You may be wondering if hiring a coach is right for you, as someone who has used a coach, I know that it can be a transformational experience and if you're wondering about coaching, this blog is for you.
Calming the Chaos
Like many people, a global pandemic lead me to re-asses how I was spending my life. I had spent my entire career in early childhood education and I loved it, but it felt like it was time to do something different. After twenty years, I needed to broaden my horizons and try something new. The pandemic had left me exhausted, worry about my own health and my loved ones was draining, the emotional toll of hearing about illness and death was unending. I needed a break. I needed some time to unwind, and I needed to see family that I hadn't seen since Covid cases hit the U.S. I went to Denver to see my family, I re-united with friends who I hadn't seen for a year, we rented a place in Leavenworth and allowed ourselves to hug each other and hold each other close. I read self-help books, I took walks with my dog, I did yoga. I kept hoping that my next step would hit me somewhere out of the blue, but my thoughts were chaotic and on an endless, meaningless loop. I began to get desperate, I needed a job and I needed a purpose. What would happen if I couldn't figure it out? Finally, I decided I needed a coach. I found Deborah Voll, a coach specializing in working with women in mid-life, I looked to her for the answer. What I wanted was a lightbulb to go off and my path laid before me like the yellow brick road. That isn't what happened. Instead, there was work. Deborah made me think, she challenged my assumptions, she called out the ways I was getting in my own way, and she honed in on my values and priorities. What we discovered is that I am someone who is passionate about making a difference and doing meaningful work, someone who loves to help others, someone who values education and community, and someone with a lot of skills and knowledge of child development and education. I needed a job that let me live my values everyday and enjoy my work. But Deborah didn't give me any answers, through our exercise and homework, I discovered so much about myself. I learned to be kinder to myself, I learned what to do when I got stuck, and I began to believe that I deserved my ideal life and began crafting that life for myself. What I am saying is that working with a coach isn't easy, it's a challenge and it's an investment of time and money. But I'm also saying that you don't have to do it alone, you can co-create a new future with a coach, you can find a way forward that is a clear path through the chaos, you can change your life. Are you ready?