Life Change Coaching
I work with people who want to change their lives! Arguably the biggest chunk of our lives is spent in our “job.” I define this as how we choose to contribute to our family and/or how we choose to support ourselves. This could take the form of someone who has chosen to leave the house every day to work a full time job. This could also take the form of someone who works in the home, whether that is parenting children, running a household, working remotely, or some combination of all of these things. My perspective on what I do is that I am so much more than a life coach, but also so much more than a career coach. This is why I consider myself a Life Transition Coach.
Digging deeper, I’m a career coach, but not only a career coach. I’m a career coach who takes a “life” perspective. So how is that different? As a society we often see our careers as part of ourselves and part of our identity. There is so much focus placed on careers. I can remember being at my son’s preschool graduation, where they asked every five year old, up on stage in front of the entire audience, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” When meeting people for the first time socially, the conversation inevitably leads to the question “so what do you do?” If you are proud of your chosen vocation, happy and content with where it has led you, this is a great question. You can take a breath and confidently share what you do with energy and enthusiasm.
When I talk to people and ask them WHY they do what they do, or how they made the decision to go into their particular line of work, the answer is varied. With such emphasis placed on our careers from a young age, it’s surprising to me that most people I talk to landed on their chosen profession by happenstance. They based this huge life decision upon what they thought was a good idea. They took the suggestions of others. They followed in the footsteps of a beloved relative, a favorite teacher, or a friendly neighbor. They may have had a conversation with their School Counselor and written an essay as a requirement for English class on their future endeavors. And sometimes, these reasons for choosing a career work out great! If you’re lucky, you land on a career path that fits your unique combination of skills, personality and interests. But what if you get there and it doesn’t fit?
Finding the right fit is where we start. Taking a deep dive into your skills, interests, personality and experiences will launch us into exploring potential paths and next steps. There could be something out there that you’ve never considered that might just be the perfect fit for you. Maybe it’s a big change you’re looking for. Maybe a slight shift in your current role is all that is needed to bring satisfaction. Maybe more training or education is needed to make it happen, but maybe it’s not. You won’t know the answers to these “maybes” until you explore what’s out there.
I recognize that changing careers in a big way is a risk. It’s a risk to jump out of that comfort zone of your current “good job'' to start the business you’ve always dreamed of. It’s scary to go back into the workforce after you have been working at home raising your babies. It can seem impossible to change directions after you’ve dedicated the time and energy to your current career. Even a smaller career shift, such as changing companies or applying for a promotion, are huge decisions. Having someone (such as me, Life Transition Coach) who is an objective sounding board to help you weigh the risks and rewards is extremely helpful. I will help you consider all of the possible paths you have in front of you, helping you look at all of the pros and cons of each path, and supporting you to make a decision.
And I don’t disappear after your decision is made. I support you in all areas of your life to help you have balance. I help you examine the areas of your life and how you want your career to fit into it. Everyone will have a different balance of family, recreation, health and work. When one area is out of whack, it trickles into the other areas of your life. That’s what creates that unsettled feeling that it’s time for a change. I will help you find the balance that works best for YOU.
