Courage, Reflection, and Intentions: A Year-End Pause for Coaches

This will be my last article for 2024. So as the year winds down, I'd like to invite you to pause, reflect, and take stock of the path you've traveled this year. For us as coaches, this reflection often holds a particular depth. It’s not just about what we’ve achieved, but about who we’ve become and how we’ve shown up—in our coaching practices, our businesses, and our lives.

This year, I’ve been reminded time and again of the courage it takes to be a coach. Courage to hold space for uncertainty, to step into discomfort, and to model vulnerability for our clients. Courage isn’t loud or flashy. It doesn’t always feel empowering in the moment. Instead, it’s the quiet, persistent choice to show up fully, even when it feels uncomfortable or risky.

What courage looked like this year

Courage often hides in the small moments. It’s in the silence we held when a client needed space to find their truth. It’s in asking the hard question, even when we weren’t sure how it would land. It’s in the boundaries we set with our time and energy or the bold steps we took in our businesses.

Looking back on your year, where did courage show up for you? Perhaps it was in saying “yes” to an opportunity that stretched you or “no” to something that didn’t align with your values. Maybe it was in allowing yourself to be seen more fully in your work—sharing your story, your perspective, or even your uncertainty.

The lessons courage taught us

For me, this year has reinforced a truth I return to often: Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness; it is courage in action. Every time I’ve chosen to step beyond my comfort zone, vulnerability has been there, asking me to trust the process, let go of perfection, and embrace imperfection.

In coaching, this interplay between courage and vulnerability creates a powerful ripple effect. When we model courage for our clients—when we show up as fully human—it creates space for them to do the same. But this isn’t always easy. Vulnerability can feel messy, exposing, even uncomfortable. Yet it’s in these moments of rawness that we build connection, trust, and transformation.

What has courage taught you this year about your practice, your business, or yourself? Where have you grown, stretched, or found new clarity?

Carrying hope into the new year

As we prepare to step into a new year, I invite you to pause and consider: What seeds of courage do you want to plant for the year ahead?

Maybe it’s about deepening your connection with clients, showing up more boldly in your business, or committing to your own self-care and growth. Perhaps it’s giving yourself permission to do less, but be more. Courage doesn’t have to look like a grand leap. Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking the first small step toward something meaningful.

Remember, courage is contagious. The courage we cultivate in ourselves has a ripple effect—it inspires and empowers those around us. As coaches, this is one of the greatest gifts we can offer: to model the humanity we hope to nurture in others.

A courageous intention for 2025

As a final act of reflection, I’d love to hear from you: What’s one courageous intention you’ll carry forward into the new year?

Let’s enter 2025 not with pressure to do more, but with hope to be more. Together, let’s continue creating space for courage, for ourselves and for the clients we serve.

Here’s to a new year filled with courage, connection, and growth.

And finally......

If you're looking to be more courageous next year, but you're not sure where to start, maybe you feel on the edge of readiness for something more........you know where I am.