This post will be a little more personal, so if that’s not your cup of tea, feel free to move onto the next thing.
When I first started coaching, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew is I was at the end of my rope and something needed to change. I had been in a car accident and was struggling with managing a new collection of disabilities, very little support and trying to get back to working two jobs, both of which wanted me to return to onsite working. I was terrified and angry, and figured, even if Coaching did nothing for me, at the very least I could feel like I’d done something.
I had no idea just how much it would change things for me.
My first experience of coaching was career coaching, and I went in mostly wanting to find a new job or at least figure out how I could go about getting. My coach was also disabled and we met on zoom. When I started our sessions together, my confidence was low, and I felt completely at sea with managing my disabilities. By the time our relationship drew to a close, I had a new job that aligned with my career path and a better handle on managing my disabilities. My coach didn’t magically manifest those things; what she did was empower me and encourage me. She helped me consider things in a new light and own that I’d been bouncing from entry level job to entry level job, in part because of my disabilities, and in part because I was scared. And owning that fear, meant that I could do things differently. So I did.
My next coach was someone I met through Access to Work, and again, she was disabled. She understood neurodivergence, and worked with me in ways that just made sense. My goals had been to get better at the job, to develop strategies that would help me manage my ADHD/Autistic traits in the workplace. I really wanted to address Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. They were big goals, and ultimately all stemmed from a lack of self confidence.
So we worked together. My coach challenged me. She was my cheerleader when I needed it, the person who would call me out (often kindly and constructively) when I was avoiding something. I could explain things in ways that worked for me, and there was never judgement if I tried something and then ended up not being able to stick with it. And through that process, I changed.
I took a leap of faith, left the job that was no longer working for me, and now I’m doing Simply Equality full time. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without coaching.
Now, coaching is a deeply personal thing, and for me, it resulted in huge changes or changes that seem outwardly huge. But the thing is, really good coaching does result in big changes. Whether or not someone else would consider them big, is a different story. It’s about you, the coachee and what is big for you.
A big change might be being able to set boundaries with people you love. Your big change may be making yourself a meal once a week. Your big change could be dismantling perfectionism or it could be learning to relax. Whatever it is, it will be big and it will matter to you.
If you want to learn more about coaching, and see if it would be right for you, why not get in touch today? The call is free, and there’s no obligation, but it might be the first step in you being the person you want to be.