Have you ever looked back at your journey and marveled at how far you’ve come? As a leadership coach, the start of each year is a perfect time for comprehensive reflection with my clients. This process is an in-depth review of their progress since our collaboration began that goes beyond the routine check-ins that we do throughout our engagement. We revisit initial goals, challenges, and aspirations, comparing them to their present state. This isn’t just about tracking progress, but a profound exploration of their evolution and achievements. Such reflection not only provides enlightenment but also fuels motivation and pride, as clients see the tangible changes they’ve made and the positive impact that’s had on their lives.

The new year also serves as an excellent opportunity to reevaluate their circumstances. People evolve, and so do their aspirations and challenges. I take this time to check in with each client to understand how their growth opportunities, goals, or obstacles have shifted. This conversation is crucial in ensuring that our ongoing collaboration remains aligned with their current needs and future ambitions and informs how we strategically plan our future sessions.

Over the years, I’ve found that, while some growth themes are common amongst many people, their individual journeys are highly personalized. The strategies and focus areas for one may differ significantly from another. The bespoke nature of individual coaching ensures that each client receives support and guidance that resonates with their unique context and objectives. To give you a sense of the similarities and differences, here are just a few examples from my own coaching practice this past year.

One of my clients began the year doubting their own worth and unsure of their potential for growth and advancement. As we worked together, they built up the courage to ask for more challenging projects. Their stellar performance resulted in a glowing review and a significant 15% salary increase. But they didn’t stop there! They further leveraged this newfound confidence to find a new role, which brought an additional 50% pay raise and more advancement opportunities. This client also tapped into their creative and entrepreneurial spirit and started a side business, embracing new challenges and opportunities. This self-confidence and newfound sense of grace that they granted themselves also enabled them to meet their physical health goals and improve their personal relationships.

This narrative of transformation and self-discovery isn’t unique. Another client also embarked on a journey that highlights a different aspect of personal growth. They focused on claiming their agency and improving their communication to their company leadership. They spent less time focusing on the potential negatives and instead being more curious and optimistic. This led them to confidently propose a new vision and strategy and take on an expanded set of responsibilities. Even though they had to deal with significant uncertainty and stressful changes at work, they closed out the year feeling far more relaxed and happier with their role.

Much like the individual who found confidence in their career, another client faced a different set of hurdles in the workplace. In the midst of company layoffs, a challenging yet common situation, they demonstrated remarkable growth in resilience and relationship-building. These skills were pivotal in gaining the support of multiple new leaders, stabilizing and rebuilding their team, and fostering a renewed sense of trust and collaboration in a difficult time.

The final story is of a client who faced hurdles related to focus and communication which had them on a path to a performance improvement plan. Through reflective practices, they improved their ability to recognize when they were spinning their wheels, developed a framework to help them pause and collect their thoughts, and then concisely and clearly communicate their need for help with feeling guilt or shame. They also developed new habits that enabled them to prioritize and focus on the most important work. Together, these led to a significant turnaround in their performance.

꧁༺ ༻꧂

While you may not work with a coach, you can still follow a similar, but more self-directed process. Think about the last year: What were moments you felt particularly proud of? How can those moments influence your goals for this year? Who and what can help you on your journey?