My story
You don’t just wake up one day and decide to become a life coach. It is the result of a journey.
It is the journey we all go through - growing up. It is full of learning and challenges. It is when we establish mindsets and behaviours as we learn to relate to others and make our way in the world. As I reached adulthood I found myself trying to fit the mold that says I should know what I want to be when I grow up. I know now that “what you want to be” actually means “what you want to do for a job” which is just one aspect of what we should consider. We should aspire to find a satisfying, fulfilling and balanced life and not focus just on what you want to “do for a living”. I eventually found a corporate career which I was good at but I used the long hours, the travel and the relentless pressure to avoid so much of my own life. I stuck with my career for 20 years, I was promoted often, developed a multitude of skills, made friends for life and had a great time. I justified being there but I never loved it. And in the quiet of night (you know, that time when you should be sleeping but your brain is in overdrive) I often felt hollow because I had forgotten to take care of myself and I had never stopped to figure out what was important to me.
I have travelled extensively – sometimes with only a standby ticket, sometimes in the luxury of first class. I have carried my tent and backpack across continents. I have screwed up exams and earned a masters degree. I have worked for charities and proved myself as an IT project manager. I’ve managed teams and complex corporate change and yet I struggled to make changes in my own life.
I have had my fair share of adventure, heart ache and deeply profound challenges but through being coached myself I can now embrace all that life is, foster resilience and authenticity and seek meaning and balance in the life that I want. I have learnt to take time to think about these things, to have a growth mindset, to set myself goals and not to let procrastination or doubt stop me from taking action.
I have discovered that all the things I have done do not define me and that it is my intent and action going forward that is more important. I believe that each one of us is creative, resourceful and whole and that the coping mechanisms we have may not necessarily be the best responses for us anymore. Our limiting beliefs can be rewritten to become empowering thoughts. We can tap into our innate creativity and resourcefulness to find solutions for ourselves and it’s ok to pursue a life of happiness, balance and fulfillment.
Some of the skills and experience I bring to my coaching:
accredited diploma in transformational coaching
accredited certificate in group coaching
accredited certificate in corporate coaching
accredited certificate in positive psychology
20 years corporate experience
foundations of psychotherapy
natural curiosity
an empathetic, non-judgmental approach
a safe, confidential space for my clients
a calm, level-headed approach
humour
a desire to work with people in a meaningful way
I am passionate about:
Having something to work towards, no matter how big or small
Empowering people to take ownership of their lives
Living authentically
Understanding your own values and how they impact you
How introverts can thrive in a world so often set up for extroverts
Seeing my clients having those “lightbulb” moments
Coaching!