Picture the scene…
It’s a Saturday night and two 30-something friends are a bottle of champagne down, and into the deep conversation! What do we want from life? What does and doesn’t work for us? We’ve always been each other’s therapists, and have had weekly catch ups for as long as I can remember (it’s not always with alcohol, may I add?). This was the perfect time to talk about coaching and mentoring to Sarah.
This was my opportune moment to test out coaching. I had enough champagne confidence as to not feel like a total idiot, and my friend was willing to be my guinea pig! Result!
Let me take you back a while…
I’ve been wanting to throw myself back into the learning game for a long time, but something has always stopped me. I think I’ve discussed in a previous post how I was accepted onto the MA in Creative Writing at Edinburgh University. For whatever reason, this did not happen. Hindsight makes me think that this was, in actual fact, a Godsend. I love writing, but is it my passion? Partially. My real passion is helping people. As a teacher, the best part of my job is seeing a student have their eureka moment. That moment when they get to where they want to be, when the progress is evident, is priceless. The part I love the most is helping someone realise that they can do something which they thought wasn’t possible.
I want to help people on a wider scale. I want to help other people like me, or people who are more lost than I’ve been, to realise their potential and to make their lives all that they deserve. Without doubt, I want to be a coach and a mentor. As fate would have it, my school offered a CPD session on coaching, and I am hooked! The excitement to learn the basics and to put my knowledge into practise with my colleagues is bubbling away. This better my own experiences and insights into my next steps- completing a certified coaching and mentoring certificate.
Coaching Inspiration
I’ve also recently discovered Cara Alwill Leyba, a master Life Coach from the USA. She’s amazing! Check her blog out here or get her books on Amazon (seriously, they’re game changers). I’m so excited about moving forward and developing my coaching skills. It’s something that I’ve considered for a long time, but always feared making the move to achieve my goals. Not any more. I cannot wait to start my training and begin learning new methods of helping people.
Back to the now (or Saturday night)…
Part of my homework from my first Coaching session at work was to test out the GROW method on someone at home.
Coaching: GROW model
My best friend, Sarah, agreed to help out and let me talk her through a problem. I’m not going into details, coach and client confidentiality and everything, but it was a huge success! My response to her was logical, wise and level-headed. I think I surprised her with my skills! Now, Sarah and I have benefitted from each other’s advice for years, but this was very different. Even with the fizz running through my veins, I was professional and give it my all. I think I surprised Sarah and made her realise how serious I am about becoming a coach and mentor. There was no embarrassment and I think I made her feel comfortable. I felt really good afterwards (and I’m pretty sure that my test subject did too)!
I’ve written this post to simply put my goal out there. I’m so excited to begin additional training and to start learning again. I can’t wait to share this journey with you all!
