If everything we ever needed in life could be gleaned from a book, there would be no need for people like me.
Books are great, but it's people that help us to make deep and lasting change, and this is where I come in.
A coach is someone that will help you tease out and fulfill your potential. A coaches job is to help you identify what that potential might be, then work with you to achieve a desired outcome or goal in a safe and sustainable way.
My particular style of coaching is to help you discover your true-self. For me, this is where our greatest potential and power lies. It means we don't necessarily work directly towards achieving a goal such as a new job, a new relationship or improving your health - though that may be a secondary objective, we instead work on being our bright, brilliant selves and showing up fully for whatever life invites us to be.
First-hand experience
I work this way because my own experiences of being coached were an eye-opening experience. In 2008 I signed up for 6 sessions of Life Coaching with the goal of getting back to Africa to do more traveling. This didn't transpire, and instead I got into a relationship with my now husband.
In 2009 I signed up for some career coaching to get a better paid job. The outcome of that was I went self-employed.
In 2017-19 I had business coaching to improve my business impact through greater client numbers and more income. The outcome was I supported a client pro-bono through a dramatic life change and improved the performance of the business I was working for at the time.
You get my drift!
What a coach does, is help you discover what it is you really want and supports you to develop yourself to achieve it.
What makes you, you
Working with a coach enables you to get clear on what makes your heart sing and you as a person, bloom. Following our hearts and our passions is critical to our success in life, and what we were put here to do. A coach knows that everyone is unique and has a unique role to play in this world. Having a safe place and space to explore what that is, is a critical part of this journey. This is best done in a relationship where two people have put aside time, energy and expertise to make this outcome happen.
Addressing obstacles
If self-development was as easy as lifting up the veil to take a peek underneath, then we'd all be doing it much more than we do. The reason we don't know our true selves as well as we might like is that personal development can be hard. Life experiences can leave scars that prevent us from moving forwards. Protection mechanisms such as shyness, anxiety or a health condition can do a great job of keeping us emotionally protected but a terrible job of letting us shine. Coaching offers us a chance to address our inner saboteur in a safe environment, by resolving past issues and gleaning the valuable life-learning from them.
Championing your success
A coach knows you are a genius and all the answers you need lie within. With this in mind we constantly see the best in you and that action provides just that little bit of a push for you to expand your comfort zone. Through coaching I have achieved things I thought were impossible! Left to my own devices I would never have done half the life achievements coaching has helped me accomplish - the Peace Project being one such example!
Bringing it all together
Finally, a coach helps you to make sustainable life choices. Working holistically, coaching helps you to create a plan and chart your progress. Setting yourself realistic challenges and goals means you don't fall at the first hurdle, or if you do, you work with the learning that presents and turn it into something constructive.
When I coach people, my full focus is on what's doing right for the individual based on what presents and not on what our ego's "think" we should be doing. We work together to chart a path through stormy waters or steep climbs, so that you're sense of you remains centrefold and your individual voice remains authentic.
Coaching for me has been a remarkable experience full of incredible and life-stretching learning. If you feel that you too have a desire to be something more than you are or need help to navigate a difficult decision, I urge you to reach out and make coaching a part of that journey.