Written by Marion Mull McCrary, MD, FACP, NBC-HWC

Are you just a little curious about coaching? Everyone is talking about it! Well, let me tell you how being coached and coaching others has helped me. I first heard about health and wellness coaching at an American College of Preventive Medicine Conference. I came to Chicago that year wanting to recharge my excitement in my medical career – some way to change it up. I was burned out from several years of administrative roles, transitioning EMRs, and the frustrations of medical practice. I had patients who needed and wanted to make health changes, but just me telling them to do it was not the solution. I didn’t know the answer to them! I decided to train as a health and wellness coach to help. Turns out, this was not the first step in realizing the benefits of coaching. In hindsight prior to being a coach, I was coached in a group setting before I had a name for it. At the time, it was disguised as leadership training and was instrumental in starting a journey for me. Then, during my coaching course, we coached each other to hone our skills. It was so valuable that I continued to seek coaching after I was certified as a coach.

Here are 10 specific ways coaching has helped me and may help you:

Coaching helped me see I had options.

I was feeling stuck without a way out. “This is how it has to be” was my mindset before I knew differently. Realizing I had choices when I did not think I did was very freeing.

Coaching helped me get clear on my priorities.

I learned through the coaching process that there are superficial goals and then there are the true goals. I dug deep to identify what truly mattered to me and how that could shape my future.

Coaching helped me realize I can start with small changes.

I thought I had to be perfect the first time, and that led to procrastination and inaction. Being able to start with small but impactful changes, I could go slowly and deliberately. I could build on small wins to get me to where I wanted to be.

Coaching helped me ask for what I needed and what I wanted.

I would often sacrifice what I wanted or needed to make sure someone else was not inconvenienced because I thought that was what I should do. This, in turn, made me frustrated, jealous, and unhappy. I learned that I could advocate for myself and that could benefit more than just me.

Coaching helped me form a different mindset or soundtrack in my head.

My mind was filled with a vocabulary of “I can’t” or “I shouldn’t” often. With coaching, I could identify limiting beliefs that kept me from trying something new. I was able to bust out from “playing small.”

Coaching helped me realize I am not alone.

When I felt burnout, I was disengaged from others. I also thought that I was the only one who did not have it together. I have learned that many of us suffer in silence or out of shame. Now I know that having a conversation with someone else who has experienced the same as I is so cleansing and helpful.

Coaching helped me feel more comfortable having difficult conversations.

I developed a new language along with a new mindset through coaching. I was able to use the skills my coach modeled to help me in communication with others. I learned to listen and answer in a different manner.

Coaching helped me have more confidence.

Through my experience with coaching, I started to see the things that moved me toward my goals as experiments that I could learn from rather than opportunities for failure. I used these wins as evidence that I could do hard things. Each step reinforced that I could continue to march forward successfully.

Coaching helped me be happier.

When I came to coaching, I wanted to be a happier person. I wanted to find that zest in my life that I had lost in many ways. By learning about what my vision was for the future, what motivated me, and what supported me, I was able to decide that I controlled my happiness. I could create environments and situations that gave me a sense of joy.

Coaching helped me be more curious.

I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. When I was brave enough, I felt guilty that my new interests took me away from the list of overwhelming responsibilities that was weighing me down. The guilt would follow. Now I can explore ideas and topics and apply new ideas.

Coaching continues to be helpful daily for me, whether it is self-coaching or group coaching.
My coach does not tell me what to do or give me the answers. My coach helps me figure this out for myself. My coach listens, skillfully reflects, and guides me. My coach holds space for me to cultivate what I need. In all these ways, coaching has helped me be the me that I want to be.

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