Refuse to remain stuck

I meet so many people who are stuck in their lives. They are dissatisfied with their careers, their relationships, their finances, their health and just about everything else in their lives, but they never do anything to change. As the old sayings goes: Keep doing the same thing you've been doing and you'll keep getting the same results. If what you are doing in some area of your life isn't working, do something different.

When I tell people that they sometimes respond that they don't know what they could do. That's an honest response, but it indicates that they either haven't given any alternatives much thought or they need someone to guide them through the process. Often, it's the latter. The fact is, most people know what they need to do but they need someone like a coach to pull that out of them and help them put it into action.

Several years ago I was at a crossroads in my life trying to decide between two alternatives. Both of them were good, but I was trying to decide if one was better than the other. My employer at the times had contracted with a coaching firm to teach us how to coach others, and part of that training was several months of personal coaching. I took advantage of that and shared my confusion with my coach. She helped me work through the process of deciding which option was best. Because of that coaching experience I decided to go ahead and pursue my doctorate, and I've always been glad I did. It turned out to be an excellent decision.

Jump ahead a few years and I'm talking with a young pastor who is concerned about his future. He isn't sure what he would do if he had to leave the ministry or if he was forced to become bivocational and seek another job to pay the bills while remaining in ministry. All of his training was to prepare himself for ministry, and he didn't know what other career he might pursue.

As I sat there using the coaching techniques I had been taught, he was reminded that he initially went to college to enter teaching. It wasn't until later in college that he felt called into the ministry. He also realized he still had a passion for teaching. Much of his pastoral work was teaching. Now, he had options. If he decided to go bivocational he could do substitute teaching in the local school system or look into teaching online for any number of schools. If he left the ministry he could go back and finish what he needed for a teaching certificate and go into teaching full-time. He was no longer stuck but now had options. What is amazing is that it took less than 90 minutes to discover those options.

If you are feeling stuck, you may need a coach to help you process your options. Much coaching is done over the telephone. My coach was based in Georgia and we talked twice a month on the phone. I've coached persons in Canada and around the country. You may be able to find someone nearby where you can meet or you can be coached over the phone. If you like, feel free to contact me. We can discuss your situation and see if coaching would be right for you. The main thing is to refuse to remain stuck.