What I Learned on My Summer Blog-cation!

Since I last joined you all here, as regular readers may know, I’ve been busy with the final stages of a coaching certification process, as a way to continue to build and enhance my professional coaching skills, and gain credentials as a certified professional coach. 

Some friends and clients have asked me:

So, what have you learned?  What’s different about you personally and professionally now?

Great question!  I’m glad you asked!

Cliffs Notes Version: My coaching tool-box has grown in size and depth.  I’ve got more tools and I know how to use them more skillfully.   I’m more confident and competent as a professional coach.

The nitty-gritty:  Paradoxically, while I went into the certification program to become a better coach in order to serve others, the real changes have happened inside me.  The learning was deep, personal, and sometimes painful for me.

I had some real ups & downs, and I spent a good part in what the program calls “the dip” – the low spot in the road.  I
struggled and struggled to get out of that place, the struggling only serving to keep me mired
in that quick-sand. What I know now
is that there is much to learn from really being in a low spot, and not
trying to run away from it.  As long as you’re there, be there.  Look around: what does this place have to offer?

Learning to be a coach…um, OK, which is in part really learning to be myself and be with myself, as a human being…requires a different type of learning and discipline than any type of
learning I’ve done before.  It has been slow, happening almost on the cellular level for me, and I’m finding that I’m integrating it completely differently.

Other changes I’ve noticed:

• I trust myself and my clients in a
  deeper way.  I really know on a much deeper
  level that all people – including me – are naturally creative,
  resourceful and whole.   I am
  more accepting of myself as an imperfect, gleaming, and amazing human specimen, and
  thus, my clients as well.  This frees all of us up to really find what is true, noble and precious in each of us.

• I’ve become more intentional and braver in my own
  life, and thus with my clients.  As I tolerate less in my own life, I am better
  able to assist clients in doing the same. As I step up to my life purpose,
  I am better able to help clients find theirs. I want more for me, and for my clients,
  than ever before, and I’m willing to risk a lot to get there.  I’ve also learned is that I can always stretch out
  further and risk more.

• While I know that I’m a better coach now than I was when I started the
  program, I’m not at mastery – an arrogance of mine, perhaps, to think that I would be.  In fact, what I know now is how far I have to go towards how I
  want to be as a coach – which, as someone pointed out to me, is a first
  step towards mastery.

And, I’ve had the great privilege to work with some incredible people around the globe, coaches and clients, had some great laughs, and really stepped into my commitment to my career as a coach, no kidding, no joke.  My last hurdle towards certification is an oral coaching exam which I’ve scheduled for December 12th (more on that in an upcoming post).

So, I’m baaaack…!  I’d love to hear from you and what your summer was like.  Thanks to various pals (including Laura, Keri, Maripat, Stacy)  who’ve stayed in touch, supported me, or cheered me on through email, phone or in person while I’ve been MIA in the blog world.  I’ve missed writing and the dialog here, and have been looking forward to returning!

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What’s your latest big learning?

What’s different about you now?