I find it fascinating every time, as a coach, to witness the power of coaching and to (be able to) be the catalyst in this process. For example, this week I saw and heard about the transformation one of my clients went through during her coaching journey. She gave permission to tell this story. She said to me that now she can’t imagine how, until a few months ago, she could completely throw herself into her work, virtually losing sight of herself, her family and friends. She thought her work was her everything. After saying goodbye to her employer and entering this coaching program, she found, to her surprise, that she could very easily let go of the work she was doing. She also discovered that her work was not really that important and that other things mattered just as much or were even more important. How did she find this out? During the coaching sessions we identified, among other things, which values in her work and life were really important to her.
Personal values are the foundation
Values, in fact, indicate who we are. Are in life right now. They are very personal and each person gives their own meaning and interpretation to them. These values serve as part of the personal compass that indicates what it means to be true to yourself. Important decisions in life can be made more consciously and address themselves in a grounded way when clear personal values are underlying them. We use values to make conscious and satisfying choices, to recognize situations in which personal values are at stake, and to take appropriate action. Very many people are not aware of what their personal values are so they are also unaware of what their personal compass is.
Elements of a personal compass
A personal compass consists of more elements besides personal values, such as what do you want to achieve in your life and what impact do you want to have on others, the environment and the world and what beliefs belong to that. This gives much more direction and meaning to the choices you make in your further life and work.
Growth in personal leadership
At the beginning of the coaching process, it was not very clear to my client what her passion was. During the coaching sessions she discovered what her passion really is, what her qualities are, what meaning she wants to give to her work and what impact she has and wants to have on herself, her environment and the world. It became increasingly clear to my client what kind of work she really wants to do, where she can follow her passion and keep the balance between work and family. Now she can take steps with full conviction, grounded and a large dose of self-confidence to realize her dream work.
She told me that she can’t imagine her old situation anymore, doesn’t want to and can’t go back. She has gone through a transformation. Just like a caterpillar pupates and the pupa turns into a beautiful butterfly. And she is not the only client of mine going through this. Awesome to be able to be the catalyst as a coach and help make this kind of transformation possible!
Do you also want to discover your values, what impact you have and want to have on others and grow personally? Then contact me for an orientation conversation (free of charge).
