How a Coach Can Help You Improve Personal Growth
When we talk about wanting to improve personal growth, it’s easy to think of the larger changes - significant career shifts, sweeping new routines, life milestones, and other major goals. However, real, lasting growth - the kind that sticks long-term and truly changes you for the better - that often happens in a more gradual, less visible way. In this blog I’m going to explore just why personal growth matters, and how working with a coach (like me) can support you on your journey of growth. At the same time, we’ll also explore some personal growth tools that really work, and look at how to keep growing even when things get tough. Whether you're just starting out or looking to deepen your self-awareness, you'll find both inspiration and practical steps here.
Why Personal Growth Matters
There’s a big difference between ‘existing’ and ‘living’. When you’re just going through the motions, life can feel grey and flat. But when you make a commitment to improve personal growth, as well as changing yourself for the better, you can also begin to see the world differently. Suddenly, somehow, things can start to feel like they have more meaning than they did before - as if there’s more clarity, and more confidence in how you move through each day.
Personal growth can give you resilience when life gets messy. It can provide a sense of direction when you feel lost. And it can fuel self-belief when doubt creeps in. It can also serve as a powerful reminder that you can change yourself if you want to. That we have the capacity for personal growth is also proof that ‘who you are now’ is not ‘who you must be forever’, and that any change you make isn’t an admission that you’re broken and applying a fix, but instead is evidence that you’re growing.
It’s important, however, to recognise that growth isn’t a single destination. It’s not just a checklist you work through. Even if you reach a point where you tick everything off a list, then that doesn’t signify that you’ve reached a point where ‘you’re as good as you’ll ever be’ (whether you like that iteration of yourself or not). Instead, it’s a lifelong journey of learning, evolving, and becoming more in tune with who you are deep down. No matter how much you grow over the course of your life, there is always scope for more - and that’s why, if you’re interested in growing as a person, finding sustainable ways to improve personal growth can be so important.
What Does a Personal Growth Coach Do?
A personal growth coach is someone who is there to walk beside you as you take your journey of personal growth. They aren’t there to tell you what to do, charting a course for you with all the answers already worked out. Instead, they truly are alongside you, meeting you where you are on your path forward and letting you choose the way ahead, while helping you make well-informed decisions with support such as the following:
Structure, perspective, and encouragement
When everything feels overwhelming, your coach can help you make sense of the chaos. We create a structure that keeps you focused, which also supports you in being your true self.
Help to clarify your goals
When we ask the right questions to help you drill-down and ‘find your why’, what might start out as vague ideas like "I want to feel better" become specific, achievable intentions that you can track progress towards, and reflect on.
Unpacking and unpicking limiting beliefs
So often, the stories we tell ourselves about what we can or can’t do are the very things holding us back. A good coach will help you spot these limiting beliefs, understand their true nature, and then take action to shift them.
Emotional and mental health support
Your coach shouldn’t be there to ‘fix’ you, because you’re not broken. Instead, their role is to support your own growth process, to reflect your strengths back to you and remind you that you already have the answers.
Tailored tools and strategies
There are no ‘cookie-cutter’ approaches in coaching. Everyone is different, their journey is different, and the obstacles that will be faced along the way are different too. This uniqueness therefore calls for a bespoke approach from your coach, with support, activities and guidance that’s tailored to you.
When you work with someone who truly sees you, coaching becomes a powerful way to improve personal growth in real, sustainable ways.
The Benefits of Coaching for Self-Improvement
Now that we’ve talked through the kinds of things that a good coach should (and in some cases shouldn’t) be doing, let’s move on to look at some of the benefits and changes that you might see when you choose to work with one.
Accountability that actually works
Working with a coach gives you someone to answer to, someone to hold you to your commitments. That can be a powerful motivator for some people, and help you show up for yourself consistently.
Tools and techniques that fit you
As we mentioned before, everyone’s journey of personal growth is unique, and the range of support that your coach offers should be unique to you too. In short, they should be looking to develop a mix of activities and support techniques that suit your lifestyle and preferences.
