MY JOURNEY
We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences – be they positive or negative – make us the person we are, at any given point in our lives. And, like a flowing river, those same experiences, and those yet to come, continue to influence and reshape the person we are, and the person we become. None of us are the same as we were yesterday, nor will be tomorrow.
– B.J. Neblett
My path into coahcing
It all started a few years ago, I was in a secure job doing things I was reasonably good at and living an ok life yet feeling as though I was sliding backward.
Work seemed like an endless grind, I was giving it all I could and yet feeling like I was failing. I started to fear for my future and my health. Why did it seem like everyone else was having success around me and I was going nowhere?
Why were my efforts not enough?
Why did I feel like I didn’t know what I was doing?
I got to a point of hopeless helplessness.
Having previously suffered from depression and knowing the impact it had on my life and those around me I was determined to prevent that from happening again. Having worked hard on rebuilding myself and my life I was strong enough to know I needed to make some positive changes.
When all was looking bleak, my survival instincts kicked in and I took the positive action to get help and to start working towards a different future.
That choice to take decisive action was crucial, I’d been flirting with the idea of becoming a coach for years and never doing much about it. I felt I was never going to be good enough. But now I realised…
…the pain from staying put was greater than the pain of facing my fears and making changes!
Since choosing coaching, I’ve not looked back. Life is getting better and better.
Why do what I do?
Through the years of personal rebuilding and recovery from depression, I’d come to realise I get immense satisfaction from directly helping others either on a one-to-one basis or in group settings.
This has shown up in all areas of life.
Dancing
One of the best things I ever did was to start attending dance classes.
Beginning with Salsa and later shifting to Ceroc, I became proficient enough to join the crew at one of the venues I frequented which gave me the chance to help the beginners learn the introductory moves in their first few weeks and find their confidence. Now it’s gone a step further and as a Ceroc teacher, I run a regular class night every week.
Being part of someone’s journey from a nervous first-time attendee to stepping up into their first intermediate classes is one of the best experiences I’ve ever felt.
It never gets old.
Habits, Organisation, Project Mangement
Another area of life where I’ve been fortunate enough to share knowledge and help people is in the field of personal organisation.
To reduce my own stress levels, I’ve been a continual student of productivity habits & tools.
I’ve always tried to learn how to get the best from myself and the software tools I’m using. I find this isn’t common. Most people want to learn enough to get by and get the job done. By going deeper I can not only get the job done but done well, with greater ease and understanding. With reduced stress and greater impact.
Applying this knowledge to my work and then sharing it with others so they gain personal mastery is again immensely satisfying.
I follow the philosophy…
…Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Meaning I always try to impart enough knowledge, support, and encouragement to get people to a point of self-sufficient confidence.
Again, like the dancing, being part of someone’s journey and seeing them make use of the tools and techniques is immensely satisfying.
This is why I coach.
Coaching is a powerful tool to unlock for clients what they are truly capable of. I don’t need to be an expert in your field to help you take action towards your goals. The power lies in helping you overcome your barriers and blocks, not in giving you answers.
One of the biggest challenges people face when trying something new is dealing with their own thoughts and self-doubt.
What does this mean for you?
I work with people who are ready to make changes in their lives.
That may be a conscious decision already made or a general feeling that “something” has to change.
Either way, I want you to know there’s a better future waiting for you and help you navigate your way to it.
Through the tools, techniques, and skills of coaching, I can help you avoid the pain of falling into the well of despair. Together we can bridge the gap from where you are now to the place you want to be.
When working together we will explore what you already have in your toolkit and then work out what else is needed. We get clear on your motivations and values. We can challenge your self-sabotaging mental gremlins and give you alternative ways of viewing challenges.
We will also look at how your daily habits, thoughts, and deliberate actions are shaping the life you live and how they can be adapted to create the life you want.
I believe it’s our habits that shape our future more than anything else and we get to decide what our habits are.
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
– Aristotle
