The Most Important Thing You Need to Know About Coaching Sessions
The other day I was nervously awaiting a meeting with a new client and I was trying to figure out why I was so nervous. I mean, it wasn’t my meeting - I wasn’t going to be running it at least, and the whole purpose of my being there was to get information so I could work on a new project. Exciting!
After the meeting was over, I wasn’t nervous anymore. So, clearly, the nerves were about the meeting. I went on about my day, tooling around the house doing the dishes, working on some other writing projects - a pretty average day.
As I stood washing the pots and pans (one of the most common places for big realizations in my world), I managed to figure out what was going on. I was nervous about what I didn’t know. It wasn’t the work, or the scope of the project, or even meeting new people (although 8 people in a Zoom meeting with a new client is kind of a lot, even for me). It was the fact that I didn’t know what would happen or what was expected of me.
As I was standing there, I thought to myself that new coaching clients probably feel a lot like this, too. After all, you’re making an investment in yourself & your dreams, which is already kind of nerve-wracking, especially if it’s your first time.
I know I get nervous the first time talking to a new coach! Even when I love the work they do and they’re obviously a great fit for what I need. So I thought maybe if I demystified what a coaching session looks like, or at least what’s involved, it might allay some fears and get you excited instead of nervous - because the excited part of you is the one who should be making the decision, and the one who’s ready to get your book written!
The Gist
What we do in coaching is have conversations. Before we dive into strategy and working together on your writing, we first set goals. These goals are what help me create the best & most helpful sessions for YOU, because you’re what it’s all about.
Knowing that everything is centered around your personalized goals, there are several things we’ll talk about each time we meet. They vary in proportions depending on the day and what you need or ask to focus on.
We’ll talk about your project & your writing. I’ll ask how it’s going, what progress you’ve made, what questions you have - all the stuff that’s going on with you right now (even if you didn’t quite live up to your own high expectations - don’t worry, we’ve all been there). This sets a conversational tone for the session, which is how it works best so our time together stays relaxed and productive.
We’ll talk about where you’re stuck or what your blocks are. We all get stuck sometimes. It’s a when, not an if. Part of what makes this frustrating is that many times the reason is different each time! It’s not always easy to figure out why you were feeling extra creative on Thursday and completely blocked on Friday.
So we’ll talk about it - maybe it’s about what’s going on in your life or your business. Maybe it’s the part of the novel or book you’re working on. Maybe it’s that you’re kind of freaked out because you had a super powerful thought you’ve never had before (which is awesome, by the way). Whatever it is, we’ll find it.
We’ll talk about ways to get unstuck. I’m here to help you bust through your blocks like a writing ninja. Well, I’m really more like Bob Ross: paint your way out of your writing blocks with a happy little cloud (because let’s be honest, I’m definitely not a ninja).
Either way, once we figure out where you’re stuck, we’ll talk about ways to work through it. I’ll recommend some strategies for you to try between sessions - some of them (like having a conversation with the main character in your novel) might seem funky, but they work.
We’ll talk about your goals. Goal-setting and progress, no matter how small, is always top of mind. We’ll check in and see how your goals feel and your progress toward them. We don’t want goals that don’t feel good or don’t feel aligned with what you want to do.
If we need to adjust goals, we will. If you’re still feeling good about them (woohoo!), we’ll talk about the next steps you can take to achieve them - always keeping things doable, of course.
I’ll give you tasks to work on between sessions. Some people call this “homework.” As a teacher, I can tell you from experience that giving homework to an adult, especially a professional, doesn’t always sit well. After all, coaching isn’t school. I'm not your teacher, and I’m not there to grade you on how thoroughly you completed an assignment. During coaching, I’ll guide & mentor you (hopefully inspiring you to keep going!), but it’s collaborative, not a teacher/student relationship.
Everything we do is designed to help you based on your goals and what you’ve shared with me. I do give tasks between sessions to remind you of what you’re working toward when we’re not together, and to help you make progress. If you decide not to do them, that’s your choice; but, I think you’ll be intrigued enough to try them out (and you’ll be amazed when the weird stuff works).
The Most Important Thing
No matter what we do, or where the conversation leads, the 3 most important things that will happen in each session are that:
You’ll feel good about your project.
You’ll have action steps to take to move forward.
You’ll be more confident than when we started (even if it’s just a little).
Strategy does matter. Logistics and goals and all the things that you do to write your book - fiction or non - are important. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: you can already do those things. Sure, they might be a little less targeted or take longer. But you don’t need me to write your book - your brilliant ideas and your words will do that for you.
What you do need is to feel confident about being able to write that book. You need to believe in yourself enough to start even when you’re hesitant (or full out terrified) and work through it when you’re stuck. You need the best you to write your book, and that’s what I’m here to help show you.
Yes, I give you strategies because there are plenty of things you learn as a professional writer & writing teacher that might not occur to you to try if you're working in a different industry. But the best thing I can do for you is encourage you and show you how awesome you are so you can continue on your way. THAT’S what coaching sessions are really all about.
My challenge to you is book a session and see the amazing things we can do in just one hour.
Have you done a writing coaching session? How did it go? What would make you ecstatic to book a session TODAY? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.
Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.