The LifeLine exercise holds immense significance in coaching as it serves as a powerful tool for individuals seeking personal growth and development. This exercise, designed to explore one's past, present, and future, fosters self-awareness, clarity, and goal setting. By reflecting on their life journey, individuals gain valuable insights into their values, strengths, and belief systems, enabling them to make conscious choices aligned with their authentic selves. The LifeLine exercise helps identify patterns, overcome limiting beliefs, and set actionable goals, ultimately paving the way for a more fulfilling and purposeful life. In this insight article, we explore the importance of the LifeLine Exercise in coaching and provide guidance on how to conduct this exercise effectively during your coaching sessions.
Why the LifeLine Reflection Exercise matters
The LifeLine Reflection Exercise involves looking back on one's life experiences and extracting valuable insights from past events. It serves as a springboard for self-reflection and introspection, enabling individuals to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their journeys. By examining their life stories, participants can identify patterns, strengths, and areas for growth, ultimately paving the way for personal development and self-improvement. The LifeLine Reflection Exercise holds significant importance in executive coaching and personal growth for several reasons. First, it allows individuals to gain clarity about their past experiences and how they have shaped their beliefs, values, and behaviors. This understanding provides a solid foundation for making informed decisions and setting meaningful goals. Moreover, by examining both successes and challenges, participants can extract valuable lessons that can be applied to their current and future endeavors. The exercise empowers individuals to learn from their past, embrace their strengths, and develop strategies to overcome obstacles, leading to enhanced performance and success in various aspects of life. Executive coaching, which focuses on supporting professionals in achieving their goals and maximizing their potential, greatly benefits from the LifeLine Reflection Exercise. Coaches can guide their clients through this exercise, helping them uncover crucial insights about their leadership styles, decision-making processes, and interpersonal dynamics. By gaining a deeper understanding of their past experiences, executives can identify patterns that have influenced their leadership effectiveness. This self-awareness serves as a powerful tool for personal growth and enables executives to make intentional changes that positively impact their professional lives. Through the LifeLine Reflection Exercise, executive coaches provide a structured framework for their clients to reflect, learn, and evolve as leaders.
Research supporting the Reflection Exercise
Psychologists have coined the term "narrative identity" to describe an individual's evolving and cohesive internal story of the self (McAdams, 2008). According to researcher McAdams, the stories we create to make sense of our lives play a crucial role in situating us within the intricate social landscape of adulthood (2008). In essence, understanding our own life story, as exemplified by exercises like the LifeLine Exercise, equips us with the ability to navigate the complexities of the world around us. This sentiment is reinforced by McAdams, Josselson, and Lieblich, who suggest that individuals find meaning in their lives by constructing and internalizing self-defining narratives (2006). Simon Sinek refers to this heightened sense of purpose as "finding your why." Research, including the aforementioned studies, affirms that having a firm grasp of our life story, or narrative identity, empowers us to navigate our surroundings effectively and uncover the underlying motivations that drive our actions.
The power of narrative identity in cultivating well-being
In the field of psychology, Bauer, McAdams, and Pals have conducted research that highlights the close connection between knowing one's story, or "narrative identity," and experiencing a sense of happiness (2008). Their findings suggest that individuals who possess a high level of well-being tend to emphasize personal growth within the narratives of their lives. These individuals frame challenging life experiences as transformative moments and view them as stepping stones toward an improved status or state. By incorporating these elements into their life stories, individuals can enhance their overall sense of well-being.
Drawing from this research, we can infer that participants engaging in the LifeLine Exercise have the potential to further cultivate their narrative identity, thereby increasing their levels of well-being. Through the exercise, individuals can delve deeper into their life experiences, identifying moments of personal growth and reframing challenges as opportunities for positive transformation. By actively shaping their narratives to highlight growth and resilience, participants can foster a greater sense of happiness and well-being in their lives.
The positive impact of well-being on business leaders and executive coaches
The importance of well-being extends beyond personal satisfaction and happiness. It has significant implications for business leaders and executive coaches, as highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They emphasize that higher levels of well-being are associated with numerous benefits in health, job performance, family life, and economic outcomes.
