“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you’ll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie.”
Albus Dumbledore (Uhm.. J.K. Rowling)
From a very early age, I was aware of the desire to pursue my dream job. I didn’t want to work just for the money; I wanted to find happiness in my work. At the age of 12, my vision of the future collapsed because my dream job seemed no longer possible. I’ll spare you the details, but between the ages of 14 and 26, I had numerous jobs (definitely more than 20), started 4 educational paths, completed 2, and experienced a burnout in my first real job after graduation. You might think, 20 jobs? That seems exaggerated? It really isn’t. I checked. This count also includes my internships. Some jobs lasted no longer than six months. If I persisted with a job despite feeling uneasy, my body would say, “Hold on!” and I would get sick or spend days exhausted in bed. So, a burnout wasn’t that surprising after half a year of working against my nature.
During the recovery period of my burnout, I learned a lot about myself. In the past, I had done a lot of self-exploration and reflection, but my self-image was completely wrong. I didn’t truly know who I was and what I wanted. I behaved according to the image people had of me, not what felt right for me. During that recovery period, I had the time to figure out what was genuinely important to me and who I wanted to be. I developed criteria that my future work had to meet.
A year later, I had an interview for a job that I found super exciting. I now knew well what I wanted and didn’t want, and I committed to discussing this openly and honestly. This was the first time during an interview that I not only talked about what I could do but also what I wanted to do. And, not unimportantly, I discussed what I didn’t want. This conversation was fantastic! During the interview, we were truly sparring. We discussed what I wanted, what he wanted, and how we could bring that together into a whole. This was the most enjoyable job interview I had ever had. I knew who I was and felt truly confident. Not arrogant or demanding, but self-assured. And, not unimportantly, it was genuinely a great time! I got to fulfill the role exactly as we had discussed, and my strengths really shone through.
After that one interview, I pledged to always be open and honest with everyone around me, not just employers but also friends and family. This commitment has brought me so much to this day. I live a more honest life and can shape it according to my values. I can fully utilize my strengths, and as a result, I now do work that brings me extreme satisfaction—coaching! And of course, I know that this is not the end but that I will always keep moving. Qualities, values, and principles will always keep changing, and that’s great because I know that every step I take is in line with my values. That can only make it more enjoyable!
I coach with a focus on building self-confidence and living your dream life. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to lead a beautiful life. I genuinely think this is possible for everyone. I believe that if someone stands close enough to themselves and knows their values, qualities, and principles, a dream life almost naturally unfolds. You create a (realistic) list of criteria and fill your life based on those criteria. I also believe that a coaching conversation doesn’t have to be too heavy. It’s not an hour where you can lay all your struggles on the table every week. Humor has a place in coaching, and we just get to work.
