(audio version available at the end of this blog)

Recently I completed a blog series on the ten reasons why coaches fail at a full-time career.  I appreciate the emails from readers who have been affected by my point of view.

One of those emails asked, “Why did you become a coach in the first place?”

If you read my blogs consistently (and thanks for doing that), you will find answers like, “I love to help people reach their goals,” and “I love to do well by doing good,” etc.

And then I thought that I have never really answered this question in a way that explains my passion for coaching and how I believe it is the best modality for changing lives and creating flourishing businesses.

Most importantly, I have never recounted my personal coaching journey.

My Coaching Story

Several years ago I experienced a great deal of pain after a breakup I frankly did not see coming.  I experienced lows I never thought possible.  It eclipsed the pain I felt when my parents divorced, when my charismatic and loving mom passed away in my early 20s, and when my very dear grandmother died a few years after that.

I did not know what to do or where to turn.  To make matters much worse I was living a frenetic life at the time, stuck on the treadmill of achievement without any focus on my overall health and well-being.  I lived to work and for my partner and most aspects of the work I was doing were not particularly rewarding.

And so when my post-breakup sadness became overwhelming I went to see a therapist.  I had no idea finding a good therapist was as hard as finding a soul mate!  Her “this is the likely disorder you suffer from” vantage point turned my stomach and whisked me farther down my sad spiral.

Next I tried group therapy.  I figured I had nothing to lose.  I thought perhaps I was “broken” and being with other “broken” people might help me find some answers.

In the room were twelve people who used the sessions to complain about every problem that brought them to the brink of disaster.  Now I get why people vent.  However, research shows that venting for the sake of venting is unhelpful.  We must seek to reappraise the past experience and our present lives in an effort to learn and grow from it.

And our group therapy facilitator did not hold people accountable for their own well-being.  In short, no one was taking responsibility for anything.  I got up, and asked myself, “When is it the right time to stop blaming others for our pain?”

Right now.

Soon after the pain lifted (with the help of a wonderful therapist) I began my journey of emotional and physical health and healing.

My future seemed nebulous and a bit scary at first.  But I knew my new life would involve both consistent responsibility and consistent experimentation and I wanted to share that ethic with others.

And when I had lunch one day with a former student of mine (way back when, I taught the social sciences), she reminded me how my classes were much more concerned with the personal and professional development of my students than in the nitty gritty details of the subject matter.

She asked me if I ever considered coaching?  Coaching?  You mean like football? I really had no idea such a field existed.

So I learned everything I could about life and business coaching, got certified and started seeing clients immediately.  Let me be clear, it was not love at first sight, but I soon realized I was born to coach . . . it just took me forty years to realize it.

And the best part?  The unintended consequence of my heartache and employment crisis was this introduction to my life’s work.  Don’t you just love positive unintended consequences?

I am a coach because I believe in helping clients see what is right in their lives.  I am a coach because I love to help clients formulate a roadmap for their success that ensures goals are met while emotional and physical well-being are both enhanced.  I am a coach to encourage clients to take responsibility for their own lives.  And finally, I am a coach who motivates clients to live a life of healthy experimentation.

It’s my passion and thanks to my amazing clients I get to make a living doing what I love.  Thanks!

Interested in coaching?  Check out this blog series to determine if coaching is right for you . . .

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You are Not Depressed, Too Busy, or Into Instant Gratification

Coaching is Right for You If . . . Life is Not What You Imagined

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You Want to Start Something

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You Want to End Something

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You are in the Thick of It

Coaching is Right for You If . . . Goals Matter

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You Want to Practice Happiness

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You Want Health

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You Want to Play to Your Strengths

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You are Making Stupid Decisions Part I

Coaching is Right for You If . . . You are Making Stupid Decisions Part II

—

If you have any questions about coaching please feel free to contact me at scott@kineticcoaching.co, and remember I always offer a complimentary 30-45 minute session to prospective clients to determine if we want to work together.