I was talking to a new friend the other day who asked me about coaching and wanted to know why I do what I do. My initial response to this question is usually some iteration of how I really enjoy helping others. And it’s true. I do enjoy working with other people and feeling like I help them get through the rough patches in their lives. But it’s so much more than that!
I love to watch my clients grow and become the people they’ve always wanted to be. It’s a process of opening up to themselves and exploring what they really want out of life and remembering who they were before the world told them who they should be. Sometimes it takes a while to trust the process, and we dip our toes in slowly, but other times, we jump right in because all the steps towards readiness have already been taken. I really enjoy watching their journey unfold for them in ways I could never have imagined! And it’s great to be a part of that.
One of my primary roles as a coach is to hold my clients accountable to doing what they have committed to do. I enjoy this because we transform when we know we can rely on ourselves. The process of becoming more accountable is about being honest with yourself about what you really want out of life and setting goals to achieve it. And when we believe in ourselves and follow through on the promises we make to ourselves, we live authentically and everything starts to fall into place. Seeing this in others is a great reminder to me to stay the course I am on, too.
Coaching is very action-oriented. We set goals together and make plans about how to achieve them. We use past experience and dreaming of the future to look ahead. We look at all of the roadblocks that have been thrown up to keep you from achieving your goals, and we transform them into something useful for your journey. I encourage you to keep going when it feels like it’s too much, and I hold the vision for you when you can’t see it. It feels great to be that trusted person who is walking along beside you and knows how hard it is, but also knows that you can do what you’ve set out to do.
And I enjoy challenging people. Making big changes in your life only happens if you stretch beyond your normal boundaries and do things that scare you. Most of us have a difficult time doing this alone. Most of us need support to make this happen, especially if we are doing it again and again because that’s what it takes to get to where we are going. And the expression on my clients’ faces when they do something they didn’t think they could do is amazing, the energy they give off and their own sense of satisfaction are truly wonderful to witness!
That’s why I became a coach. That’s why I do what I do.
