The topic of mindfulness often is considered as only meditation or breathe work, but it is possible to bring awareness to the present moment in more practical ways. I invited one of my coaching clients Harold to share his personal experience, insights and what he felt the impact coaching was for him.
WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL GOING INTO YOUR COACHING SESSIONS?
Clarity. Amy’s program is Inside Out Action, which helps to sweep away the dust covering our hearts to help us see a clearer picture. This program works best for individuals who are open to alternative ways to approach what’s troubling them. Instead of looking harder at the outside world, Amy taught me to take a step back to look deeper into myself for the answers. Of course, this is easier said than done!
WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF COACHING BEFORE THE SESSIONS STARTED?
I wasn’t sure what to expect. We had our first session on a lazy Sunday afternoon, which made the setting less formal and more relaxed. The session started really organically and smoothly, which surprised me a bit. I was expecting to have to go through everything that had been going on in my life, but we went with the flow to eventually dig deeper into my issues without forcing them to the surface.
As much as it was called career coaching, it came down to learning more about myself, starting from my interests to my personality, and from there we discovered what impact these had on my professional development.
Through the sessions, I learnt more about myself. For example, I realised that I tended to stay away from situations or jobs that I felt didn’t immediately fit me or made me uncomfortable. This meant I was making career choices that weren’t right for me. For example, once out of desperation to land a job, I went for an interview for an accounting role, although this had no relations to my background, interest or goals. You can imagine how that interview went!
Despite being an alternative way to view my personal development, the coaching was practical in making me better in figuring things out. By listening more to our inner voice, you start to realise what really fits you. The sessions were not long but we were quick to get to the root of issues and emotions to figure things out.
HOW DID MINDFULNESS FIT INTO THE COACHING SESSIONS?
Amy showed me how mindfulness can help you improve your listening expertise - listening both to yourself and others. By being more mindful, I can now consistently be more aware of myself and my goals, which helps me to make quicker and better decisions in life. Like, when recruitment agents contact me about job opportunities, I can now quickly make a decision by tapping into my awareness of my own preferences and feelings about the job role and company profile. I am no longer making snap decisions that don’t work for me in the long-term.
This awareness also has led me to be more mindful about self care. This can be simple, as little as a tea break in between work. The day goes by easier when I am able to remind myself to pause and reset myself.
Good coaching is commonly celebrated among all sports, for example in the NBA in basketball. Yet the coaching of arguably the most important body part in the modern world - the brain, is rarely talked about. It does help when you find the right coach though, and Amy’s caring heart that stands out to make magic happen. I’ve been impressed and surprised by my wonderful coaching journey. It’s been a powerful tool to create a better me.
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