You might think that as a coach, I wouldn’t need a coach and to be honest, that’s what I used to think.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve achieved lots of things and coped with all sorts of situations over the years, and I put a lot of that down to what I’ve learnt from all the training I’ve done and the many books I’ve read…but…working with a coach takes things to a completely different level for me.
Coaching gives me the time, space and support to reflect and to think better than I can do on my own. It helps me change the way I look at things and develop new options. It always makes me feel better, and it keeps me focused on the things I need to do to get the results I want.
I used to rely on friends or family for support when I was struggling to think straight or I'd chat with a coaching mate. But there’s something very different about having a one-to-one coaching session that’s set up entirely for me. Where the focus is just on me and my agenda. No advice. No judgement (however random my thoughts may be). No views on what I should do or what would be best for me. A totally independent, supportive and confidential space where I can open up, show my emotions and expose my unique weirdness.
I know my coach is trained to observe my thinking. To watch, listen and sense the impact of how my thinking affects the world I live in. And their observations, insights and the alternate perspectives they encourage me to consider mean that my thinking quickly expands beyond the boundaries of what’s possible on my own.
Even though I'm trained as a coach and see this happen with my clients, I still find it surprising and amazing when I experience it for myself.
Would have been handy for me if I’d realised all of this sooner of course, but better late than never eh?
Here are a few examples of how coaching has helped me find my way to 'better' in recent years
I used to be a perfectionist but I’m all-right now (forgive the pun).
I’m still as motivated to do well as I was before, but ‘good enough’ will now do. I value progress over perfection and I get more done in less time. I have more self-belief, as I can now recognise the good stuff I’ve done without the distraction of beating myself up for failing to reach unachievably high standards. What a relief! Being happy as an imperfect human is great!
From overwhelm to clarity
Due partly to my old perfectionist ways, I’ve had many times in my life where I’ve felt overwhelmed by the combination of what's going on and what needs to be done at home and at work. Nowadays, as a result of an hour with my coach, I know I can go from overwhelm to complete clarity. Feeling of control restored, mindset shifted to positive, priorities set, new options identified, decisions made, plans in place, actions clear. Everything feeling manageable. Hoorah!
Tricky goals achieved
For anyone that knows me, I’m pretty determined. But there have been (and still are) some goals that I’ve really wanted to achieve but haven’t quite fancied doing what’s necessary to achieve them. So they’ve not happened, and I've ended up frustrated. Now I always work with a coach when I want to achieve an important goal. With the support and challenge of a coach, I know I will find a way to overcome any internal challenges and be OK with doing what needs to be done. Or I’ll find different, easier ways to achieve my goal. Seeing my coach at regular intervals then helps me to stay focused on the actions I need to take and allows me to think through and make any necessary adjustments along the way. Rather than doing what I know I can easily do on my own, which is find some excellent reasons why it’s ok to give up and try again another time.
So that’s a quick summary and some examples of why I now regularly work with a coach.
My continual self-development and progress is guaranteed.
If you want more examples of why other people get coaching, I’ve put together a few client case studies and a summary of the typical things I help with.
And if you’d like to understand how coaching could help you, you can book in here for a (free) chat.