I talk to my clients a lot about the importance of reflection.
Not because I think every experience needs to be overanalyzed, but because I think we're often so busy moving forward that we miss what's trying to teach us something.
Reflection helps us notice patterns, make meaning, and ask better questions.
This past week, I took my own advice.
Over the last year, I've had hundreds of hours of coaching conversations. I spent time looking back through my notes for themes and observations.
What prompted me to do this?
I'd just had my fifth conversation with a client or prospective client who wanted to pivot into a Chief of Staff role.
That made me curious. What other conversations have I been having over and over again?
As I looked back, a few themes kept surfacing.
In no particular order...
Navigating life in the sandwich generation.
Trying to care for aging parents while also showing up for children, careers, marriages, and yourself. Carrying the emotional weight of everyone else's needs while wondering where your own fit in.
Feeling stagnant or burned out because your old ways of operating are no longer working.
My clients are incredibly capable people. The habits that got them to where they are: working harder, saying yes, solving every problem, pushing through, are often the very things keeping them stuck in this chapter.
Sitting with the discomfort of the unknown.
The messy middle, whether it's career transitions, starting a business, wondering whether to stay or leave.
It's knowing something needs to change but not yet knowing what that change looks like.
So now I'm curious.
Which of these themes feels most familiar to you right now?
I'd love to hear.
And if reading this made you think, "I wish I had someone to help me think through this," I'm continuing to offer complimentary one-hour coaching sessions. Just a chance to slow down, think out loud, and see what becomes clearer when someone is deeply listening.
Grab a spot here, or forward to someone that came to mind:
