Feel the fear… do it anyway!

Coaching is TERRIFYING.

It takes so much emotional bravery to sit down with someone and share your inadequacies, your limitations, and your growth areas.

When I finally committed to coaching and began my business, I was terrified. I had no confidence in myself, felt like I was questioning myself left and right, and was uncertain if I would ever feel secure in my role.

It wasn’t until about a year into my practice that things began to click, and I attribute much of the change to a conversation I had with a client. Her name was Lisa, and she had come to me wanting to set more goals surrounding her work performance and start chugging toward a promotion. In one of our sessions, she said to me “I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.”. Without thinking, I replied, “You know, me either!”. I was horrified - how could I have revealed to a client that I’m insecure in my role too? Lisa’s eyes widened and she asked me if that was true, and hesitantly I confirmed it. She lit up and inquired, “Does anyone ever really know what they’re doing?”. I pondered her question and realized that in every interaction I have ever had with a working professional, there is some level of “free fall” to it all. No one is ever 100% sure what they’re doing - but uncertainty doesn’t mean that someone is doing a bad job, or that they’re inadequate in their role.

This conversation with Lisa helped her work toward her goals, but it also invigorated me as a coach; it helped me understand that my uncertainty, in no way meant that I wasn’t ready, or that I wasn’t going to be effective for my clients. It meant, and still means, that I’m human and that I want to do right by my clients.

Now I walk into 1-2-1 sessions with confidence - knowing that even though I may not know exactly what I’m doing, I care deeply and will do my best for my clients. When I work with parents, groups, or teens, I know that even if I haven’t had much experience with their specific issue, there are other areas of my knowledge that I can work to apply to the situation at hand.

My confidence has grown so much that I have dipped into the speaking world as well, and on April 20th I am speaking to the entire Fairfax County School District - I’ve attached the flyer below if you’re interested in checking it out! If my baby-coaching self could see me now, she’d be thrilled.

If you find yourself relating to me, or my fear as a new coach, or even uncertainty as a seasoned one, schedule a free consultation with me! Let’s chat about the fear of failure; a wise man once said the only thing to fear is fear itself.