by: Lorraine Pirihi
Being a coach is such a rewarding profession. The enormous impact you have on other people's lives always astounds me.
Let me share with you John's story…
John is a partner in a financial planning practice. He's always worked long hours and when he finally went home, he was buggered. Apart from his work, there was no energy left over to contribute to his health and personal relationships. He was fortunate to have a wife who put up with this. In fact, it was a wonder that she ever got pregnant, as he was so depleted of energy and spent so little time on his marriage.
His whole life changed when he was struck down with a life-threatening illness. One day he was busting his guts at the office and the next day he was lying in a hospital bed contemplating whether he will live or die.
John's young, only 35 yrs old! Stress, pressure and complete lack of self care all contributed to his illness. To top this off, his wife was pregnant. Was this a wake up call or what?
Slowly John recuperated until he was 'back to normal' (or close to it). Unfortunately he eventually got sucked back into the old way of doing things…all work and no play. He felt he had to keep up with the other partners in his practice. They worked all hours of the day and night and he felt he had to follow them… even though he had been so close to losing his life. He felt guilty. That was until he woke up to himself and realised this was no way to live his life. He wanted to change his behaviours and needed help in doing so. That's when he approached me to undergo coaching.
John transformed over the ensuing weeks. Many of the challenges he faced stemmed to his lack of self-esteem. He tried to please everyone, was worried about how other people saw him. John had difficulty saying 'no'. He also had challenges around his communication. John was a perfectionist so he didn't delegate because no-one could do the tasks as well as him.
He learned that if he delegated to people who were capable of carrying out the tasks, trained them where necessary and communicated effectively he could easily save himself 2 hours a day. Being able to effectively communicate to not only his work partners and employees but also his wife. Time management was a big area we also covered as John had limited skill in this area.
He's now going to the gym three times a week and eating healthily. His energy levels have dramatically risen and the "pot belly" has disappeared. He's feeling great.
John has made and continues to make positive changes in his life. Week by week through the coaching process he is learning so much about himself. He has finally recognised that he is responsible for his life and that he has the power to change it.
The Final Word
It's taken a few weeks to clear out the clutter and for John to find out what he really wants. This week at the end of one of his sessions he discovered that "being home in time to bath his baby girl" is really what makes his life worth living. How's that for someone who originally cited " making $$$" as one of his key goals.
It's not about the money is it?