Client Case Study: Chris' Letters to His Future Self

I received the following from a client, after the end of our coaching journey together.

I share it here to illustrate the power of coaching (and the creative talents of my amazing client, Chris Sturdy!).

Thank you Chris ??????

Kirsten xx

Dear Future Self - August 2020

This morning when I woke up, I had the urge to make your life that bit better.

Due to circumstances largely out of my control, my employment circumstances are changing and a whole new opportunity is opening up.

I feel like I have lost time over the course of my seventeen years doing the same old thing, being rather timid with my ambition and overly compromising with my choices, constraining myself with unjustified negativity and frankly squandering my talent.

But No More.

A Power Hour with Kirsten Goodwin on the recommendation of my sister has awakened the sleeping giant; and this time, in my new job, starting in mid-September, I shall know what to do and come prepared.

Now all I’ve got to do is get my feet under the table and save up some funds, because professional coaching, while priceless, is at least initially something of an investment…

I should think by January, the stage shall be set and the launch of Chris’s Career Part 2 can begin in earnest.

Dear Future Self - December 2020

The last three months have been revelatory.

Even that one hour of confidence building from Kirsten made the start of the new job a better experience.

I am feeling brave and productive, focussed and positive - though for your sake, I know there are things that I could choose to do even better.

So today I got in touch and on 15th January, the first of six coaching sessions is in the diary.

Leaving that bit of time before committing has been a good choice, as the dog has been poorly and sleep has been at a premium, so I may not have been at my best.

But with 2020 behind us (and the hangover from the New Year celebrations a distant memory), the chance to organise my thoughts, share my concerns and be my best self is down in indelible pen.

Dear Future Self - 15 January 2021

That was amazing.

I am buzzing.

Who knew what 75 minutes could do for you?

In the hands of someone who is so good at listening; so gifted at reading my body language (even over Zoom); so incisive when it comes to understanding a truly extraordinary working environment with an organisational chart that looks like a bowl of spaghetti – and understanding it in such a way that when dissected and read back to me even I began to understand who the key players were and what I had to do to make a difference...

...I feel like Motivated Chris (my new alter ego) has come on leaps and bounds, and in 5 more sessions will be unrecognisable.

I feel like the exact opposite of what they used to say about every cigarette you smoke taking two minutes off your lifespan – every 75 minutes spent having Coaching Sessions with Kirsten is likely to add 2 years to your productive essence.

Right – off to do my homework and plan for the future, sorting out the bits of my job that need my attention and how I rate them.

Dear Future Self - 23 March 2021

The last few weeks have been great.

I have learned a lot; slept better; made better decisions; put down my corporate objectives in SMART format as never before and with a new sense of optimism that money can’t buy (unless you invest it wisely!); have had someone truly interested in listening to me and advising me in a way that mere managers or colleagues cannot.

I believe I have come out of my shell.

Kirsten has helped me realise there wasn’t anything fundamentally wrong with August Chris that couldn’t be aided with a few tweaks to put me on the right path, and recognition of where I could be just a bit cuter with my priorities.

I now have one last set of homework to do – my DISC assessment, and one more session to go just after Easter.

You will thank me for all this, I promise.

Dear Future Self - 9 April 2021

You are one lucky fellow.

Your prosperity and success have every chance of fulfilling our* potential because of that choice I was wise enough to make last year.

*I say ‘our’ because it has been a collaboration based on enlightened self-interest, and this rather curious conversation between "me now" and "me to come" is what anyone should have if they want to look back and be proud of the path they chose.

My final words of advice, and you my dear reader, may share it with whomsoever you wish (e.g. people reading this!):

there was no need to be afraid - take a positive step and do yourself a favour.

Coaching is a transformative experience.

Whatever the outcome may be in terms of financial reward (although it was not my primary motivation, the confidence I have gained shall likely set me on a path where you are more valuable, employable and worthy of recognition), I know I have a better set of tools for facing whatever life throws at me.

I leave you with two anagrams that bring me joy. The first I composed myself and which won me an award. It has all the elements of creativity and potential that Kirsten has helped me realise:

Twenty-six letters of the alphabet =

Best of all they shape written text.

And the other was written recently by a friend of mine. It is beautifully poetic (note the iambic pentameter, the meter of the language of Shakespeare) and very much goes to show that whatever the circumstances, you can be a better version of yourself if you trust your instincts and bring your positive qualities to the fore:

When I am in the throes of my despair, ~

a tiny shred of hope remains with me.

Thank Kirsten when you next see her; I’m sure there’ll be future times when you want to Fill Your Tank.

Love

Chris.

Postscript

Dear Past Self - August 2030

Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.