Written by: William Rees, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The Life Coaching field has grown tremendously over the past decade and yet it remains a widely misunderstood approach to activating personal and professional development. There’s unparalleled purity and power in the process that’s almost indescribable unless you’ve experienced it yourself.
To shed light on Certified Coaching’s unique impact, a longtime client of my Inspired Life and Career Coaching practice, Keylight, describes their own illuminating journey from skeptical uncertainty to clear-eyed confidence.
William: It’s been a while now but looking back, what was drawing you toward coaching initially? What were you in search of, Patrick?
Patrick: What I wanted from coaching was a little vague at first. I wanted to change, but I didn’t know what the change should be. I was thinking in broad terms related to direction and purpose. Any direction and purpose would work because I felt aimless at that point.
William: Like most new clients I consult with, you had never worked with a coach before and weren’t quite sure what to expect. What was your original concept about what partnering with a coach might look like?
Patrick: When I first thought about getting a coach I almost laughed off the idea. What could any coach tell me that I couldn’t just read in a book or watch in a video?
And I probably pictured a drill sergeant. Maybe a touchy-feely drill sergeant. I assumed a coach would tell me exactly what it is I wanted or what I should want for myself, and then tell me exactly all I would need to do to achieve that.
William: Well, I am many things for my clients but I am definitely not a drill sergeant, as you’ve come to know. That’s the opposite of what unlocks a client’s true gifts and power. So anyway then you took the big leap with me and we began our coaching adventure! What surprised you in our first sessions together?
Patrick: There was a kindness and a welcoming spirit that I really needed and appreciated. There was no judgment, although I didn’t fully notice that there was such a complete lack of judgment until after the fact.
We quickly began defining my central intention for my life. What do I want? The “I” was the keyword there. You weren’t even telling me what I should want. Nor were you ever leading me to where you thought I should be or where you thought I wanted to be. It always felt like I was being guided toward all the right and real answers I needed, but the guide was me always me!
As we talked about what was most important to me and how I wanted to feel in my life, my main goal suddenly stood solidly before me. I wanted to be creative and write again, and I wanted to tell my stories on stage.
It was an utter revelation in how dramatic it felt to finally say it out loud to another person, but it was also so familiar and natural to do so. I was rediscovering my core passions.
William: With that dream to tell your stories on stage crystallized, what did you begin realizing about what you might need to successfully bring that dream to life?
Patrick: Oh, that was definitely a process! Sometimes it was my mindset that needed to shift. For example, I tended to see everything as an either/or. I either succeed or I fail. Everything short of total success I would deem a complete failure. Shifting my mind to look for and celebrate new progress has given me room to grow and to start enjoying my life’s journey.
In other sessions, I just needed practical mapping of new action steps. Previously, it could be hard for me to identify what I needed to do next because of my default relationship with failure and then feeling overwhelmed. And so in the past, that would just cause me to quit. Coaching kept me inspired and moving forward.
William: How would you say we dealt with your various obstacles inside our coaching sessions?
Patrick: Because our sessions were always free of judgment that really helped me candidly say whatever my fears were rather than giving dismissive excuses or mentally avoiding them. Through our work together I’ve been learning to withhold my own judgment about fears or the moments when I’m getting stuck. There will still be inner and outer obstacles that pop up, but obstacles don’t instantly mean defeat to me anymore.
William: What rewards have your coaching adventure brought to you?
Patrick: I feel reconnected with myself. Seeking just any random direction from a drill sergeant coach or following someone else’s assigned goals would have left me feeling empty even if I had been successful with them. Even in our very first sessions, there were so many moments of feeling like “Wow, that’s me! This is me!” Like I was seeing the true me for the first time in a long time.
I started realizing that there have been many successes along the way and that I can draw on them for strength and inspiration rather than being bossed around or bullied by my fears.
And as far as my goal of telling my stories on stage, I began by joining writing workshops. I performed at online “story slams” to further hone my voice and my confidence. Then I had the chance to go on stage for The Moth’s Twin Cities StorySLAM, telling a favorite story of mine in front of a beautiful, sold-out theater. It felt like home my central intention was realized!
William: How has your coaching adventure shifted how you think about yourself and your role in the world?
Patrick: That my goals actually matter. Sounds so simple. But if I don’t value my goals or talents, why should anyone else?
Now I have so much more to share with friends and family. I’m not hiding behind an imitation of myself anymore. Being this new, unabashed version of myself makes my connections with everyone much more meaningful.
These details of Patrick’s journey reflect his unique gifts and goals, but the overall arc and insights he’s enjoyed are common among all of my Coaching clients. By activating the inherent wisdom within my clients in every session, I further empower them to quickly define and design their own best lives.
Looking to clearly define and design your own unique success stories? Learn more about Keylight Coaching’s poetic and powerful approach to personal development and book a Free Discovery Call call with ICF Accredited Coach William Rees at www.keylight.life.
William Rees, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
William Rees is a leading Career and Wellbeing Coach and the founder of Keylight, the top-tier coaching practice renowned for empowering individuals and duos to cast their endeavors in vibrant and visionary light. Drawing upon his two decades as an award-winning filmmaker, Rees instills a cinematic sense of adventure and wonder into the personal and professional pursuits of his diverse roster of clients. Honoring the idea that The Greatest Art Form is Life Itself, Keylight’s poetic and powerful approach to self-development quickly unlocks clarity and creativity for uniquely inspired living.
