Last night during a convo with my Coach, she asked me about what it was that made me leave my Corporate world. That question had me pondering and I dug up my old journals. Wow! So many memories came flooding back.
In May 2014 I’d checked out of life for 3 months with PTSD and depression, following a series of life events that rocked me to the core and changed my reality completely.
In August of the same year my gorgeous mum and her wonderful husband took me and my children away on holiday for a much needed break. During that holiday, we joined a fun aqua-aerobics session in the pool and what came of that changed my life forever.
Here is the excerpt from my journal of the moment I realised my calling.
28th August 2014
“I was amazed at how words, smiles and jubilation are so powerful…it took some effort to pick up my heat weary body to do the aerobics…by the end of 30 minutes I felt I had boundless energy, I was pumped, I was bristling…”feel your power!” It was magical. I was envious of his ability to energise, inspire and make us women feel fabulous…
Then it dawned on me. I can start phase 2 of my life, the change I need is right here and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense!! I will make women feel superb, give them power and confidence. I can do this!! … Why didn’t I think of this before??…I can make a difference. I will be brilliant! I can touch people, work with them on power, confidence, acceptance, assertiveness, vulnerability…I feel so exhilarated!!…”
A week later we fly home and…
…Phase 2 of my life began. I started gathering new qualifications to become a PT and holistic fitness coach, I resigned from Corporate and started my business.
Where it all began:
BUT then the slow and painful dawning that the whole Gym-buddy, fitness coaching thing wasn’t “me”, it didn’t feel right and I began to experience fear and self-doubt.
What the hell have I done??
I’ve quit my job for something that I’m just not feeling passionate about!!
To follow was a long and unprofitable 6 months of bouncing from niche to niche…panic rising and the dread of facing the nay-sayers prophesy’s of doom “I told you so” or ” Running your own business was too much for you” and “Thank God you’ve come to your senses! You had us worried there! I’m sure your ex-employer will take you back”.
Fast forward to now…2.5 years later I realise with tears that I am STILL true to that original calling, it’s my container of delivery that is different.
My clients come to me, often they’re weary, and I energise, inspire and empower them to feel fabulous.
My work, whilst not having my women jump up and down in sweatpants (although you can if you want) still makes them feel superb, gives them power and confidence through self acceptance, assertiveness and success.
The container is not fitness, it’s business. The way I deliver the outcome is through creating breakthroughs in CLARITY for Coaching entrepreneurs. Clarity of purpose. Clarity of who you are, what you do, who you do it for and WHY. A Coaching business is a dream when you’ve got those foundations locked in.
Aaaaand the outcomes are the same in terms of how my clients feel after our work together.
Why is this relevant to share?
Well, I share this because it highlights one of the big mistakes that I see a lot of other coaches make.
A mistake that costs time, money, energy and confidence. In many cases it costs the entire business as incredible women throw in the towel believing this business of being in business just isn’t for them! Oh, and that just breaks my heart!
If you’re passionate about helping others create breakthroughs in their lives, whilst creating a life over which YOU rule, then this business of being in business is ABSOLUTELY for you. You just need some vital CLARITY!
So, here’s the thing:
You got so excited by the turning point ‘event’ in your life’s journey that triggered your new direction that you’ve placed too much importance there and that’s muddied the waters.
For example, I’ve worked with coaches who’ve gone through the pain of redundancy and got themselves stuck in some kind of career coaching; women who’ve endured and overcome a painful divorce, who’ve then got stuck in trying to be a divorce coach and health coaches, who have transformed their lives by getting healthy become stuck trying to be a Health Coach.
I say “stuck”, because they weren’t in flow, nothing felt aligned and they were confused about how to show up.
Which was EXACTLY how I felt as the Fitness Coach.
It was the wrong niche!
Don’t settle on a niche that appears, at first glance, logical or what you think you “should” be doing. Don’t settle on a niche that you’ve been told by others is something you’d “be good at”….Definitely don’t settle there!! That’s your zone of competence.
You want to get into your zone of genius, that is your life’s purpose!! Your niche as a coach is very much aligned with your life’s purpose. It’s from that place that you will be showing up day in day out with ease and flow because you’re totally aligned. With passion and excitement coursing through your veins your positive energy grabs the attention of your ideal client – they’re attracted to you like a magnet because your message is crystal clear, focused and high vibe!
You were born with a calling. This is IT, right? I bet you’ve said “I was born to do this!” at least once about your coaching business. You feel like this because you were.
Your life’s journey is littered with circumstances of struggle and frustration because you were living out of alignment with your purpose.
So, how do you begin the process of unveiling your purpose that will lead you to your coaching niche?
It’s a process of joining the dots, as Steve Jobs once said, of your story. It’s about getting clear on how your journey has brought you to this point and taking the belief that the events in your life happened for you, not to you and applying that to your own experiences.
Firstly, focus your attention on how you want your clients to feel. Make a list.
Then, look at that list and consider all the times throughout your life when you didn’t feel like that. Connect to those times. What was happening? What was the impact on your health, your relationships, your career, your ability to take action, to make decisions, to feel good?
How far have you come in your levels of happiness, joy, confidence, self-awareness, your relationships, your wealth, your health?
What parts of your story do you think “I will NEVER be like that again!” by way of expression of how far you’ve come?
Consider your top 3 – 5 values and see what pattern exists between those times in your life when you were unhappy, frustrated, lacking in confidence or NOT doing the things that light you up.
It’s very likely that your values were being compromised during those times. My question is how? How were your values being compromised?
What have you endured and overcome? What’s the message that’s in your heart?
These are the kinds of exploratory questions that I ask my clients to gain clarity on their life’s purpose and this is always very much aligned with their coaching niche.
Try them out and I’ve no doubt that you’ll experience some deeper insights into how your life’s experience has brought you to this point and why you feel so passionately about helping others.
Let me know how you get on!
Sanae xx
p.s Still stuck? Want my help? Joining the dots of your life’s story to help you find clarity in your life’s purpose and your niche for coaching is my zone of genius, as my clients will testify!!
If you’re stuck and overwhelmed, feeling close to throwing in the towel in and yet resisting because you KNOW in your heart that you were born to do this…then you and I need to talk.
Book your call with me today.
Click on the link, complete the Breakthrough questionnaire and you’ll be able to book your slot today.
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