Over the past few years, I have met many people who are open to the idea of getting a coach but because they’ve never worked with one, they are hesitant to take the leap. Being a coach myself and having been coached by several professionals, I wanted to share a list of situations that are good to bring to coaching. Here are the 8 common topics a coach could help you with.

You have lost clarity

There used to be a time where you knew what you were doing, why you were doing it, and where it would bring you, but now it’s all a bit blurry. There are many reasons why this now feels uncertain and vague: unexpected changes happen, new information come to you, opportunities arise, etc. Working with a coach will help you gain clarity again.

You feel like you are on autopilot

You recently became aware that you live most days on autopilot, where your behaviours and thoughts are automatically set by a routine that hasn’t changed in a while. It’s more than just waking up at the same time every day. It’s also the way you organise your day at work, how you approach the same meetings, how you work with the same people, following the same patterns. As a result of these automatic behaviours, you might feel like you are not in control anymore. A coach will help you create mindful habits, be more in the present, so you can choose your response instead of an automatic one.

You want to learn

You would like to learn more about yourself, bring skills you already have to higher standards or simply develop new ones to be more successful in what you do. Coaching is a learning process where the coach will support you build awareness and will give you additional resources to complete your personal and professional toolkit.

You have tried different things that didn’t really work out…

You are aware of the situation and how it makes you feel, so you have tried to change a few things, adjust your behaviours and see things with a different perspective. You might have started meditating to be more mindful, or you might have read a few books or looked for tips online. You applied a few of the things you learned but they haven’t been successful. A coach will challenge your thinking and bring you to the core of what you need to change. They will focus on what works for you, not for the majority of people.

… Or you procrastinate

You don’t always have to be a serial procrastinator to push things back to later. Even proactive people sometimes don’t want to deal with situations they think will be hard. The truth is that it usually takes a bigger toll on you to have something pending at the back of your head than actually handling it to get rid of it. It could even be that getting a coach is the thing you are procrastinating about! Think about the impact it has on you, on your mood, your stress level, and your happiness. If it’s relevant, consider taking an action today or this week to finally relieve the pressure.

You feel like you could do better, more or differently

You don’t quite know what and how, but you feel like there is more out there for you, or you are not your real self. This is a gut feeling worth exploring with a professional coach. You’ll be able to label what exactly makes you feel that way, and explore the options you have to handle the situation and take action.  

You want to change your approach

You recently came to the conclusion that it’s not just one specific thing that needs to change, but it’s your overall approach. By “approach” we mean the way you look at and perceive things around you, the way you live your life or your attitude at work; basically your MO – your modus operandi. But where do you even start? This is the perfect example of something to bring to a coach. They will support you understand how to change your MO to best fit who you are and help you reach your goals.

You are in a transition (or about to)

You recently changed job or company, or you moved to a new city or country, or you are about to go through a bit change. The change of routine and the need to adjust can be daunting and harder than what it seems. A coach will help you feel confident, they will connect you to the reason this change is happening, and they will support you create new habits that will make you successful in your new life.