Why It’s Finally Time for Your First Coaching Session

Does it seem like everyone you know is either becoming a coach or is working with one? Are you curious about whether or not you could benefit from coaching? Are you even sure what coaching is? What has prevented you from learning more? Are you finally ready?

There is a lot of information out there that tries to explain what coaching is and how it works (click HERE), but all the blog posts in the world can’t truly explain the transformative process of coaching. In order to really understand it, you need to experience it, because coaching is both a personal and a unique process. It is outcome-focused (which most people can understand) but it is simultaneously process-focused, and it is challenging- if not impossible- to explain exactly what that process is like. There is a method and philosophy to coaching, of course, but what happens during sessions is largely contingent on the client, the coach and the relationship between the two. Each person’s experience is unique and as a result, each person’s coaching experience is necessarily unique.

There are those who consider coaching fluffy, soft or touchy-feely, but this could not be further from the truth. When effective, coaching facilitates transformative change. It is challenging, thought-provoking and soul-searching. It is hard work and it is often uncomfortable. This is by design. For true change to occur, we must challenge our long-held thoughts and beliefs. It takes great strength to undertake this process, and it is this strength that will get you where you want to go. But you have to commit to the process and to yourself. You have to believe you are worth it.

There are those who will say that seeking help is sign of weakness. Perhaps they are the ones who are completely self-sufficient, self-disciplined and able to accomplish all things on their own. More power to them! For the rest of us, we recognize that no (wo)man is an island, and that collaboration and partnership take us far deeper than we could ever go on our own. Soliciting the support of others requires a deep understanding and humility regarding our interdependence. We begin to see how effective it can be to be held accountable by not only ourselves but by someone who has committed to walk the journey with us. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and honest, we see how often and how emphatically we get in our own way, and how someone else can help us not only realize this, but start to overcome it. When we understand how important it is to have someone in our proverbial corner who supports us and believes in us and reminds of our greatness when we lose sight of it, we allow ourselves the opportunity to grow and heal. Coaching offers all of this and more.

It is important for you to understand that you, the client, are in charge of this whole thing. Coaches are not consultants you pay to give their expert opinion. Instead, coaching espouses the belief that you are resourceful, creative and whole, and that you have everything you need to become who you want to become and achieve what you want to achieve. In order to get there, you are the one who will do all of the heavy lifting. You will set the agenda each session. You will do the work in between sessions. You will choose your goals and ultimately the ways in which you achieve them. And this is precisely why it works. People are naturally resistant to others telling them what to do, even when they are paying them to do so. When you come up with your own agenda and your own solution, you will naturally be more bought in with a greater chance of sustained success.

Most people want their lives to be better. The problem is, most people don’t recognize their own power in making the changes they seek. Most don’t know where to start. This is where coaching comes in. To partner with someone who will help you, challenge you, support you and encourage you to reach the goals you want to reach and make your life better. How cool is that!

And it works. Study after study has shown the success of coaching in any number of areas in both the personal and professional realms. The goal itself is not what determines success. It is your decision and commitment to yourself that will get you there. Once you choose to invest in yourself, what can possibly stop you?

As a coach, I am obviously bought into the power and potential of coaching. I work with my own personal coach once a week and can’t imagine how I would be where I am or how I will get to where I want to go without her.

So I encourage you, if you are at all curious, to satisfy your curiosity and give coaching a try. Many coaches (including this one!) offer an introductory session for free for just this reason. We know the power that coaching has and we want you to benefit from it. Take advantage of the many coaches who offer free sessions and shop around. Find one you feel good about. Know that many coaches specialize and that you can likely find a coach whose expertise is exactly what you are looking for. A single session will not be enough to fully capture what the journey ahead will be like but it will give you an opportunity to experience the process and envision how it can help you get to where you want to go. With all the potential for positive change and growth, isn’t it worth 30 minutes of your time?

I won’t pretend that coaching is a fit for everyone, but I can say- confidently- that if you want to make your life better, if you are ready to put in the work and you are willing to take accountability for yourself, coaching can support you in ways you may have not even imagined. If you are ready to invest in yourself, I encourage you to make that first phone call and see how coaching can help you. I am happy to answer any and all questions you have.