GROW Coaching modelGROW Coaching model

GROW Coaching model

The Canalside Life Coach Guide to the GROW Coaching model

It’s always handy to have an easy to remember “hook” to hang a process or idea on: in this case GROW.

The word itself a mental flag and focus - the letters stand for:

  • G oal/s

  • R eality

  • O ptions…I also like Opportunities

  • W ay forward…having the W ill is appropriate here too

You can use this for just about anything in your life

  • overarching “big” stuff for work, home, relationships, health…

  • specific goals whether short/medium or long-term

Working with a Life Coach to make sense of these, you will break down into manageable chunks and prioritise, with accountability built in to “keep it real”, as well as acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, small and large.


In your daily life, you can build up your instinctive ability to tune in to positive feelings when you have done the thing you set out to do - just 5 minutes a day to go towards your goal will allow your unconscious mind to adopt that focus. This then propels ability to build on the success.

This is where some people like and perhaps need an external source of reinforcement, whether a timed reminder with a vocal or visual “well done” within an App, or from a friend or “buddy” system, formal or informal.

Lots of online communities supply this type of support for different goals.
Charities in the mental health arena are very good at encouraging participation so that you do not feel alone or disheartened, particularly if, as is inevitable, you have an “off” day.

Self-care encourages accepting that we all have to be realistic about that, and rather than feel guilty we keep working towards the outcome we want.


Commit to personal coaching with Anne Brookes and experience CALM, CONFIDENCE, CLARITY

Commit to personal coaching with Anne and experience CALM, CONFIDENCE, CLARITY


Working with the Canalside Life Coach using the GROW model

As a starting point it’s a good idea to quickly jot down any reactions/ thoughts in each heading - just words at this stage.

We will draw upon these initial ideas since often when we go in again to refine it, we can lose the strength of motivation (or not!) or a detail that makes a difference.

It is also useful to think about this as a reminder for each coaching session - it focuses your thinking:

  • Do you have a specific goal?

  • What do you want to achieve in the time we have? Break it into chunks that make sense to you.

  • What difference/s do you want to feel by the end of the session or sessions?


Remember that you do need to allow for “filtering time” that happens after this experience of attending to change in your life - that can take a few days or up to a couple of weeks - or more!

Of course, it can also happen as you’re doing some everyday (particularly a methodical or rhythmic) task!

The GROW coaching process helps with

  • Identifying your strengths and values

  • Understanding and identifying limiting and empowering beliefs

  • Dealing with feelings and developing resilience

You’ll actively participate in setting goals, choosing techniques, and evaluating progress.

READ my guide to Goals in 2024


Want to start your personal coaching now? Arrange your complimentary introduction video or voice call

OR Please email me

Anne Brookes Canalside Life Coach Photo

I am qualified and certified as a Life Coach, an NLP Coach and Practitioner, also in Time Line Therapy®

Professionally qualified: Three logos: The American Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Coaching Division of the American Board Of NLP, Time Line Therapy Association

canalsidecoach.app © gives space to reflect, boost the positives and achieve your outcomes

and is a trading name of AJBC Ltd Registered in England