If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard the word “coaching” being thrown around and you’re curious about what all the fuss is about. Or maybe you’ve tried therapy, consulting, or self-help books but still feel like something is missing. Well, allow me to introduce you to the world of coaching and why it just might be the missing piece you’ve been looking for.
What is coaching, anyway?
When most people think of coaching, they might picture a feel-good, motivational pep talk. And while there’s certainly a lot of value in feeling good and getting motivated, coaching is actually a lot more than that.
Coaching is a powerful collaborative, goal-oriented process that aims to help clients reach their full potential in a specific area of their life. This means that coaches and clients work together to identify areas of your life that you want to improve, set goals, and develop action plans to make those improvements happen.
A coach is like a personal trainer for your mind, helping you overcome obstacles, set and achieve goals, and make a sustainable roadmap to a fulfilling life. A coach is with you every step of the way, providing support, accountability, and encouragement.
What is coaching NOT?
Coaching is not therapy; While therapy can certainly help people work through past traumas and emotional issues, coaching is more focused on helping people achieve specific goals and reach their full potential. Therapy tends to focus on processing past events, while coaching is focused on the present and the future. Due to their different focuses, some clients find great success working with both a coach and a therapist at the same time (covering different topics of course).
Coaching is also not consulting; consulting focuses on having an expert come in, diagnose a problem, prescribe a specific solution and advice, and then leave you to it. In contrast, in coaching the goal is to empower you (the client) with new tools and mindsets to help you problem-solve your own issues.
Coaching resides on the assumption that YOU are the expert on you, and no one else is. The coach is an expert on providing a framework for powerful self-reflection, exercises, accountability, and thought-provoking resources to help you identify your own path forward. Do we have expertise to offer? Certainly. Are we going to write you a prescription and leave you to it? No; the goal is addressing the root problem, not just fixing symptoms.
Who is coaching a good fit for?
Coaching is a good fit for anyone who wants to make positive changes in their life and is willing to put in the work to make it happen. This could include people who want to improve their work-life balance, change careers, or simply live a more fulfilling life. People who are feeling stuck, burned out, or unfulfilled are often good candidates for coaching as well.
That being said, coaching is not for everyone. If you’re looking for someone to tell you what to do or solve your problems for you, coaching may not be the right fit. Coaching is a collaborative process that requires an active commitment from the client. So, if you’re not willing to put in the effort to make changes in your life, coaching may not be the right choice for you.
What can coaching help with?
The areas that coaching can help with are virtually limitless, but some of the most common topics that I work with clients on include:
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Career & Life Fulfillment: If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your work or personal life, coaching can help you identify what you really want and create a plan to get there.
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Burnout & Work-Life Balance: If you’re feeling overworked and stressed, coaching can help you find ways to balance your responsibilities and create more time for the things that matter to you.
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Balancing Your Personality Traits (e.g., people pleasing): Sometimes our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses. For example, you might be a high-achiever at work, but your perfectionistic tendencies lead you to continually be burned out. Or, you’re incredibly at relationships, but your people-pleasing tendencies leave you struggling to prioritize your own needs. Coaching can help you highlight the strengths while mitigating the weaknesses of your personality.
What does the research say about coaching?
There’s a growing body of research that proves coaching can be a highly effective tool for improving people’s lives, careers, and personal growth.
For example, research published by the International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring, the International Coach Federation, and the Institute of Coaching at Harvard found that coaching can help people:
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Increase job satisfaction
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Reduce burnout
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Improve overall well-being
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Reduce stress
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Increase their self-awareness
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Improve their relationships
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Enhance their personal and professional effectiveness
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Achieve their goals
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Increase their overall life satisfaction
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Improve communication skills
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Gain clarity on your goals
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Build self-confidence
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Increase motivation
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Improve decision-making skills
The result is a more fulfilling life, with better relationships, a successful career, and a greater sense of purpose.
What should I expect from coaching?
Every coach has their own approach, and every client’s journey looks a bit different.
