The Fun of Figuring It Out: Life Coaching
Figuring it Out
Before I truly began to map out what taking a sabbatical might really look like for me, I hit a wall. Coming off a journey of chronic stress had me feeling chronically stuck. I had a lot of “hows” and “what ifs” swirling around in my mind, but this time around I was committed to ease. I chose not to figure it out on my own. I decided to get help, because the truth is I have never in my life associated figuring it out with fun. Never. I mean I have always been good at change and figuring things out, but I usually do not enjoy it. Transitioning has always been very frustrating for me, but I could always make it look good. Some would call that masking. While it’s been a skill that has helped me accomplish many wonderful things, it’s a skill I want to retire for now. I have learned the hard way that if you use this skill for too long the price you pay is disconnection from self. A price that is much too steep in a life that flies by too fast.
If I’m honest I could say that it took me forever to quit my job for reasons like money or commitment to my job, but one of the biggest reasons was that I had no clue of what I would do with myself. I didn’t like making moves without having another plan in place. I don’t know if you believe in God or not, but I do and let me tell you — God had been telling me to quit my job and rest. Rest??? That made zero sense to me. So, in typical Kelley fashion, I was like well how do I know if it’s God? If this is a question you’re struggling with too the best way I could describe knowing it was God is that it was exactly that a “knowing.” It was something that I couldn’t shake, and the more I prayed the more the answer was the same. Quit. Rest. So that’s kind of what I did. I mean as burnt out as I was, you’d think rest would be welcomed, but, yeah no. I was used to being a doer, and I wanted to know what was next. I knew I had made the right decision, but now what was I supposed to do? Then, I got the email: “My final coaching offer of the Year: Unlock Your Potential.” I signed up and I can truly say. I am not the same.
Unlock Your Potential With Myleik
Let me preface this by saying I’m going to tell you how life coaching went for me. I think what the process actually looks like looks different for everyone even if it’s with the same coach. With that being said, let me start by telling you specifically why I chose to do life coaching with Myleik. I have been following Myleik, the founder of Curlbox, on Instagram for years. I’ve always admired her. To me, she embodies truly embracing whatever season you’re in. That, for me, is the goal of life. Seeing how she moved after Curlbox ended is what confirmed that I wanted to work with her. She made it clear that she was in a season of rest – a season I knew I was headed into. The chance to work with her had come multiple times, but it just never seemed to be the right time. When I got the email in November, literally a couple of weeks after I quit my job, I knew it was time. So, for my new year, instead of vision boarding into some random direction I started working with Myleik. I signed up for six sessions, and we started in January.
Behind the Scenes of Life Coaching
The six coaching sessions were conducted weekly online. We met for an hour each session. Sessions included exploration of goals, guided activities, and assignments. If I had to sum up our sessions I would say this – the Kelley before 6 weeks with Myleik and the Kelley after are not the same. I wanted someone who worked from a space of being straightforward, soft, but also practical. I wanted someone who could give me something I could grasp now, not eventually. Life coaching for me was grounding and transformative. It was a call to come back to myself.
I told Myleik in one of my coaching sessions that people often come to me to help them “get off of the ceiling,” and that’s exactly what she did for me. Each week we peeled back a layer and restructured the foundation. When we were done my foundation was level again. It was a delicate balancing of mindset, perspective, and practices. Myleik worked from a place of meeting me where I was, helping me to sort through what I no longer needed, and adding in tools for the season of life I am in now. Life coaching allowed me to create a safe space for myself to explore and be creative again without the need for perfection. It has allowed me to let go of being a “hard worker” so that I can be intentional in the work that I decide to do.
Aha Moments
We need recovery for reconnection.
One of the things that life coaching highlighted for me was just how disconnected I had become from myself. While discussing my need for rest and how to truly incorporate it into my days in a sustainable we got on the topic of recovery. Hearing that term made a light bulb go off for me. I had the “aha” moment that I needed rest for restoration, but I also needed recovery to reconnect with myself. Over the years of experiencing chronic stress and staying in a space that I may have needed to come out of sooner, I felt like I had gotten a bit out of tune with trusting my intuition. I needed to remember how to just be and how to trust my gut again. I decided to approach reconnection with myself in one of the simplest ways I knew how – through my five senses. This led me on a journey I didn’t even know I needed. I’ll be sharing more with you about some of the things I did to reconnect with myself.
You’re Not Starting from Scratch
Another ‘aha’ moment I experienced in life coaching was truly honoring the season of life I just came out of. When we leave something that may have felt traumatic or even toxic, we might only have negative feelings about it. Myleik helped me to remember to not only honor those seasons, but who I was in those seasons. She helped me reframe my perspective to see that it wasn’t all bad. Doing this work helped me not beat myself up about taking so long to decide to leave. It helped me turn what felt like failure into celebration. This also allowed me to stop feeling like I had just thrown everything away and helped me realize I wasn’t starting over from scratch, but I was starting over with a set valuable set of skills and tools that could I could use on any path I choose.
Would I Recommend Life Coaching
Yes, absolutely! I feel like women deserve to have every support possible. I think it’s important to note that life coaching is not therapy, but it is a tool meant to help you grow. If you are in a space in your life where you just made a big change or are about to make a big change then I would say that life coaching is for you. Life coaching will likely be an investment so make sure you do your research, read testimonials, and even reach out to the life coach you’re considering for more information before making a financial commitment.
Life after Life Coaching
Life after life coaching has been freeing. I have been able to build my days around sustainable routines and truly explore what I want life to look like moving forward. I no longer worry about what I should be doing. My focus is more on creating a healthy foundation based around my health. I am able to see way more paths that are available to me. Nothing really seems off limits. If I have an idea I focus on momentum and not perfection. I’m becoming friends with “failure” and quitting. I’m taking more risks, because I know that action leads to data and the more data you have the quicker you can decide your next steps.
