Productive Flourishing Podcast Angela Wheeler: Is It Time to Work with a Coach? (Episode 168)
Both Charlie and Angela work as coaches. In this episode, Angela and Charlie talk about how to know when it’s time to work with a coach or a consultant. The conversation gets to the heart of some of the ways that we don’t allow ourselves to get the help and support that we might be needing.
Key Takeaways:
[2:28] - What Charlie and Angela often find in their work is that people will put the support they need further down the pipe. One of the common things people say is that they’ll get the help or support they need after they finish a list of certain things. Many times, this list of things is something a coach could help you do faster or more effectively.
[5:23] - Angela notices that clients often express their excitement to work with her, but they say they have too much going on at the time. Again, these things are usually the exact things a coach or consultant could help with.
[7:07] - It almost feels like people wait to work with a coach because they feel like they need to diagnose themselves, and heal themselves or make themselves well before they go to the doctor. Too often, Angela and Charlie cross paths with people who haven’t given themselves the permission to invest in themselves to get the support that they need.
[8:46] - The busier you are, the more important it is that you have to make better decisions. When you’re busy, you’re more likely to continue to make easy decisions that don’t solve the problem, or participate in patterns that keep things going that aren’t actually conducive to making a change. Sometimes, the best time to talk with someone is during the hard parts of life - it may not be the best decision to wait for things to slow down.
[11:03] - For Charlie, it’s about energy and attention. If your energies and attentions are focused on taking care of someone else or a rough situation, it may not be the best time to work with a consultant. In general though, if there’s a lot going on, chances are there will continue to be a lot going on. So that may not be the best indicator of whether you could benefit from a coach or not.
[14:55] - One thing to consider is that is it more likely that you and whoever you work with will be able to co-create something to help you get out of a busy cycle, or can you figure it out faster on your own? Usually, working with a coach or consultant will allow you to figure it out faster. What would it be worth to you to have the trouble issue solved?
[18:12] - Some people think they already know what they need to do to get moving in the right direction. Charlie’s question to them would be how long have you known that? If you know what you need to do, and you’re not doing it, ask yourself why. Additionally, just because you think you know what needs to be done, doesn’t mean you’re right. Having someone hold you accountable for those things can be helpful.
[22:11] - It can be useful to commit to people that you’re going to do something. A good coach will ask you about these commitments, rather than just letting them go. It can be a delicate situation because you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re frustrated to meet with your coach or consultant because they’re going to grill you about those commitments.
[24:03] - Sometimes a coach will challenge you to do more than you would on your own. It’s important to make sure this is something that resonates with you. Make sure that the goals are your own, and the coach is helping you do what you already want or know you need to do.
[26:26] - Angela leaves us with these thoughts: Whatever the facet of life, if there is a goal and future you see for yourself that is important to you, invest in yourself. Spend the time on yourself like you would for other people.
[27:45] - Charlie leaves us with these thoughts: How is what you’re doing working for you? If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’re getting. At what real point in the world will you make a different decision and go about something in a new way?
Mentioned in This Episode:
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