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Have you ever found that you are thinking, “I know that I want change, but I am not sure where to start?” Perhaps your life may appear all right from the outside, but inside you struggle, feel uncertain, unmotivated, or just stuck. You might know that you would like things to be different, but you aren’t clear about what that ‘different’ would be or about how to achieve it.

The feeling of being stuck varies from person to person. A person might be unsure what direction they want their life to take. Struggling to make an important decision or afraid of making the wrong choice. Holding onto something from the past. Questioning abilities or confidence. Going through a transition or major life change. Feeling lost or like a sense of direction or purpose is missing. The most difficult thing isn’t the realization about change; it’s working out where to start. That is where Life Coaching can be extremely helpful.

Life coaching gives you a place to step back and think. It’s difficult to see the full picture when you’re deep into your own life. A life coach creates a safe and supportive environment in which you can slow down and examine what is going on. Rather than at once telling you what action to take, a good coach poses questions which enable you to find out what you think, want, believe, and need.

Questions such as: What do you really want? What’s holding you back? What might occur if you proceed? What would your course of action be if you weren’t frightened of making a mistake? What is a step that you could take now? The right question at times enables you to notice something you would not have been unable to see by yourself. Coaching can help you gain clarity. That is so important. A major reason why people feel stuck is that there are so many thoughts vying for their attention. Coaching assists you in sorting through your mental clutter to determine what is priority and most important to you.

Coaching can also help you recognize what’s holding you back. At times the difficulty may not be outside of us. It may be a belief we’ve carried for years: “I’m not capable.” “It is now too late for me.” “I don’t possess the necessary qualifications.” “What if I fail?” “What do other people think?” Such thoughts can subtly affect the decisions we make and prevent us from making progress. Coaching can enable you to look at those beliefs rather than just accepting them as being true. You might start to see possibilities that you were not able to see earlier when you begin to view your situation in a different way.

Finally, coaching helps turn insight into action. It is important to have clarity, though in the end, a change must take place. Which is why coaching does not amount to merely discussing your situation or challenges. An effective coaching conversation should assist an individual in putting a successful strategy together and small steps to move a person forward so progress is made. When good coaching happens, real progress, change and goal achievement occurs for the individual.

A final thought… being stuck and not being able to move forward doesn’t mean that you’re on the wrong path. It can mean that some aspect of your life is urging you to halt, think about the situation, and consider your next move. You needn’t work everything out all by yourself. If you’re going through a major change or are just aware that it’s time for something new, Life coaching can provide you with the opportunity to gain clarity, question the beliefs that might be preventing you from making progress, and then start moving you forward with greater confidence and a clearer sense of purpose. No matter where you are in your life journey, your story isn’t over. The next chapter could be waiting for you to take that first step.

Janet Daughtry | Confidence & Mindset Coach | Life Coach | Author | Speaker