Top three surprises for women in coaching

I coach smart and successful women over 50 years old. They’ve had plenty of successes in their lives. Some have had big careers, travelled the world, raised families.? They typically come to me when they’re losing steam: they’re feeling tired, less excited about life and experiencing what I call “flatlining” - nothing is seriously wrong but nothing is feeling joyful for them either. There are three common surprises in our first conversation about coaching.

Surprise #1? You’re not alone. You’re in good company.?

In a recent initial consult with Lisa, a 58 year old said: “I’m out of juice, I feel like I’ve hit the wall, nothing is really wrong but I’m not fired up and energetic like I used to be. I wonder if I’m depressed or is this just part of aging? I don’t feel myself.” ? When I told her that she wasn’t alone and that lots of women are going through exactly what she had just described, she got tearful and said she thought she was alone.

There is a huge movement of women over 50 who have been high achievers and created amazing lives for themselves. Somewhere in their 50’s or 60’s they hit the wall and feel a shift.? It can begin with feeling low energy and feeling less interested in life, both of which mimic depression. It’s often written off by their physicians as typical menopause symptoms, hormones, aging or normal slowing down.? But, when we dig a little deeper there is always more to the story and it goes beyond any physical changes.?

Surprise #2 There is a pathway specifically designed for you.?

Women often mistakenly think that coaching is going to be a series of ‘checking in” and talking about whatever comes up.? It’s more curated than that. I’ve created a program specifically designed for women at this life phase and it’s a process that includes uncovering limiting beliefs, learning new tools, and changing behaviors.?

I’ve read hundreds of personal development books, participated in dozens of personal growth workshops; I’ve studied psychology and had a private practice as a psychotherapist to Fortune 500 companies. Synthesizing the best tools I’ve learned over the past 30 years, the program becomes the bridge between where women are now and where they’d like to be.? I use the analogy of a train ride. I know where we’re starting and where we’re going, as well as which stations we’ll stop at along the way. The client chooses what she brings to the conversation and that creates the points of interest and where we spend more time. But, we’re never wandering off the tracks.?

Surprise #3 The first step does not involve doing more.?

High achieving women typically engage in coaching with the mindset that they are going to need to power through and that it will involve adding a lot of tasks to their list in order to create change. They want a checklist. They want to know what their homework is. They are surprised (and sometimes disappointed) to learn that the first phase of coaching is “pruning” and that they’ll be taking some things off their list.? ?

Much like weeding a garden to prepare it before planting new seeds, in the pruning phase we identify the habits and people that are most draining her energy.? She’ll make tough decisions about which relationships and habits need to change. We discover where she’s resentful from over-giving, who in her life is benefiting from her not having boundaries and where she’s saying yes when she really mean no.? Predictably, as she start pruning … energy levels go up as does her excitement about the future. Feeling higher energy and excitement is a much better place to start visioning from.?

Do you know a woman over 50 who could benefit from hiring a life coach? The first step is to book a complimentary consult with me. I’m easily reached at [email protected] or 303.956.3892