We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome, ideas that need a road map and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a professional coach can unlock your potential and set you on a path to thriving personally and professionally. If you have not worked with a coach before, you might be wondering what it is like and what to look for in a coach.

There are many things that keep us from accomplishing our goals and achieving our full potential. Things that deplete our energy and make it impossible to see options and gain forward momentum. Consider your list of “things I have yet to accomplish”. What is it for you - moving into a leadership role, changing jobs, starting your own business, running a marathon? It’s likely you can name at least one thing you want to accomplish but have yet to do so. What’s keeping you from accomplishing it?

There are many people that are just naturally good at building relationships. They put people and relationships before tasks or activities. They are just wired that way. We all tend to either be people first or task first. If you were to look at a continuum with task on the left and people on the right, each one of us would fall somewhere on that continuum. If you fall to the left, these strategies will help you.

What a difference year makes. A year ago, I was stuck. I couldn’t see anything but the cinder blocks that form the basement - dark, dirty, windowless. Now I have a completely different view from the balcony - high, open, light and bright.

It is hard to see opportunities when you are stuck in the basement.

By sharing my experience, I hope to provide you with some ideas on how to get “unstuck” if you find yourself in that situation.

Before the new year gets away from you, take time for yourself. Schedule 30 minutes to sit down and write out your professional goals and the specific outcomes you want to achieve. Share your goals and desired outcomes with people in your network to gain perspective and support to move them forward. Creating goals and sharing them with others will give you the focus you need to achieve them. Maximize your potential this year!