions about what you think the outcomes
would be. If you still receive the same favourable inner responses,
it's pretty certain that you are working in the right direction to
improve your life quality.
It may now be helpful to share some of your findings and ideas for
change with your close friend or buddy [if you have been able to
set up this resource]. The feedback you receive may be quite
helpful and may assist you to further clarify your thoughts and
plans. If you haven't managed to organise a buddy, don't worry
about it.
The next stage PERSONAL PLANNING helps you to formulate your
proposed lifestyle changes into goals and to set up a personal plan
within an appropriate time-frame.

Page 18

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

4. PERSONAL PLANNING
In this stage of your self life coaching program you are going to lay
the foundations of your personal plan by establishing your new life
goals and an appropriate time-frame for goal completion.
Your next objective is: to work out and set down goals which will
take you to where you want to be within a chosen time-frame .
You have already selected the key areas of your life in which you
want to make changes. Some of these changes may be alterations
to the present ways in which you work, think, act or interact. Some
may be additional activities or patterns of living which you want to
inculcate in your new lifestyle. Whatever the nature of the changes
proposed you are convinced that, if implemented successfully, they
will enhance the quality of your lifestyle. It now remains for you to
translate these new ideas into goals.
Before proceeding further, you will notice that this e-book and
program does not set down goals for you to follow. It does not even
recommend goals to you. This is because I want you to work out
for yourself the goals that have the most meaning and advantage
for you. Of course, I could have included general goals like:
I
I
I
I

will
will
will
will

exercise more or
be more patient with those around me or
make a wider range of friends or
take up the practice of meditation.
Page 19

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

All of the above are quite laudable goals but I believe it is vital that
you choose those goals that are going to make the maximum
positive impact on your future life. Besides, there are lots of other
publications which will spell out specific personal development goals
for you if you really need to find them.
For now, you need to look again at the ideas you have already
selected for life change. You need to take each idea and to express
it as a goal within a particular time-frame. For example, if one of
your chosen goals is to be able to jog for forty five minutes four
times a week by the end of a four week time-frame, I might write
the goal like this:
I will jog for forty five minutes four times a week by the end of four
weeks from [include date]
Do this now with the ideas for change you have selected. Make sure
you set out your appropriate time-frame and that, on this occasion,
you do not end up with more than three goals. Write the details in
your private notebook.
Your next planning task is to break down each goal into targets.
Targets refer to what you have to achieve in the goal in any given
week of [for example] the four week time-frame. The final week
should set out the full demands of the goal. In this way, for each
selected goal, you take gradual steps of achievement towards the
full goal. In the example give above, your targets [in a four week
time-frame] might look like this:
Week
Week
Week
Week

One:
Two:
Three:
Four:

I will jog for 20 minutes on two days

I will jog for 30 minutes on three days
I will jog for 35 minutes on four days
I will jog for 45 minutes on four days

At the same time, for an activity like jogging which has to be

timetabled into your lifestyle, you need to plan when the activity is
going to be undertaken. For example:
I will jog after work or early in the morning.
Page 20

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

When you have completed this in respect of all your selected goals
you are nearly ready to get started on implementing your self life
coaching personal plan.
But hold on for now, there are a few more important details to be
considered.
Look at your
measurable?

goals

again:

are

they

specific,

realistic

and

Specific means stating exactly what you are required to do.

Realistic means is it feasible that you have the capacity to
achieve the goal within the given time-frame.
Measurable means you need to establish some way of
knowing whether or not you have achieved the goal or
target.
In terms of our jogging example, the target would not be specific if
it stated
I will go for a short jog.
It might not be realistic in terms of its time-frame if you were
eighty two years old with an arthritic condition.
In our example
I will jog for forty five minutes four times a week by the end of four
weeks from .[date]
the target is indeed measurable in that you either complete it, do
not complete it or only partially complete it.
The importance of goals and targets being specific, realistic and
measurable is that it makes it possible to keep a very accurate
record of how well or how poorly we are performing in relation to
our overall goals.
Page 21

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

A vital further task is that you set down all your goals and targets
in some format that is easily understood by you. For example, with
a four week time-frame, you could make up four separate sheets
where you record what you are required to achieve by way of
targets in each week. Provision could also be made to have a
running record of your overall progress by ticking off each target
as completed.
We're nearly there, as you've now constructed your self life
coaching personal plan but before you starting following it through
read the following chapter PLAN IMPLEMENTATION carefully.