Some coaches work with clients for short-term, very specific goals. For example, perhaps you need a one-time coaching session to help you prep for a difficult conversation with your boss.
I tend to work with clients longer-term (e.g., 3-12 months) so that we can cover several, larger goals. For example, we might be working to help you identify the root cause of your burnout problem, get clarity on your next career move, navigate your career pivot, and improve your overall well-being. Obviously, big goals like this can’t happen overnight, so a longer-term commitment is necessary to see these big life-changing goals come to reality.
If you’re curious, here’s what a typical 6-month coaching journey with me might include:
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Discovery Session: The first step of your coaching journey is a free discovery session. This session is designed to help you get to know me and for me to get to know you and your goals. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you have about coaching and to make sure you’re comfortable working with your coach. After this call, you’ll decide if you’re ready to officially work with me.
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Kick-Off Call: Once you make the commitment to achieving your goals and make our coaching relationship official, we’ll have a kick-off call to clarify the specific outcomes you hope to achieve through coaching. We’ll get VERY specific about the big life changes we’re working towards during our coaching journey so that we both can stay on track and have a tangible measure of what success looks like.
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Coaching Sessions: During coaching sessions, we’ll have plenty of great discussions focused on getting you to “ah-ha” moments that spark sustainable life improvements. I’ll listen actively and ask thought-provoking questions to help you dig deep and gain new insights. I’ll also suggest evidence-based exercises and resources to help you gain clarity and move forward. Of course, you’ll also receive guidance, support, and accountability as you work towards your goals.
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Action items (i.e., homework!): In between coaching sessions, you’ll be given actions & reflections to complete. This homework may include reading, journaling, committing to new behaviors/habits, or other exercises designed to help you reflect on your progress and continue moving toward your goals. Applying insights into real-life action is where the magic happens, so spending time in between sessions is key. Typically you’ll want to set aside about 1 hour a week towards your goals.
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Check-Ins: I am available between coaching sessions to check in, see how you’re doing, and to answer any questions you have.
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Progress & Celebration: Throughout your coaching journey, you’ll be able to track your progress and celebrate your successes. You’ll have the opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned, what you’ve achieved, and what you want to continue working on.
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End-of-Journey Reflection: At the end of your 6-month coaching journey, you’ll have a final coaching session to reflect on all that you’ve accomplished. I will help you celebrate your successes and create a plan for how you’ll continue to maintain your progress so that you don’t lose all the great work we completed together.
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Bonus; Give-back session: I believe that part of a fulfilling life is using your unique skills to improve the communities in which you live. I offer a free, optional Give-Back session to my clients to help them identify ways to use their unique superpowers for the greater good; whether that’s through volunteering, donating, or something else entirely. These are focused on methodologies from Effective Altruism (basically, how can we efficiently do the most good?).
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Bonus; Add on services: Sometimes you need deep-dive help on a specific challenge, such as revamping your resume, updating your LinkedIn, or preparing for an interview. Never fear; I can help you here too!
Of course, during all of this you can expect a safe, non-judgmental, and supportive environment. Think of me as your personal cheerleader when you need support, your tough-love accountability buddy when you need a nudge, and your psychology expert for when you need some clarity.
Remember, coaching is a collaborative effort between you and your coach. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. So, be ready to be fully engaged and to put in the work! With the right coach and a commitment to growth, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve in just 6 months.
Career & Life Fulfillment Coaching with Me (Lydia)
I’m a certified coach who specializes in helping burned-out corporate professionals beat the Sunday scaries, build a fulfilling career, and increase their well-being in their overall life. If you’re ready to start thriving in your career & life and think coaching might be able to help, I’d love to work with you!
Here are a few steps you can do right now to get started:
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Check out my about page to learn more about my approach and my services page to learn more about my offerings
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Schedule a FREE discovery consultation to identify if coaching with me can help you achieve your goals. You’ll walk away with clarity on what exactly your top priorities are as well as a few resources/ideas to get you started in the right direction.
