Beyond the Lightbulb Moment

When I first decided I wanted to set up my coaching practice, it felt great. A real lightbulb moment where things clicked into place. I already knew I enjoyed coaching – what’s not to love about supporting people, enabling them to develop and grow?! So finally acknowledging to myself that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life was an amazing feeling and long overdue.

What I didn’t realise in my gung-ho, ‘I’ve made the decision, I’m really, actually going to do this’ state of mind was that the lightbulb moment was just the start.  

My clients are ordinary people and yet extraordinary. They are prepared to ‘go there’ and explore themselves, and to be bold and brave by getting beyond the obstacles that might stand in the way of getting where they want to get to. They are humble and honest about what is holding them back, and they trust me enough to share those insights. That is a huge privilege, and it really helps me to keep true to what I need to give in the coaching relationship.

It also massively inspires me to focus on growing and developing me. To find ways to build my learning, knowledge and understanding. To practice and build the repertoire of skills I need to continue to improve the quality of my coaching. To read more widely, to reflect on things differently.

Hearing about their passion for their own businesses makes me inspired to stay true to my goals for growing mine, to knowing what I want for myself and finding the ways to make it happen rather than ‘drifting’ and accepting something that is good enough but doesn’t light the fire inside me. (errr, that would be the safe, steady career I fell into years ago!)  

My course leader shared the most beautiful phrase when I was training; ‘coaching allows someone to be a compassionate observer of oneself’. Seeing how clients have flourished when this happens has been truly amazing. I see how prepared they have become to make changes and move forward, and I feel energised, determined, and ready to do the same.

A coaching relationship is a partnership. While my lightbulb moment was all about finding a sense of purpose in how I can serve others as a coach, the far more exciting realisation which came later is that I get so much more back from that partnership than I dreamed I would.

So if you are reading this and you are or have been a client, thank you. You have been more of an inspiration than you know!

Jacqui

About the Author

Jacqui