'Only thing standing in your way is yourself' says Highland life coach Nicky Marr
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LIFE coach Nicky Marr does not have to look far for an example of the benefits of personal coaching.
She admits she was sceptical of coaching herself, until she tried it for herself and experienced its positive impact both personally and professionally.
"It was such a powerful process that the first thing I did was enrol in a coaching course," she said.
Now the broadcaster, author, editor and events host is launching her own coaching service.
She has also put it to use in helping young Highlanders map out their future career path with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), and found they it fitted well with her other work.
Although she has been qualified in coaching for a number of years, Ms Marr is launching her service at a time when circumstances may be leading people to think about the future.
"Whether you have been made redundant, furloughed or still working, we have all been affected by Covid-19 in different ways. Lots of people will be examining their lives and asking if there are other ways forward," she said.
What makes coaching so effect, Ms Marr believes, is that it encourages people to find the right path for themselves by having a positive forward focus,
"It is about carefully listening to what people are saying and gently helping them muddle through their thoughts," she said.
"You ask someone where they are now, what is working for them and where they would like to be."
Sometimes the client's destination is not the one they originally thought, she revealed. A client might come to her looking for help to find a new job, only to discover that what they really needed was to address issues in their current role.
Nor do people come to her because they have problems. One recent client came to Ms Marr because she was feeling much fitter and much more optimistic about herself and wanted to harness that energy to make a positive change.
"It's all about having goals. You need to know where you are now in order to get there," she added.
"It can be unsettling for some people because they have to face up to their own fears and it can be very difficult to have that long hard look at yourself, but once you realise the only thing standing in your way is yourself, you can take a deep breath and move forward."
