Do I need a coach?

Before I had ever been coached, my own resounding answer to this question was ‘no’. I was perfectly capable of conducting my own affairs, thank you very much. This attitude worked for four decades, until the wheels fell off my life.

I became unwell. I could no longer work in the same capacity. My stress was too much for my body and mind to bear and I had vision and headache issues. Waiting for endless brain scan results caused me more anxiety and it wasn’t long before the insomnia kicked in, arriving at around the same time that my self-worth exited stage left.

And yet, I still didn’t think I needed help beyond what the medical profession could offer (which turned out to be practically nothing).

I did pay heed to the doctor’s advice though, and I knew I needed to change my lifestyle dramatically and ultimately leave my job as a solicitor. That flummoxed me, but the question ‘do I need a coach?’ still didn’t occur to me.

It was only when a friend mentioned how her career coach might help me did I sit up and listen. And sure enough, the answer to the question of needing a coach was a clear, loud, resounding ‘yes’!

I was stuck and had no idea how to proceed. Coaching was, on the face of it, a simple solution to what felt like an insurmountable problem to me at the time.

Could I have managed without a coach? Yes. I would have worked something out for myself, it probably would have taken years, and my health could have suffered as a result. But I could have done it alone.

For me, the coaching partnership was invaluable. It fascinated me how quickly a stranger could become so important to me. She showed me where to start looking for answers, and which questions to ask. She didn’t advise me or tell me what to do: I had the opportunity to think for myself, both in the sessions and outside of them. My coach enabled me to tap into my own inner resources, which, let’s be frank were alluding me in my time of turmoil.

The progress was pacey. Suddenly clarity was mine, and I don’t think I had more than around six sessions before I was handing my notice in at work. I had a goal, a purpose, a vision. Without question this happened faster than if I had been left to my own devices.

But perhaps you don’t feel stuck? More a question of a quiet dissatisfaction with life or asking, ‘is this it?’. Maybe you are so deeply involved in your career/family/personal life that the question ‘do I need a coach?’ doesn’t occur to you either. Or you are so overwhelmed with everything that you’re just about managing to cope and there’s no time for asking questions!

Having a coach is like having a cheerleader who is both thought provoking and challenging. I won’t tell you what to do or lead you in a certain direction. As a coach, that’s not my job.

What I will do is help you to unpack what might be preventing you from blossoming and really enjoying life. We all have our stories, beliefs and life scripts. When was the last time you thought about auditing them? Or, like most of us, do you think they are all true and unchanging?

Transformative life coaching is designed to help you to be curious about your own sense of identity and purpose. Not with a view to throwing it all out of the window, but to have a different relationship to it. To see things differently. To experience yourself, and your own life differently.

Yes, you could go it alone. Or you could achieve an easiness about life with someone by your side helping you to get to that position further and faster than you might have thought possible. So, if you are asking ‘do I need a coach?’ think about how you want to feel on this journey, and how exciting change could be if you didn’t have to go it alone.

I provide coaching packages to suit your needs and work with mindfulness and mediation to help you build a calm, grounding base before asking the questions that will help you to shape your future. To find out more book a free discovery call today https://calendly.com/katehughesmeditation/30min-free-discovery-call