A new transition

This is a story about transition.
It’s a story about failing and celebrating.

And although there have been quite some big transitions in my life – going to university, becoming a mum, moving abroad – this is the story about the transition of me as a coach.

It all started in 2018.
We had just moved from Austria to the UK and I knew I wanted to do more with the theme of gender equality. Coaching was the way forward and I started my coaching journey with the Co-Active Training Institute.

5 trainings of 3 days with an amazing group of international people in London.
I loved it.

Not only because of the immersive level of training, but also because in every training I learned so much about myself.

I’ll never forget the exercise at the first training weekend.
Each participant received a post-it note with a character on it that the group wanted you to show more of. You had to stick it on your clothes and wear it visibly.

Mine was ‘mischievous imp’.

To be honest, I didn’t even know what it meant exactly. In the break I Googled it. I was touched by it.
I felt shame, anger and sadness.
And I also felt something was opening for me.

The veil of ‘Little Miss Perfect’ was lifted a bit.
And each training weekend I learned to connect more with my authentic self.

Flashforward 5 years.

I’m now a Certified Co-Active Coach, a licensed Firework Career Coach and I hold a PCC credential from the International Coaching Federation.

And yes, I’m super proud of that.
The intense training, supervision, examination and coaching experience show my commitment to high professional and ethical standards.

But, I also failed.
‘Little Miss Perfect’ was still too present in these years.

“You should do more. You should learn more. Vulnerability won’t bring you anywhere”. Etc.

I was in a sort of ‘cramp’ and doing it all.

After our move to Brussels, which on the personal front was tough for me after having lived in the UK for 5 years, I also noticed it was hard to motivate myself in my work. I lost my spark.

I’m happy that I made the decision to start working with a coach again. She is brilliant.
The sessions helped me to strongly reconnect with my powerful self.

And that has nothing to do with ‘being perfect’. It’s about ‘being real’.

I want to show up as Eefke.
I want to show up with all my strengths and vulnerabilities.
I want to show up as a human.

After my transition to a new career and my transition to becoming an experienced internationally certified coach, I can say I’m in a new transition:

Supporting and inspiring others as an authentic leader.

I say yes to letting my voice been heard, I say no to only information consumption.
I say yes to efficient bold actions, I say no to doing it all.
I say yes to failure, I say no to perfectness.
I say yes to collaboration, I say no to only working by myself.
I say yes to lightness, I say no to seriousness.

When I write this down, it feels scary ánd exciting.
Just like when I was abseiling for the first time in the French Alps this summer.

And I feel that it’s exactly the place where I want to be.

I’m curious what the next five years will bring!

Eefke