From Anxiety to Positivity: My Coaching Journey
Three Months of Leadership Coaching Helped Me Face the Unknown with a Positive Outlook
Have you ever felt that every difficulty in life feels like an anxiety-inducing exam?
The past three months of leadership coaching experience changed my mindset and helped me approach challenges with a more positive attitude.
Coaching vs. Counselling: Focus on the Future!
First, I realised the important difference between “coaching” and “counselling”.
Counselling focuses on reviewing and processing the impact of past experiences, while coaching focuses on how to move forward more effectively.
This forward-looking perspective helped me look at my challenges with greater optimism.
“My mindset changed from negative to positive, from passive to proactive! Several times, when I encountered a challenge, I reminded myself, ‘This is training time!’”
Rev. Lin, Te-An
Pastoral Core Team,
Bread of Life Christian Church in Taipei
Clarify Goals, Steadfast Breakthroughs
When I was setting my personal breakthrough goals, the coach guided me through the process of formulating concrete and achievable actions.
For example, when facing interpersonal conflict, I learned to call on the Holy Spirit’s help while taking deep breaths and silently repeating:
“Be calm, quick to listen, slow to speak.”
This simple method became a timely reminder whenever I faced challenging situations.
Digging Deep into the Core to See the Real Issues
During every coaching session, the coach would ask questions from different angles and perspectives to help me think more objectively while digging deeper into the core issues that needed attention.
Just like the submerged part of an iceberg, what lies beneath the surface often matters more. The coach helped me identify these real issues and deal with them effectively.
Shifting Perspective: Turning Challenges into Growth Opportunities
The coach helped me reframe my perspective and see life’s challenges as “training” rather than “tests” or “exams”.
When I think of exams, I tend to get anxious about the outcomes (you either pass or fail). But when I see them as training, challenges become opportunities for growth and progress.
This mindset shift has been particularly helpful in real life. It has changed my mindset from negative to positive, from passive to proactive! Several times, when I encountered a challenge, I reminded myself, “This is training time!”
From Anxiety to Inner Peace: A Profound Inner Transformation
Once, I had to travel far away from home for an assignment, and I felt anxious about the unknown situations I might encounter.
Through the coach’s guidance, I tried reframing my negative thoughts into positive narratives and wrote them down. Amazingly, as the coaching conversation progressed, I found myself gradually calming down and increasingly feeling the sense of safety that comes from turning to God.
My original worries dissipated when I began to see people and things from God’s perspective.
Heartfelt Gratitude
Finally, I thank Coach Richard for his patient listening, calm analysis, and timely reminders. These three months of coaching experience have refreshed my mindset and helped me face future challenges more courageously!