How do I know if coaching is right for me?

Before deciding to work with a coach, it is often helpful to think about if coaching is a good fit for your needs. A coach can act as a thinking partner, cheerleader, and source of accountability for a wide variety of topics and goals. Below are some of the common reasons people seek out coaching.

You feel stuck. You may feel dissatisfied or immobile with different parts of your life, and are unsure how to make meaningful changes, identify what options you have, or find ways you can move forward. A coach can be a beneficial thinking partner to help you uncover why you may be feeling stuck, and explore different action steps to propel you forward. 

You are trying to make a big decision. You may be faced with a large decision, and struggling to choose the best option even after asking input from everyone else in the world and making many iterations of a pro/con list. Coaching can be a great way to find clarity within the decision making process, and provide continued support after the decision is made.

You are in transition. Approaching and moving through transitions can be an exciting and highly stressful time. There are usually a wide variety of factors involved, and feelings of both happiness and sadness as you grieve what you are leaving and embrace a new organization or phase in life. A coach is able to hold space for all thoughts and feelings related to transitions, and provide clarity and accountability for decisions that need to be made and actions that need to be taken as a part of the process. Coaching can also help you identify future transitions you are looking to make to move your career and life forward.

You feel misaligned. There may be times when you are dissatisfied with your work and/or life due to misalignment with your core values. You may not even know this is the case, but you experience increasing frustration and unhappiness because your environment does not represent or include those things that are most important to you. A coach can help you identify your core values, and then explore with you how  those values show up in your life and the ways you can make changes to be more aligned, leading to greater happiness and ease.

You need some accountability. You might be someone who works best with external accountability structures, or are entering a season where it would be helpful to have someone keep you on track for a long-term goal or project. Coaching sessions always end with action steps, and a coach can provide ongoing support and check-ins for accountability towards your chosen action items, leading to meaningful progress. 

You are looking for support with goals and habit-building. You may be looking to develop personal or professional goals, or build new habits and life practices to improve parts of your life. Coaching can help you clarify those goals, explore how those goals align with your values, and set up structures for meaningful progress. Your coach will also be a cheerleader along the way!

In general, individuals often seek out coaching to gain clarity and receive support around a variety of issues they are experiencing in their work and lives. What would be something you would want to explore in coaching? Feel free to comment below or send me an email at corron.amy@gmail.com!