How does coaching work? I asked that question six years ago when I was considering hiring my own life coach. I was working three part-time jobs and starting a rigorous nursing program at the time, and I was at my wits end.
A year pre-pandemic, I still had struggles with staying motivated towards my goals. I had doubts that my goals were even authentic to what I wanted. Have you ever been there? You end up working hard towards something, sometimes for months and years at a time, only to feel uncertainty about whether or not you actually wanted the result? Kind of like hitting the gas and the brakes at the same time- also exhausting.
It was at this time in my life I struggled with so many limiting beliefs, so many false stories I told myself about my own potential for success, results, and satisfaction day to day. My biggest struggle, and one I still am working on today, was the belief that “suffering equals success.” This lie was in the background of many pursuits I embarked on, even my more creative and fun endeavors. I constantly felt pressure, like there was never enough time in the day. I also felt like I could never give something my full effort, because I feared I would end up suffering too much.
Hiring a coach helped me perform the mental archeology necessary to extract and examine exactly where these limiting beliefs came from. The funny thing was, whenever I examined one of these limits directly, they would usually lose their potency after about a week. I would feel lighter on my feet, more resilient, more encouraged on my path forward.
This process proved to be exactly what I needed to get me through nursing school, and carried with me to my time as a critical care nurse during the pandemic. How do you know if Coaching is what you need right now, or whether you need a different type of support such as therapy or medical advice?
First, you should have a working definition of what a coach is: someone who supports your highest self with unconditional positive regard, and will encourage you, challenge you, and dive deep at the root of your most persistent limits to help you break through them and actualize your full potential in a wide range of areas. I utilized coaching initially to see better academic results, but I quickly discovered the coaching process applied so widely to my relationships, my fitness, my overall mental fortitude for life’s challenges; I soon began to see the self-improvement butterfly effect.
It is important to remember that working with a coach is not the same as working with a licensed therapist. A therapist may prescribe, diagnose a behavioral problem or condition, or dive into past traumas and conduct therapeutic approaches with their client.
A coach, on the other hand, is more forward focused. Approaches used in coaching may feel therapeutic, but are not intended to replace medical advice or licensed therapy should a more clinical approach to issues exist.
Think of hiring a coach like hiring a second brain, an accountability partner with proactive approaches designed to fast-forward you to the results and lifestyle you want most. If you are ready to hit the gas, ditch the brakes, and invest in yourself. Sign up today and start walking the Path of Resilience!
