Unless you have been under a rock you probably have read or heard about the post-divorce filing antics of pop princess Britney Spears. There have been reports of panty-less trips to clubs and passing out drunk. This morning there was a report indicating that even the stylist was throwing up her hands as Mr. Blackwell placed Britney in a tie for first on his annual "Worst Dressed List." It would seem that things are not looking good for the girl from Louisiana.

For her part Britney does not seem to be ignorant to the turn her life has taken. Shortly after the New Year, Britney posted a "letter" on her official website, www.britneyspears.com, stating among other things:

The last couple of years have been very enlightening for me and now that I've had the time to be "me," I've been able to sit down and think about where I want to go with myself as an entertainer with absolutely no strings attached. I am now more mature and feel like I am finally "free".... I look forward to coming back this year bigger and better than ever.

I confess that I am not overly a fan of Britney's music, with a few exceptions. As a Personal Life Coach, however, I became extremely interested in the context of Britney's posting. In interviewing potential clients I look for three key indicators of someone being a candidate for coaching:

1. The person realizes a need for change. 2. The person is willing to make the change. 3. The person is able to commit to the hard work required of the coaching process.

Although I have never met or consulted with Britney personally, a review of her web posting finds that she indeed meets all three criterions for a positive coaching experience. Her words directly reflect the first two elements and her historical approach to working hard to achieve success is an indicator of the third element.

What then could life coaching offer to Britney? Coaching would offer Britney a picture. In a recent interview I was asked why people find themselves spinning their wheels instead of achieving their goals. I stated, "Imagine trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle without having the picture on the front of the box. You know the pieces are there, but without the picture you suffer endless frustration. I help my clients assemble their talents, skills and experiences into the picture of their life." With Britney you have some great "puzzle pieces" to work with. The challenge, as I see it, is that people are looking to recreate the picture as it was before she went on sabbatical.

The undisputable fact is that Britney has changed a lot. She has been married, is a new mother and she has grown as a businesswoman. It would be a mistake to simply try to recreate the "picture" of what Britney was at 20 or 21. At this point Britney needs a new picture of what her life can be. Through coaching Britney's new picture would equate to more success and happiness than she has ever experienced.

Even if you are not a transitioning pop star, coaching is a value-filled resource. An effective strategy for creating a new picture of your life is as follows:

1. Prepare a detailed description of what your ideal life would be. Don't let yourself off the hook by putting in a lot of questions or options. Make specific statements on what your life will be. Write the description as though you are living the life five years from now. 2. Break the description down into the natural elements. Some examples of elements may be career, relationship, finances, etc. If you have statements in the description that relate to what your career will be, list those under career. Continue until you have broken the entire description down into the elements. 3. Tackle each element individually. Set short and long-term goals to achieve each statement. For example, if part of your ideal life description includes your working as a CPA, but you currently do not have the education to be a CPA, goals would include achieving the appropriate education to be a CPA. Continue this process for each statement. 4. When setting goals be sure to create timeframes to complete each goal. 5. Find someone to hold you accountable and motivate you for the goals. This person may be a professional, such as a coach, or it may be a trusted friend or family member. 6. Continue working the goals until you have created your ideal life.

In all likelihood you will find that the detailed description evolves as you work through the elements, statements and goals. This is completely acceptable providing that the description is evolving in tune with your heart's desire and not with settling for second best. I remain firmly convinced that 2007 is destined to be a successful year for all us; you, me and Britney Spears!