My Philosophy

I see coaching as a high leverage force
for positive change and good in the world.

Here are some of the guiding principles, beliefs and values
upon which my work is built:

If you address the “domain of being”, everything else falls in place.

The “Domain of Being” is the collection of thoughts, feelings and beliefs that make up our unconscious self. Unless we address the conversation between our ears we will be haunted and held back wherever we try to go. In the famous words of Buckaroo Bonzai, “No matter where you go, there you are.”

As we become aware of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what is appropriate or possible in our lives, we can begin to create more empowering internal narratives that will enable us to break free from our self imposed limitations. If we want to impact the material world, we must first impact our internal world, the world of our beliefs, thoughts and feelings.

We reap what we sow and the seed starts with our thoughts, what we think and say to ourselves and to others. Who we are Being directly impacts how the world occurs to us. How the world occurs to us impacts what we choose to Do or not Do, and what we choose to do or not do impacts what we Have, the results we accomplish, the circumstances we create (i.e. Be > Do > Have!)

What is the story you live in? What is the predominant mood in which you live your life? What are the unexamined limiting beliefs that stand between you and the life you imagine for yourself?

You can have anything you want in your life, just not everything (at least not everything all at once!).

We all have limited time, money, and energy, so we need to make choices about what to focus on. What are your core values? What do you want? What is most important to you? We get what we focus on, so we need to choose carefully and with the big picture in mind.

Where are you ultimately going with your life? What are you building?

Back to basics. First things first.

If we want to build a strong building, we must first lay a strong foundation. So it is with designing and building our ideal life and work. We need to clarify our core values and build our lives on that foundation. What are the basic building blocks that need to be accounted for first before you expand your reach?

When we don’t true ourselves up with our own ideals and standards we find ourselves out of integrity and we suffer. The more we align our lives with who we really are and what we really care about, the happier and more successful we can expect to be.

What are the basic things you need to put first in your life?

“Right-size” your life and expectations.

Many of us are overextended and suffer from overinflated and unrealistic expectations. We need to simplify our lives. We need to bring our lives back into focus by focusing on fewer things – the most important things. Most of us have enough, more than we need in fact. We can always use more, but at a certain point, it is no longer about more. More won’t do it.

We need to right-size our lives and our expectations about how much is enough and what we really need in order to be happy, healthy and secure.

Where are you overextended? Where are your expectations of yourself or others unrealistic?

Design your life and back your business into it.

I believe that life is a gift and that we have a tendency to squander it. We often find ourselves off track having never really clarified what the track was meant to be in the first place.

Most business owners have let their businesses determine the life they are living. I think it is better to design your ideal life and then back your business into it, rather than the other way around! We are all artists. If nothing else we are the artists of our own lives. The sooner we understand that it is our responsibility to create our lives the way we want them to be, the sooner we can get on with designing and building a custom-fit life and business. We must start with the end in mind.

What does your ideal life and business look like?

Employ the 80/20 principle.

We must prioritize and leverage our time and resources. What are the 2 out of 10 things that will give us an 80% return on our investment? Focusing on the leverage points takes us further faster with more ease and ultimate satisfaction.

Where is the leverage in your life and business? Where can you combine your objectives and catch two fish with one hook?

Quality vs. quantity (how much is enough?!)

Most of us are caught up in the illusion that more is better and that there is never enough. Interestingly, we can never seem to get enough of what we don’t really need. In fact, less is more when the less is the most important things in our life.

There comes a time when one realizes that they have enough and that simply acquiring more – more stuff, more money, more success, more prestige, etc. will not significantly or sustainably impact one’s experience of happiness and satisfaction or even the overall quality of one’s life. We realize that fulfillment is an internal game and cannot be gained from outside circumstances alone.

I believe in a quality versus quantity approach. You have to ask yourself “How much is enough?!” and get off the treadmill of blindly believing that more is better.

Go slow to go fast.

We need to clarify where we are and where we want to go before we jump to conclusions about how best to get there.

I believe in taking the “Go slow to go fast” approach. Better to take the time to define the problem and the root causes before investing time, money or resources in the solution lest you not get to the source of the problem and risk not solving it.

Measuring twice, cutting once – focusing more on prevention than on the cure is a high leverage approach to getting things done and living a life you love.

Where are you moving to fast? What are the root causes of your problems?

Be true to your calling.

I believe that all of us are here to make a difference in the lives of others with our lives. We all have a purpose for our lives; something we are uniquely made for that the world wants and needs.

To the degree that we can discover what that is and live true to it, to that degree we will be ultimately effective and fulfilled. Our real genius can express itself. Our real contribution can be made. The ultimate experience of fulfillment and satisfaction stems from the contribution we make to others in our lives.

What is the difference you are here to make?

To whom much is given, much is expected.

I believe that with freedom, wealth and privilege comes responsibility. When I say “responsibility” I mean first of all the ability to respond, and secondly, the duty to respond. And there is great personal power in honoring the call.

The question we have to ask ourselves then is “What is my life going to be about, now that I have enough? If it is no longer about only me and my stuff (and accumulating more stuff), what will it be about? What’s beyond enough?”

Once our basic needs are met, it is time to look up and shift from a “me to we” orientation. What’s next is not another summer home, or another sports car, or another million. We don’t need more stuff to make us happy. We need to get our attention off of ourselves and focus on the greater good of others.

What is my ability to respond to the needs of others? What is my duty to respond?

Do well by doing good.

It is possible to enjoy the benefits of our great privilege and also reach out to others less privileged and offer our help. In other words , it’s possible to do well by doing good. I believe in integrity before profit. Integrity is critical to a good life. If what you are doing compromises your values, it ain’t worth it!

I think it is possible to live a great life full of pleasure and adventure, to enjoy all that life has to offer and live a life full of contribution, meaning and significance. We can design and build a life that is balanced.

This is not just about making more money! This is about creating enough in your life (time, money, competence, confidence, etc.) to then be able to go out and make the contribution you are here to make beyond enough.

What cause inspires you to action? What is the contribution you are here to make?

Practice social responsibility and the “triple bottom line”.

What’s the Triple Bottom Line? People/Planet and Profit. Most of us are focused on money and profitability at the expense of many other important factors to a well-balanced quality life. Better to ask “How can I make a good profit, while respecting the people who help me to make it and the planet we all depend on to live”?

If we only ask ourselves, “ How can I make more money or be more successful” we will get answers, but they will often compromise other important values in our lives. But if you ask yourself, “What kind of life do I want to live?”, and then design your business to give that to you, you will fare much better in the long run.

You always get answers to the questions you ask! Ask different questions, get different results! What questions are you asking yourself?

Now that you know about me and my approach, if you’d like to read about what clients say they’ve gotten from working with me, click this link: Success Stories >>>

Or, you can contact me directly at 310-372-7711, or patrick@patricksummar.com to set up a time to talk.