Confession time, my journey to coaching

Confession time. I used to think life coaches were charlatans.

*record scratch and silence*

Yep, it’s true.  I thought life coaches were showy performers quick to take your money with little value to offer.

I am sharing this awkward truth with you because now I know better, and this belief prevented me from accessing incredibly powerful assistance that would have helped navigate my years of confusion and stuck-ness (also known as my 20s and 30s).

So let’s start at the beginning – what is a life coach?  A life coach can be many things and can work in many ways.  Essentially a life coach will help you to boost your life in some way. It might be focussed on a specific goal, or larger life aspirations. 

This broad definition captures all sorts of folks, but for many years my only exposure to life coaches was the really polished and showy ones from the TV.  I’d always been interested in personal development but this form of life coaching didn’t resonate with me.

Back to the twists and turns of my 20s and 30s, I had a yearning for something different from life.  But I didn’t know how to start creating the change, or even what change I needed.  This yearning wasn’t a clinical problem for me so I didn’t discuss it with a psychologist but looking back I see now some coaching help would have been brilliant. 
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Let me pause here to say that at times I did seek out the support of a psychologist when my anxiety or depression loomed too large.  In very brief terms psychologists work with illnesses and assist with recovery.  Life coaches work with boosting wellness and discovery – discovering your true values, discovering how to find more joy and purpose, or discovering how to obtain your dream career/relationship/life.

Many years later, by chance, my path crossed with a life coach who had a nurturing and gentle style.  The exact opposite of those I’d previously seen on TV.  It was an eye-opening experience.  With this coaching I made small steps towards resting and healing my tired soul and creating a life that better matched what I truly wanted and what was truly important to me.  

I was on my way.  Since then I’ve completely changed my life and I proudly call myself a trained life coach.

I also now know that life coaches come in many different varieties but there is always one consistent factor – you, the client.  Make sure you find a life coach that feels right to you.  Coaching should be a co-creative process between you and the coach.  It won’t always be comfortable, change can be hard, but look for a coach that you feel you can trust and be honest with.

My style of coaching values finding your inner-truth, gently and courageously pursuing your dreams and using science as the entry point to the wonders and magic that life has to offer.  How ‘polished’ I am very much depends on the day and has certainly decreased during these COVID times (hello stretchy pants!)
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So if you have been ruminating on some issues without making progress or you have a niggling sense of wanting something more from life, perhaps a life coach may help.  Message me if you’d like to chat more about this and my coaching style.