You may ponder on what type of coach you want to work with: life coach, adventure travel coach, career coach, business coach, personal development coach, confidence coach… I could go on! I pondered on what type of coaching I could offer; what type of coach am I?
I believe the efficacy and credibility a coach has is dependent on the expertise (skill & knowledge), experience and connection one has. Coaching is an unregulated industry – anyone can start coaching immediately. So how can you determine the level of expertise, experience and connection a coach has? A little research will give you some of the answers; their biography and social media will give you an indication about what life experiences they have had, their qualifications inform you about their skill and knowledge level, and their accreditations and organisation memberships inform you how long they have been coaching and their experience in particular fields. A coach can have years of experience and expertise. However, if you do not have a great connection with your coach, forget it! How you feel about your coach and what you perceive they feel about you is a prerequisite to you achieving the change you desire. Establishing the quality of the connection between you and your coach is easy, you have to meet up, either face to face or online. This is the very essence of why I suggest we meet for a free initial meeting. Only after this can you decide if I am the coach for you.
Looking back, I was exactly where you are now, I had dreams, I wanted progression, I wanted more for myself and my kids. I know what it feels like to want more and realise that progress is slow or non-existent, at times it felt like I was going backwards! The first thing I did was to define what I wanted, then I created a plan of how to achieve it. I followed my plan, with small steps, but always going in the right direction. I enjoyed both the present and developing my future. That started over 20 years ago.
When I decided ‘enough was enough’, and I wanted to be happier and more fulfilled, ‘personal growth, life coaching, SMART goals, authentic behaviour and how to use my strengths to succeed’ wasn’t in my vocabulary. I was alone on my journey.
I left a successful corporate career behind to fulfil my potential and improve the quality of my life. Now, having studied positive psychology and coaching psychology for many years, I recognise my behaviours over the last few decades were ideal for achieving forward movement in my personal and business life. However, it took me many years languishing in my dreams before I started my journey.
You don’t have to be alone on your journey.