Page 22

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

5. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
You are almost ready to get started on your personal plan to
enhance your lifestyle. However, before beginning, there are a few
further things you need to mull over. By doing this, you will begin
your plan aware of the pitfalls and associated problems which might
arise. As a result, should things go awry, you will be better able to
salvage your plan and to persist in your determination to make
progress.
A vital objective is: to recognise that you need to devote the
necessary time and effort to making the desired changes.
A most important and obvious requirement for effective
implementation of your life coaching personal plan is that you
organise your existing lifestyle so that you have the necessary time
and/or opportunities to work on your weekly targets. Some targets
will require specific time allocations [ for example, going jogging],
others will require that you permit things to happen or not to
happen [for example, being more patient with your partner or not
eating chocolate every day]. Whatever the requirements, you need
to set up the necessary checks and balances in your existing
lifestyle timetable so that the associated targets can be achieved.
How you do this will be a very personal arrangement, but
nonetheless essential for eventual progress in achieving your
overall goals.
It follows, too, that any resulting re-arrangement of your weekly
routines may have implications for those with whom you interact,
Page 23

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

whether at work, home or recreationally. It makes sense therefore

for you to communicate with your partner, family, co-workers or
friends if your new plans, in working to your targets, require others
to make adjustments in how they share time or interact with you.
For example, your partner will probably not be too pleased, and will
likely be non-supportive of your efforts, if you decide to timetable
your meditation half-hour when, up to now, you have agreed, at
this time, to take the dog for a walk or to prepare a family meal.
Clearly, communication and negotiation are important where other
people are concerned. Of course, the positive side of this is that
your close associates, on hearing and understanding that you are
working to improve yourself, will ordinarily be supportive and will
be prepared to make the minor adjustments to help you with your
self-development project. In addition, being aware that others
know that you are following a self life coaching program and that
you are aiming to achieve certain chosen goals will act as a
motivating factor for you. You will be less likely to give up midstream if others are aware that you have committed yourself to a
four week or longer self-help program.
In implementing your personal plan, there is always a danger of
your good intentions back-firing. In spite of your best plans for
working to your targets, other unexpected and unforeseen things
may happen. There may be unusual work or family demands or
complications or you may go down with a cold or a holiday weekend
may unexpectedly knock your plans sideways. Nearly everyone
experiences these setbacks. The danger is that because you are
unable to fully work to your targets during that period that you give
up your self-growth self coaching project completely. You need to
insulate yourself against this possibility by recognising that minor
failures to implement your plan are not a cause for giving up or
feeling panic. A working guide is: if you can achieve around
seventy-five percent of what you have set yourself you are still
making real progress. Two steps forward and one back is real
progress!
If or when setbacks happen, just keep going as best you can. Don't
give up! If necessary, re-program you total project, perhaps
Page 24

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

extending it by another week. Look back at what you achieved prior

to the disruption and, taking pride in that achievement, simply
carry on regardless. In the end, your self life coaching program will
get you to where you want to be.
After the first week, you may discover that your targets and
possibly your overall goals are somehow inappropriate, too
demanding or ambitious. If this is the case, and you are fairly
certain of the reality of this assessment, stop your plan there and
then. But don't dismiss it from your life. Go back to the goals you
have selected and see how you can adjust them so that they are
now fully realistic and within your capacity to achieve. When you
have done this, re-schedule your four-week [or whatever duration]
plan and start the revised project again. If your have a close friend
or buddy, their observations may well prove helpful.
But be aware of possible major setbacks. A few individuals start
well, are enthusiastic to the point of having set up a detailed
personal plan but never really get started. They then declare
themselves to be too lazy to make lifestyle changes and simply give
up. When this happens, it is usually the case that the goals and
targets set up have been too challenging and not thought through
realistically. Should this happen to you, do not throw in the towel
but take time and effort to make the goals and targets well within
your ability to complete. Remember, a tiny step forward is still
strong evidence of progress and the success engendered by that
progress becomes an additional motivator for future efforts. By any
standard, progress in life coaching programs even when working
with a live life coach is incremental and depends essentially on a
participant's tenacity and perseverance.
It is worth noting that the self life coaching program set out in this
e-book can be used again and again. When you finish your personal
plan the first time round, hopefully achieving your selected goals,
you can set yourself up for a second time round, using other and
more ambitious goals. Indeed, I hope that the success you achieve
the first time round will persuade you to use it again, and perhaps
again. Used this way, it can become a most valuable tool in your
overall self-development.
Page 25

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

After your first successful use of this life coaching program you
might like to go to the web site at www.replanyourlife.co.uk and
make a more thorough study of the Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan as
set out there. The time-frame on the web site is a ten week one but
the Plan can easily be adapted to personal needs. On the web site,
more detailed observations are included on how to use the Plan for
maximum advantage. More detail about the fuller Plan is also
included in the chapter on FURTHER RESOURCES below.
The web site at www.replanyourlife.co.uk does not require you to
register any personal details or to make any purchases.
0

In the Resources chapter which follows I have given links to other

free resources which may be of assistance to you as you work to
improve the quality of your life.
Good luck in following through on the self life coaching program set
out in this e-book. I hope that it proves to be a means by which
you can become happier, more fulfilled, less battered by the
inevitable stresses of life, more full of hope for the future and a
better person in every sense of that word.
If the e-book and the self coaching program has proved useful and
informative for you, I would be grateful if you would mention it to
others or forward it to anyone who might gain help from it. Should
you wish to contact the author please use the email below.
May happiness and good happenings come your way and stay
always with you.
Ambrose A. Hardy
June 2011
ambrosehardy@yahoo.co.uk

