What Coaching Gave Me (That I Wouldn't Have Otherwise)

The other day, someone asked me: “What do you have now, due to coaching, that you wouldn’t have had otherwise?”

No one had ever posed the question to me quite like that before. My mind darted here and there, trying to capture it all.

Because my life -- and who I am -- have been so enriched by coaching.

What I've learned inspired me to become a coach myself.

So to fully answer the question: “What do I have now, thanks to coaching, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise?”

There are really two types of answers to this question: the real life outcomes, and the skills that have brought them about.

Tangible, real life outcomes

Thanks to coaching, I:

• Found and lived in my very own, designed-just-how-I-liked, beautiful, peaceful home, an apartment in Portland, Oregon.
• Applied for and got my long-dreamed-of job in an emergency relief effort in Port-au-Prince following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
• Followed my big life dream of taking a yearlong sabbatical (and also met my now-husband).
• With my husband, created a lifestyle and home that truly reflects our values and dreams.
• Started my own business, which fully expresses my natural strengths, passion and purpose in life.

Coaching led me to a home, lifestyle, life partner, and work that are closer to my ideals than I ever thought possible.

This is pretty amazing. Yet, to me, it’s not even the most interesting way I can answer this question. Because, there are also the…

Lessons and lifelong skills

 “What do I have now, due to coaching, that I wouldn’t have had otherwise?”

Let’s talk now about the intangibles. The applicable skills. The spiritual lessons, shifts and epiphanies.

Thanks to coaching, I:

• know what kind of life I really want to live: what I enjoy and love doing, what I like to do with my time, what values I want to express, who I want to be.
• Make decisions according to what makes me happiest, most fulfilled and where I want to go in life. I no longer make decisions willy-nilly or according to other peoples’ expectations.
• Live a life of intention; a life with direction and purpose. This gives me greater resilience and peace in a world that’s changing, unpredictable and throws surprises or misfortune in the way. 
• Have clear goals and solid strategies to reach them.
• More quickly recognize my negative thoughts, limiting beliefs and fears, and have a variety of creative strategies for diffusing, using, or moving past them.  
• Know how to bring in help and extra support in my life, to help me grow and stay accountable.
• Got rid of a lot unhealthy stress in my life, as well several other bad habits.
• Am less of a perfectionist, and am more forgiving and loving toward myself.
• Practice daily habits that boost my energy, creativity, and well-being.
• Learned how to establish healthy boundaries.
• Feel a deeper spiritual connection to all that is beautiful and important in this life. 

No doubt that as the days and years go by, I will add to this list. I am learning more every day.

Before coaching, I vaguely wished for these things to happen in my life, especially, to have a fulfilling career, find love, be happy, and drop the habits that didn't help me. Yet I was unclear on what I wanted exactly and how to move forward.

By working with a coach, I learned how to articulate what I wanted and take steps toward it. Faster and more fully than if I had kept working at it alone.

How about you?

What's the most important thing you’ve learned recently about living your best life? What people, books or ideas helped you along the way?

P.S. If you’d like any of the changes I mentioned above in your own life and yet feel stuck, know that you can take one simple step today. Reach out by replying to this email or schedule a complimentary session to start the conversation.