Real Life Coaching is a series of Q&A's with real-life coaching clients. Read first-hand accounts of the issues that bring people to coaching, what they got out of their life-coaching experiences, and how they’ve transformed.
With newly diagnosed medical conditions, Sophia came to life coaching in an effort to better manage and understand her health. Confused and overwhelmed by information from both Western medicine and holistic health practitioners, Sophia turned to life coaching to bring about clarity and action. She was also looking to have much-needed structure and support as she began her journey to improved health.
What brought you to integrative life coaching?
I’ve always been a seeker. What brought me to life coaching was a natural drive for wellness, improvement, forward momentum, and my health. When I separated from my husband and moved out on my own and quit my job, and the whole nine yards, the thirst for all of that became more intensified.
What did you set out to accomplish or learn through life coaching?
At the surface, it was about weight and health. But I also know that these processes are about different layers. While the beacon might have been shining on the idea that I could lose weight and be healthy physically, I knew that there would be layers of emotional and spiritual well-being that could be addressed as well.
Describe your process over the 10 weeks of coaching.
What I remember most about my coaching sessions is movement - life coaching inspired movement. It took my arbitrary thoughts on the topics of health and well-being and put actions to them. First, through a series of questions my thoughts were clarified, then I was able to put actions to all the thoughts I had. Sometimes the result was about health and fitness, sometimes it wasn’t. Sometimes it was about completely other topics, yet all of it served to bring about motion in my life. Motion that I wanted to have.
Instead of me just thinking about action, I did the action. Whether it accomplished what I thought I wanted to try one week to the next, it did accomplish something, if not always the intended idea. The coaching and the action induced an awakening or a consciousness.
What did you like most about your coaching sessions?
The surprises! Seriously, I loved starting the conversation and literally finding the feeling, then uncovering and hearing the things that would come out of my mouth. Often I wouldn’t even realize what was coming out of my mouth until I said them aloud and Sandra repeated them back to me. It was stunning sometimes. I loved that. I miss that.
What was your biggest take-away from the coaching process?
Intention and practice. Wants and needs are great, but if don’t put intention and practice or action to them, they are going to remain wants and needs until you move. And I don’t mean physically, I mean, whether it’s in conversation or making a step, or series of steps.
What was the hardest part of participating in life coaching?
Timing was hard – you know, the song we all have in our head that there’s never enough time. So carving out the time was tough. Then, once we started, stopping was really hard for me. Even more than physically stopping was the not wanting to stop. I wanted it to keep flowing. Once you find the time for a coaching session, and you start, you don’t want it to end.
What is the biggest aha you had during your life coaching sessions?
The really big aha had to do with receiving and understanding the message that I’m already on my way. I think what that means is that you do the work, you do it continuously, you do it faithfully. There’s not a big prize behind door number one, but rather it gets you a step. Then that step gets you another step. Then before you know it, you’re already on the way to what you are looking for. Maybe you just didn’t see it because it didn’t come in the form that you told yourself it would be. The fact that I’m on my way, that’s reinforced that momentum is what I want.
Sophia gave her full permission for this post and even reviewed its content before going live. All coaching sessions are completely confidential.