Coaching through Transitions and Challenges

Here’s why I love coaching especially coaching people through transitions and challenges!

Personally, I’ve navigated a number of transitions with my own life and have always found the process enlightening and challenging. Every time I went through a transition, I came through it stronger, more motivated, and a better version of myself. 

Transitions teach us about ourselves first and foremost. Navigating change and figuring out our next steps is no easy feat. The most exciting thing to me about coaching is when someone walks away from our conversation feeling inspired to take action towards the life they want to live.

I believe strongly in our ability to create our own reality, to attract what we want and manifest our desires. Helping others to create their vision and take steps towards that reality is so fulfilling. 

Having a community and guide along the journey can help keep us grounded, in sight of our vision, optimistic, and empowered to take inspired actions. I’ve been coaching others for about four years now and love asking deep questions that help people tap into their own inner wisdom.

Some questions I like to ask myself and others going through transitions are:

> What does the vision of my ideal life look and feel like?

> What’s really holding me back? Is it fear? Worry? Guilt?

> What would inspired action look and feel like?

When we face obstacles and challenges along the way I ask people to stay curious. Instead of reacting or getting frustrated, ask yourself questions about what is happening. 

Questions like:

> How does this challenge make me feel? Why do I feel that way? Are my expectations out of alignment? Am I being distracted from reaching my goal?

> What is this challenge teaching me or telling me? 

Listening to your body and emotions, tuning into your intuition are the best data points we can use to help us overcome challenges. Oftentimes we feel a certain way because of an unmet expectation, or a boundary that has been crossed. It's our choice what story we tell ourselves about what is actually happening when challenges arise.

For example, I got fired from my job at an advertising agency when I was 24 years old. I was angry at first. Thinking, “why did they do that”, but then I started listening and getting curious asking myself more questions. The reality was that I didn’t like working there and wanted to quit, they just beat me to the punch. So then I started asking myself, “what do I really want to do?”- I wanted to help people, I wanted to travel, I didn’t want to work in a cubicle at a 9-5, and I didn’t want contribute to consumerism. This line of questioning and thought led me to the Peace Corps!

About eight months after being fired I was on a plane to the South Pacific where I would be living for the next two years. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life and led me ultimately to what I do today. If I had never been fired from that job, I may have never made that transition into an entirely different career field, had a life changing experience, founded a nonprofit, and started coaching others.