As a coach, I work with people who want to achieve their dreams, who long for a life that has purpose and meaning, and who want to make a difference in the world. However, having great intentions is not always the direct path to success. Some people feel stuck, wondering if they’ve made the right choice or knowing they made the wrong choice but not knowing how to get out of it. Others are just plain bored and wonder, “Is this is all there is?” Still others have a strong Inner Critic that totally undermines their good ideas with self-criticism and doubt.

Some people need a guide (a coach) to help them find clarity or to discover what has caused them to stumble. They need a coach to help them sort through the options and create a plan to allow their dreams to come true. Some people need a coach to guide them in discovering what they really want and how to uncover their dreams.

My clients often come to me with what appears to be a single problem but as we coach they improve several areas of their lives because they are all connected. It might be a personal problem or something about their career. Relationships get stressed when careers are frustrating. Careers get undermined by low self esteem. Personal satisfaction is derailed by an uninteresting career. Do you recognize yourself anywhere—maybe even everywhere?

Career

Achieving success while having a life Many people think that the only path to success is to work long hours. Those people give up their lives. It may be they don't have a life or they are avoiding what life they do have. Or it may be they really have a live or want a life but have defeated themselves by thinking they can't succeed without slavery to their job. Finding a balance between work and family is tightrope walking. When one aspect of your life far outweighs the others, you cause friction with people you love! You increase your stress, you lose sight of your goals, you forget what has heart and meaning. You often live in disorganization, feel like there’s not enough money, not enough time, not enough stuff and you create conflict with your family and friends. You court burnout.

Having a career that enhances your life Many people search out a coach when they are unhappy with their career. It might be the boss or it might be the worksite or it might be that you've simply chosen a career that isn't aligned with your values or life purpose. It’s hard to leave a job even though you hate your boss or are bored to distraction by the work. The security of the known feels so much safer than pursuing the unknown, but often its a trap. Possibly you are not doing work that you totally enjoy and are very skillful at, which means your daily tasks are uninteresting or frustrating. You feel locked into doing tasks that are not your strong suit in the first place so that everything is a struggle. You feel overwhelmed or like you are just about to be fired. When you are out-of-sync with your job, you think you are too busy, too overwhelmed, or too unsettled to look for another job.

Missing your dream Possibly you’ve always know you should have been a ________, but you took a different path and you’ve have regretted it every since. Does it seem inconceivable to change paths even though that’s exactly what you long to do. Have you given up on feeling fulfilled and settled for the path of least resistance? Do you see others who have realized their dreams and think you can’t do it?

Personal

Discovering or pursuing life purpose Some people know they are here in this life for a purpose but haven’t found a way to incorporate it into their lives. Others haven’t a clue and feel their life is meandering through a series of events and relationships that have no meaning. Life feels meaningless and leaves one wondering, “Is this all there is?”  Sometimes life becomes one shopping event after another and be it new shoes or new cars, nothing is really satisfying once you get it home.

Recovering self esteem  Some people have such a severe Inner Critic that they always feel like a failure or just one step away from disaster. They see themselves as less-than others and unworthy to want anything much less to actually have what they want. When good things happen they think it’s because of good luck. They can’t set boundaries and consequently, people often take advantage of them. Sometimes they take it out on someone weaker than they are. They are generally unhappy and feeling in a rut.

Lost or missed goals Seemingly without a compass to guide them, some people drift from one thing to another, or they stay stuck in a continuous loop of sameness. They feel dull and lifeless, without enthusiasm for anything that has heart and meaning and therefore have trouble making decisions about anything. The flip side of this is they become obsessive about some aspect of life and seem to have blinders about any thing or any one else. They plunge ahead without thought and if they happen to achieve success it’s accompanied by a sense of futility.

Law of Attraction You know what you want but somehow it’s been elusive. You have big dreams or goals but self criticism and doubt take over. You find yourself wishing and wanting, constantly yearned for something that never happens.

Relationships

Improving a relationship After a few years of being together, many couples find the romance is gone. They get bored. They blame and criticize or completely ignore the person who at one time seemed like a dream come true. Sometimes they find the very thing that was so attractive, now irritates them. Communications get jumbled or derailed. Tempers flare or smolder. Conversations get snippy or are just absent. The relationship needs to bloom again.

Ending a relationship When a relationship is over, or nearly so, how do you end it with grace and respect, especially when children are involved? How do you stay true to yourself and be able to tell the truth without belittling or demoralizing the other person? What do you do with your anger and hurt feelings? How do you transition to being alone without being lonely? Many people make the same mistakes relationship after relationship (She’s too needy, he’s dominating, she spends too much money, he’s a flirt) and the problems keep recycling regardless of who they choose.

Blaming and Criticizing Do you keep a mental list of all the things others do wrong? Are most of your interactions a kind of litany about what wasn’t done or how it was done incorrectly?  Do you criticize everyone—no one could live up to your expectations? Are you so busy grumbling that you make yourself miserable? ? Do you feel miserable or hopeless most of the time as though happiness slipped out the door when you weren’t looking?

While I’ve listed many areas of concern for my clients, usually it’s one key issue that brings them into coaching. Since all aspects of our lives are necessary to create the whole being, it isn’t surprising that someone who wants coaching about changing careers ends up wanting support about his or her relationship and sense of self-esteem.

Now that you have a better idea about who I work with, you might want to see the next section about the results I get and how I work.

How I Work