By participating in the LifeLine Exercise and developing a narrative identity, individuals can enhance their well-being and subsequently protect their personal and organizational prosperity. A stronger sense of well-being reduces the likelihood of illness, mitigating the potential negative impact on business profits. Ultimately, investing in well-being through exercises like the LifeLine Exercise creates a positive ripple effect that benefits individuals, their organizations, and the communities they serve.
How to lead a LifeLine Exercise
Hosting and leading a LifeLine Exercise can be approached in various ways, allowing for flexibility and customization based on the audience. Drawing insights from different sources, we have outlined a set of steps and procedures to guide you. However, we encourage you to adapt and personalize your approach to ensure it aligns with the specific needs and dynamics of your participants. By tailoring the exercise to your audience, you can create a more impactful and meaningful experience.
Step 1: Gather your supplies
Participants should have writing materials and paper readily available. Alternatively, a premade LifeLine Diagram can be provided. It is also helpful to provide participants with markers and pens in different colors, as this can assist them in highlighting and organizing their LifeLine as they progress through the exercise (Commitment, 2021). These tools enhance the participant's engagement and facilitate a structured approach to the exercise.
Step 2: Prepare your LifeLine diagram
In the absence of a premade LifeLine diagram (such as this one), the next step involves preparing the LifeLine diagram. Participants are advised to take a landscape-oriented page and draw a horizontal line across the center. On the far left side of the page, a vertical line is drawn and labeled with "happy, satisfied, [or] fulfilled" at the top and "unhappy, satisfied, [or] unfulfilled" at the bottom. Along the horizontal line, a timeline is created, spanning from the participant's birth to their current age (Commitment, 2021). This diagram serves as a visual representation of the LifeLine and assists participants in mapping out their life journey effectively.
Step 3: Questions of reflection
Prior to guiding participants in outlining their LifeLine, it is beneficial to pose a series of thought-provoking questions that encourage reflection on the most influential experiences throughout their lives (Sturt, 2019). Depending on the depth of the questions, they can be distributed as a questionnaire or discussed among participants in the room. The Practice Supervisor Development Programme offers the following questions as an illustrative example:
How was power perceived and exercised in your family? Who held it, and how was guidance given and received?
How would you describe your family of origin? How does it compare to your current family?
What values or cultural assumptions were prominent in your upbringing, and how have they shaped you?
Who have been influential role models in your life, and how have they impacted you?
What does the concept of community mean to you?
What factors influenced your decision to pursue your current field of work?
Reflecting on your educational journey, what have been significant lessons or experiences? (University of Manchester, n.d.)
Step 4: Start drawing your LifeLine
Once participants have contemplated these questions, they can proceed to create their LifeLine by charting significant moments in their life from birth to their current age. Participants can mark key points on the LifeLine by placing dots or circles at specific ages along the horizontal axis, representing their age, and on the vertical axis, indicating their level of happiness or fulfillment. After marking these pivotal moments, participants can connect the dots by drawing a line, thereby visualizing their life trajectory. This process allows participants to visually represent their journey and gain a deeper understanding of the important milestones in their lives.
Step 5: Examine, reflect, and apply
Following the completion of the LifeLine exercise, it is valuable to prompt participants to engage in reflection regarding their LifeLine diagram. This can be facilitated through various approaches such as sharing insights within peer groups, responding to questions individually or collectively, or engaging in silent contemplation. Encouraging participants to explore their findings, the following questions can serve as prompts for reflection:
Can you identify any connections or thoughts in relation to your professional life which explain things that give you satisfaction / frustrate you / the responses you have in your personal life?
What has had the greatest impact on you from doing these activities?
How have these activities developed your understanding of how you engage with others and aspects of your role? (Sturt, 2019)
Do you notice any patterns emerging?
Can you see something that sometimes has blocked your thinking, behavior, and feelings?
If someone else were describing this to you how would you feel about it? What’s still unfinished or your next challenge? (Commitment, 2021)
What resources helped you get through difficult seasons?
