Shift Point Method - Part II

The Shift Point Method is not for everyone. It is intended for those that are seeking the missing piece that will propel them to the next level or burst open the cage door that has held them immobile for so long.

Those looking for an ongoing process of self improvement involving changes in habits, brainstorming, or support for personal accountability, are advised to seek out a more traditional coaching method.

As mentioned in Part I, the client who will get the most benefit from The Shift Point Method is the one that comes with a reasonably specific agenda in mind. An issue needing resolution or a desire to achieve something where the client feels stuck are good examples. The client should have a certain amount of emotional investment in the area of desired change, as this will heighten their desire to allow a new way of thinking to emerge.

Another very important concept upon which The Shift Point Method is based is the idea of personal responsibility. The client’s objective is usually to change their experience in one form or another. If there is a belief that only external influences are responsible for the client’s experience, then Shift Point will be of no value. The objective is to change the paradigm, at least partially, of the client’s perception of their world so that the desired experience will follow. The client must agree that this is a viable proposition before the method can be effective.

Assuming these elements are in place then the coaching process can proceed. The heart of the process is based on the idea that there is an assumption in place and operating below the level of conscious awareness that is preventing forward progress on the issue. The skill of the coach is in helping the client identify this assumption, question it, and then decide if it is still useful to the client given the current objective. Once the client sees with clarity what has been obstructing their movement, it is usually a simple matter of making a conscious decision to believe something else more useful and supportive.

Identification of the blocking assumption is the central skill of the coach. The client will give it up in several different ways; either through contradictory statements, statements that are emotionally charged, or perhaps through some form of evasion. The key here is that while the client may consciously think they know what the problem is, it is usually some underlying thought pattern of which they are unaware. Otherwise, they would have already successfully resolved the conflict. The coach works always with the client’s permission towards either accepting or rejecting assumptions. It is always up to the client to decide what they want and what they want to believe.

The simple process of throwing the light of awareness on assumptions that have been operating just out of the reach of awareness is a powerful technique. The mind usually responds brilliantly by forming a new operating perspective, and eagerly moving on.