..of role, employer, sector, everything? You may know what you want. You may only know that it's not what you've got!
So many people want to change what they do, unfortunately very few actually do. Work is generally a trade of money for your time and energy (and more). Ask yourself:
What do I want to trade my life for?
Do any of these scenarios apply to you?
- I'm bored, unchallenged/ too challenged. Feeling a lack of purpose, sick of the rat race, that I am worth more, or that there must be more.
- I have a passion or dream I've always been sure I'll get to when I have my "ducks in order". Now and then I've noticed, just how long I've been saying that. I'm starting to fear that I will never do it, though I regularly push that thought away.
- Lots of my time is spent counting down to days off and a lot of my salary is spent trying to make myself happy because work doesn't.
- Work is ok and pretty successful, I know I should feel lucky. But, I am wondering how I ended up where I am? Does it really fits my values, strengths, personality and interests? What has my job cost me?
- I just don't feel like me here, for some reason I can't seem to adjust or fit.
- My lifestyle doesn't fit me anymore - the location, hours, flexibility.
- I know my job isn't going to work out long term; I'm not progressing or redundancy is looming. I need to do something.
So you may consider yourself to be at crisis point, or maybe not. Either way, there are lots of reasons to want to make a change.
Growth and change do bring challenge and uncertainty. There is cultural pressure, I believe, to say we love change and cope well with change. The fact is though, that our brains are designed to avoid it. Or at least until the consequences of staying where we are become very clearly worse than anything we might risk losing through a change. '5 Reasons Why Change is Hard' might be worth a read if you're not sure you're ready.
Do You Want To Go For It?
The key first step to change is to decide. Are you going to start the change now? And that is the only decision - "change now". change without the now is deciding that you aren't going to.
Second, what are you going to do next? In order to:
- Clarify where you are now and where you want to be.
- Come up with the plan of 'how' to get it.
- Ensure you take action, measure and review, take action again.
- Keep motivated, resilient and creative.
- Most of all, how are you going to stay accountable? This is critical as the best way to guaranteed that you keep moving forward.
The answers are up to you and there are lots of strategies you can use to make a change (start with '6 Ways to Make Change Easier'), although I believe everyone needs some support to achieve the best they can.
Coaching is the only way I know to get the kind of support that means someone, with no agenda of their own, right there alongside you wanting you to achieve your goal as much as you do. To be honest and supportive. To help you find perspective and solutions. To motivate you and most of all to provide accountability to ensure changes happens, more quickly than is possible on your own.
Ready to commit, engage a coach and see change happen?
Let me tell you a little more about coaching, so you are clear what it is and isn't.
Check you are ready for coaching and if any questions or concerns have not been covered contact me.
Then go ahead and book me!
I only keep 1 or 2 of this package on sale at a time so I can respond quickly and give you my full attention and energy. So if you want to get moving quickly we can.
"I needed confidence, clarity and focus. I needed to believe I could do this and I needed a gentle push. I got ALL of those working with Laura." - Artist.
"I'm very happy with what I achieved in just TWO weeks. I went from vague ideas to a couple I'm really excited about. Plus confident application skills." - Journalist looking for a change in direction.
"When I heard I was being made redundant Laura was exceptionally helpful as both a calming influence and for getting my ideas into perspective." - University Learning Support Assessor
"Two years ago almost exactly, I had just been made redundant. I decided to consolidate on the informal IT skills I had accumulated and came to see you for some advice, with some specific ideas...Subsequently I took two formal certifications, secured one job, enrolled on an MSC to give me more edge and passed the same week I secured the ideal job you helped me plan for. I do believe it was the first time in my life where I had targeted a post and achieved what I set out to do. So I'd just like to say thank you for your assistance, a lot was due to your initial help. " - Chemical Engineer
So what do you get for your time and money?
Over 20 years experience, energy and commitment as I take on very few coachees at a time (sometimes none if I have a contract for an organisation at that time) and a rare flexibility to adjust what I offer and the times to suit you.
I draw on my experience working with finance professionals, artists, senior academics and administrators, journalists, an ex-firefighter and others. In fact, the jobs people have don't matter, I draw on my expertise from working with so many individuals on career guidance, coaching, neuropsychology and psychometrics. You can see a little more about my experience, but ask if anything is not clear.
We'll work on those 5 points mentioned above: clarifying, planning, taking and reviewing action, mindset to keep going with excitement and enthusiasm and ensuring you get results. As you can imagine each stage is different for everyone. You may spend longer at the clarification stage, really exploring and expanding your self awareness. Or you may have a clear idea but want effort to be focused on changing habits to take steps and make things happen.
That means that the techniques and tools we will use, depends what comes up as most relevant and what works for you, where you have been stuck and why. I don't like "add-on" costs so 99% of tools and exercises I use are free within our work. Occasionally there may be a small additional cost agreed for some licensed psychometric tools, such as StrengthScope or MBTI. But those are completely optional and we'll make sure those are relevant for you before using.
The second and third sessions are often where you will experience the most progress, so this package is 4 sessions to start with. This is based on 4 x 2 hours sessions, so 8 hours one to one working together. The length and frequency of sessions can be adjusted to suit you and follow up emails/ check ins, or whatever we agree is helpful, is included in that package. This is more than 8 hours of time and effort from me and certainly more from you!
Appointments can be during the evenings and weekends, and generally take place over the phone. So I can fit around current work commitments.
The cost for this initial commitment is £1050. I like to be as focused and effective as we can be and not to stretch anything out if your desired changes happen quickly. If you have what you need from this point I have no desire to tie you into the longer programmes coaching companies often do.
However, as this is also an investment in your long term future and development, we will go at your pace and with what life brings for you. So with agreement on both sides we can add additional sessions, at £200 for each 2 hour session. My experience is that most people decide 5 sessions in total is the optimal amount for the best possible progress (so £1250 in total). Sometimes one is a follow up a few months further on.
Coaching will benefit you over the long term, but also speeds you towards your more immediate future, whatever you decide that should be. For example: more happiness, time, the pay cheque from a new job or salary increase. Any of these will reach you more quickly with coaching.
I can't wait for you to share your goals with me and to see you get started. You'll have me right there with you and it's going to be amazing!
Once you purchase, expect to hear from me within 48 hours, usually sooner.