What do your [low points] have in common? (Neill, 2010)
How can I be even better tomorrow?
What’s the single biggest thing you can imagine that will help you grow or to change your life?
What perceptions, habits or beliefs do you need to build, change, or reinforce to reach your goal? (USA Today, 2013)
Following the discussion of these questions or a period of individual reflection, it becomes crucial to consider how participants will integrate their newfound learnings and insights into their lives. This is an opportune moment for executive coaches to collaborate with their clients in identifying areas that require growth and providing support on their transformative journey. By assisting clients in applying new learnings and strategies to their lives, executive coaches can contribute to their clients' personal and professional development.
The role of executive coaches in guiding forward-focused reflection
Executive coaches play a vital role as partners, guiding their clients through a thought-provoking and creative process to unlock their full personal and professional potential (ICF, n.d.). As outlined in the ICF Core Competencies, coaches must be mindful of recognizing and addressing any past traumas or mental health challenges that may arise during their sessions, and when necessary, they should refer clients to other qualified professionals (ICF, n.d.). It is important to understand that executive coaches are not trained to handle such issues, and therefore, they should make appropriate referrals to mental health professionals or provide relevant resources in these situations. To gain further insights on when to make these referrals, listen to Episode #1027 of the Arete Coach Podcast.
The LifeLine exercise presents executive coaches with a valuable chance to support their clients in exploring their past experiences and gaining valuable self-insight that can shape their future. Through encouraging clients to reflect on their personal history, coaches can assist in identifying areas for growth and acknowledging areas of success. By utilizing the lessons and insights derived from the LifeLine exercise, executive coaches can collaborate effectively with their clients to optimize their personal and professional development.
The main takeaway
The LifeLine exercise presents executives and business leaders with a transformative opportunity to delve deep into their life journey, gaining profound insights into their behavior, goals, and future needs. Psychologists recognize this exercise as a means of constructing a "narrative identity" or life story, which has been proven to have remarkable advantages for overall well-being, navigating the world, finding purpose, and challenging biases and prejudices. Whether conducted within peer groups or coaching sessions, executive coaches can harness the power of the LifeLine exercise to guide clients in exploring their personal history, unearthing invaluable guidance for their future endeavors.
Resources
Bauer, J.J., McAdams, D.P. & Pals, J.L. Narrative identity and eudaimonic well-being. J Happiness Stud 9, 81–104 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9021-6.
Bennedsen, M., Pérez‐González, F., & Wolfenzon, D. (2020). Do CEOs Matter? Evidence from Hospitalization Events. The Journal of Finance, 75(4), 1877-1911. doi:10.1111/jofi.12897.
Commitment. (2021, June 3). The Lifeline Exercise: an exercise to think about yourself. https://commitment.uk.com/news/the-lifeline-exercise-an-exercise-to-think-about-yourself-commitment/#:%7E:text=Take%20time%20to%20note%20the,the%20dots%20with%20a%20line.
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Manchester University. (n.d.). Creating social and group connection through a lifeline exercise. Humanities Teaching Academy. https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/humteachlearn/2021/03/26/lifeline-exercises-030/.
Neill, C. (2011, October). The Lifeline Exercise. ConorNeill. https://conorneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/lifeline-exercise-rhetoricaljourney.pdf.
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McAdams, D. P. (2008). Personal narratives and the life story. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 242–262). The Guilford Press.
McAdams, D. P., Josselson, R., & Lieblich, A. (Eds.). (2006). Identity and story: Creating self in narrative. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/11414-000.
PSDP. (2019, November). PSDP—Resources and Tools: Lifeline exercise. Practice Supervisor Development Programme. https://practice-supervisors.rip.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Lifeline-exercise.pdf.
Sinek, S. (2011). Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (Reprint ed.). Portfolio.
Sorensen, S. (2021, November 5). The Overlooked Key to Success: Embracing Exercise. Arete Coach. https://www.aretecoach.io/post/the-overlooked-key-to-success-embracing-exercise.
USA Today. (2013). Be Your Best Self. Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program. https://lead2feed.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Lesson1SE.pdf.
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