Coaching is an amazing experience to go through. As a coachee, it allows you to experience the generosity of others. As a coach, it means adopting a posture of generosity and curiosity and serving.
Back in February (it’s July as I’m writing this), I had the pleasure of going through a coaching session with two incredibly generous Compound Coaching coaches, and that sole experience helped* me shape and efficiently manage the following six months. Here’s a recap-in-hindsight of that experience 🙂
Three challenges and opportunities that the session unveiled for me are:
# practicing accountability at a steady pace
# showing up with my best self day in and day out
# am I managing or juggling multiple endeavours? Â
You see, exercises like these are the gift that keeps on giving. A way to turn the above challenges into opportunities is to learn/ start/ practice self-compassion; thus, I become that best-self by practicing, not by snapping my fingers. Easier said than done, won’t you agree?
Pressing pause. Ah, the ever so enticing but never used pause button. When pressing pause, there’s less of that beating-down narrative, as I’m pausing and becoming present, I also practice consciousness and I learn to check-in with myself.
What does self-compassionate Andra look like? is the million-dollar question. I have learnt the hard way, through burnout and disappointment and pain that I need to give myself time to be. Turning my fallibilities into super-powers, practicing self-compassion powers my drive and allows me to shift from being reactive to being aware. Ah, can you see this movement? What triggers us must be transformed into an opportunity for growth, as uncomfortable as that might be.
I did the best I could given the circumstances should become a whispering, soothing mantra for the over-achiever. Turning Am I enough? into How can I do better? is by no means an easy feat. It is, however, a deeply rewarding one. It is going through this change and practicing self-awareness that enable you to really notice things. The patterns that once triggered us can be used as tools to power us up; as one coach told me, there’s a time to be afraid and there’s a time to be hot-headed. And once you practice self-compassion, you learn to leave behind negative outsets and keep the positive ones. You learn to root for yourself.
There’s no one size fits all, so grab a bucket of patience and a lake of self-compassion and off you go! I’m rooting for you!
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*As the pandemic hit, I was forced to turn inwards as a means to an end, i.e. keeping my sanity and sense of usefulness. I gave myself space to be and time to think. I spent my time listening to those who needed a listening shoulder. I cooked, I read, and I listened to music, keeping my mind open and my heart wide open.