Most of my coaching clients are clergy, coaches, self-employed or retirees. Recently, a coach client wanted to create more meaningful social media posts. Together, we brainstormed the most common problems people bring to coaching. It’s such a great list, I asked permission to share it as a blog post and she granted permission. Thanks, Kim!
Working with a coach on any of these problems can make the solution exponentially more manageable.
1. What’s Next?
Coaching is a meaningful way to engage questions of “What’s next?” Working with a coach goes beyond pro/con lists. It gets past what society/other people think. It drills down into understanding how your options enhance or detract from the person you want to be. Recent What Next questions my clients have brought to our work include:
- Where should I live?
- Should I buy this property?
- Is it time to retire?
- Do I stay in this relationship?
- How can I create a life-giving sabbatical?
- Do we try IVF again?
- What do I want to be doing 5 years from now?
2. No Time For Self
At some point in our coaching relationship, a majority of my clients end up realizing they have difficulty prioritizing themselves. Everyone else’s needs come before theirs, and they have nothing more to give. A trusting coaching relationship offers a safe space to examine this reality. In coaching, the client always gets to decide if and how we work on any topic. When clients are ready, I have seen great abundance come out of this work.
Clients test out what it’s like to not overwork in a variety of ways. One client committed to taking four days off from both her work AND her family. Another client spent a month working at less-than-average production. A third has committed to “do less” increasingly for the past three sessions. All these clients found that work not only survived but thrived as they pulled back — and the clients felt stronger, more centered, and more able to enjoy life and work.
3. Trying to Eat an Elephant
Giant projects can sometimes feel as overwhelming as trying to eat an elephant. (“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”) Coaching is an excellent investment into getting things done. Much of the work of coaching involves clarifying priorities and committing to next steps. When you regularly engage these practices, you experience accelerated movement towards your goals.
Some of the giant projects I’ve supported through coaching include:
- Writing a book
- Moving to a new country
- Building a retreat center
- Dissolving business partnerships and acquiring new businesses
4. In A Rut
Coaching is an effective tool to get past a rut, to move out of your comfort zone, or to discover something new in your life. If you are feeling your life has become too blah for your liking, a few sessions of coaching can remind you what is life-giving and energizing to you. Once you’ve identified these bits of excitement, you will develop action plans to fit them into your life.
5. Too Much To Do
Many clients reach out to coaches for the first time because they are simply overwhelmed with all that they have to do. A coaching relationship is a great tool to get your schedule under control. A coach helps you prioritize what is most important–which often includes things that aren’t even currently in your schedule. A coach encourages you to make changes that support the way you want to live. And coaches encourage you to invite accountability partners into your work as you build a schedule that is life-giving and efficient.
6. Do I Stay Or Do I Go?
Coaches are a great sounding board for the big question of “Do I stay or do I go?” Coaching conversations are safe spaces to grapple with questions about whether to stay put or to begin looking for something new. I do this quite often with clients who are–or discover they are–ready for a job change. I also have coached clients who are asking this question about their primary relationship.
Working with a coach in these situations helps a client get clear on their own thoughts, desires, needs and perspectives. With that clarity, clients can see more clearly what will be gained and lost by staying and what will be gained and lost by moving on. As in all coaching, the client is in the driver’s seat, and the coach is there to support the client live into the client’s desired future.
7. Moving House
I love the British phrase of “moving house.” Moving can be overwhelming. I have coached clients through both inter-state and international moves. For some, it’s about tasks and lists and finding the right tools for the job. For others, it’s talking through finances or how to keep connected to their support networks or how to manage their social media. There are innumerable ways to freak out about moving. A good coach can help you through any of them.
And You?
If you’ve had a coaching relationship, what problems did it solve for you? Leave a comment.
Do you have a problem you’d like to have some coaching on? Contact me and let’s talk.