Page 26

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

6. FURTHER RESOURCES
As already mentioned, the program you have read about in this
e-book is a much shortened version of my Phoenix Self-Help Life
Plan. The full Plan is a free online self life coaching program which
anyone can use. You are not required to make any registrations or
purchases. It is located at www.replanyourlife.co.uk
This fuller Phoenix Plan follows the same structure as the one set
out in this e-book, but provides much more detailed step by step
guidance to the reader. It gently assists you in the drawing up of a
set of personally chosen self-improvement goals aimed at bringing
about the lifestyle changes you want. Again, selected goals are
then broken down into weekly targets and into a manageable
Personal Plan. The program's general theoretical approach, which is
explained in simple terms, is based on the author's understanding
of rational-emotive cognitive therapy, which stresses the vital
interrelationships between our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
In the full Plan, the first two weeks of the program are used to selfassess your existing lifestyle and to allow you to work out your
Personal Plan for development: that is, to establish the specific
goals and targets you want to work on. The comprehensive
Lifestyle Evaluation Questionnaire included, which you are asked to
complete and score initially, helps you to prioritise those selfdevelopment goals which are most important for you. You then
work on your Personal Plan over the remaining eight weeks of the
Page 27

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

program. Extensive documentation is included throughout the web

site to make easy the tasks of recording goals and targets and to
monitor your weekly progress. You are also encouraged to make
use of a buddy support system, though this is not essential.
The Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan is relatively free of complicated
psychological terms and the Plan's program can be easily worked
through by any adult with a desire and determination to improve
the quality of their existing lifestyle. Anyone who follows this self
life coaching Plan consistently and conscientiously for the full ten
week period is likely to enjoy a healthier, more fulfilling and happier
personal lifestyle.
I have recently set up another web site and blog which is dedicated
to general self-help issues. Visitors are free to comment on any
aspect of self-help and to share any information they wish.
However, in the interests of site security, posters are requested to
register with a valid email address. Such addresses are kept
confidential, are never shared with any third parties and will never
be used by me to send you unsolicited emails. I am hoping that this
site will develop over time. The web site is located at:
http://www.brosehardyblog.webs.com
If you get the opportunity, perhaps you will have a look at the site.
Recently, in September 2010, the Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan was
published in paperback and e-book form under the title Change
Your Life in Ten Weeks. The book features the full Plan plus a
number of extra chapters not included on the web site at
www.replanyourlife.co.uk. The additional chapters are brief
introductions to the topics : Happiness, Stress, Communication,
Self-acceptance, and Gratitude. Full recording forms for personal
goals, targets etc. are included as is sample documentation.
The book is available for purchase from the Amazon and Lulu sites
both in print and e-book formats.
Page 28

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

The book is also linked to a dedicated web site which aims, by

regular updating, to provide the reader with additional selfdevelopment resources and support. This web site is located at:
http://www.changeyourlifein10weeks.co.uk

Page 29

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

About the Program's Author

Ambrose A Hardy is a retired teacher who now lives in Liverpool, England with his wife
Josephine. Born in the United Kingdom, Ambrose has lived and worked in several
countries and continents. Throughout his long teaching career, he has often been
involved in projects aimed at encouraging others to work to improve their lifestyle
quality and to raise their personal self-esteem. He is a Certified Life Coach and a
qualified NLP Practitioner.
Ambrose has conducted classes for adults in stress management and relaxation skills
and has a keen interest in meditation, self-hypnosis and yoga. Like many people,
Ambrose has experienced a variety of life upsets and made some wrong turns in life
but has survived them all. He believes that every individual can gain immensely by
working to improve the quality of their own lives and sees self-acceptance and
gratitude as worthwhile attributes for attaining personal peace and fulfilment. He has
constructed the short time-frame self life coaching program contained in this e-book
to encourage the individual to move forward in personal development.
Ambrose is not a practitioner of or protagonist for any organised belief system,
traditional or new. His recently published book Change Your Life in Ten Weeks is his
major contribution to helping others to help themselves to achieve what they regard
as a better, more satisfying and happier lifestyle. At the same time, he continues to
work to improve the quality of his own life.
Ambrose is mindful that many persons, because of financial limitations, are not easily
able to afford normal life coaching fees. He hopes that the self coaching program set
up here may help reverse this shortcoming.
Ambrose's three web sites are at
http://www.replanyourlife.co.uk
http://www.brosehardyblog.webs.com
http://www.changeyourlifein10weeks.co.uk

Ambrose is always keen to receive feedback on this self life coaching program and the
Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan. He can be contacted by email at
ambrosehardy@yahoo.co.uk

[This E-book published June 2011 Copyright to Ambrose A. Hardy ]

Page 30

FREE LIFE COACHING WITH THE PHOENIX SELF-HELP LIFE PLAN

The author reserves the copyright of this e-book and document but
permits the e-book's circulation anywhere provided the following
conditions are adhered to:

no charge is made for the e-book

no alterations, additions or omissions occur in the document

This e-book and self life coaching program is offered as a free public
service. It may be given away, included as a free bonus with a purchase
or placed for free download on a web site.
The full Phoenix Self-Help Life Plan may be found at the author's web
site at www.replanyourlife.co.uk

Ambrose A Hardy
ambrosehardy@yahoo.co.uk
June 2011

Page 31