Judgement-free support
A good coach will be able to provide a ‘safe space’ for you to explore elements of your journey (or even yourself) without fear of your being misunderstood.
Ongoing course-correction
Growth isn't linear, it’s akin to a winding pathway, and one where the way ahead isn’t always clear. This is why coaches often talk of ‘walking beside you’. Together, you and your coach should assess, adapt, and keep moving forward towards your destination - just as two hikers on the same trail might.
Building confidence through small wins
A good coach should help you build momentum by helping you to identify smaller ‘mini-goals’ that break your overall personal growth journey into smaller chunks. They should also celebrate each little win along the way with you, knowing that each one helps to build your confidence, motivation, and contributes to a bigger change.
Coaching to improve personal growth isn’t just about feeling better - it’s about being better aligned with who you really are. Good coaching should provide you with a way to undertake your journey while minimising (or ideally avoiding) negative factors like judgement, burnout or overwhelm.
Ways to Improve Personal Growth (With or Without a Coach)
Next, let’s take a look at some practical activities which your coach may suggest that you undertake, and how they can help you along your journey. However, if you’re not quite ready to engage a coach, that’s okay too. There are still so many meaningful ways to improve personal growth that you can fit into your daily life and try on your own, if that’s where you’re at with your journey right now. Some examples you can work on, with or without a coach in support, include the following:
Daily reflection time
Keeping a written journal of daily achievements and thoughts (or even voice notes if that’s easier for you) along with mindfulness activities like meditation or a quiet walk can help you process your thoughts and feelings with clarity - and give you a reminder of those little wins that may still need celebrating!
Set intentional goals
Big or small, goals give you direction. Revisit and refine them regularly, and when you’re running short, add more. To add in a little more accountability for yourself, you might also choose to write these goals down and put them somewhere where you will see them often, or share them with a friend. At the same time, making your goals SMART can also add clarity and accountability by defining exactly what you want to achieve, and setting a timeframe for doing so.
Lean into discomfort
Growth often happens at the edge of your comfort zone, so don’t shy away from the stretch. It’s understandable that being in such a position might not feel ‘enjoyable’, but if you find yourself coming up against that barrier, reframe things by reminding yourself that ‘it not feeling great’ might signify an opportunity to take another step on your growth journey, and be a net positive.
Build habits gradually
You don’t need to make vast sweeping changes all at once to ‘grow’ - small but consistent actions still result in growth over time. They’re also a lot more manageable, easier to cope with and maintain, and tend to be more effective than sporadic, intense efforts.
Ask yourself deep questions
To grow, it’s important that you’re in tune with who you are deep down. To uncover that person and maintain a connection to them, it can help to hold a regular ‘check-in’ with yourself. When you do this, ask yourself ‘deep’ questions, like ‘Am I aligned with what I value?’ and ‘What’s driving my choices?’ Of course, it’s also vital that you’re honest with yourself in your answers, but when you are, it’s amazing how rapidly someone can get to know who they truly are underneath all the appearances, the desire to belong, and pressure from the external ‘social self’ world.
Each of these practices supports self improvement and personal growth, so they’re definitely worth trying, whether you’re doing them alone or with guidance from a coach.
What Coaching with Gail Looks Like
If you choose to work with me as your coach, here’s a snapshot of what you can expect:
Real talk, and real support: I don’t do fluff or fake positivity, and I’m not here simply to tell you what you want to hear. I create a space where you can be your true, authentic self without judgement, and I stand ready to walk your path of self growth alongside you.
Purpose-driven sessions: Every coaching session or call is intentional. We dig into what really matters to your true self and the obstacles that stand in the way of your progress, and then we figure out how to move past those obstacles.
A safe space for honesty: The coaching environment is the place where you have the chance to say the things you might have been too scared to say elsewhere, and the opportunity to do so without the judgement that may come from doing so in another forum.
With these three principles guiding our work, together we’ll map out ways to improve personal growth that can work for you and yield real results - while also working around your calendar and to-do list!
Making the Changes Stick
Of course, it’s all very well and good talking about the journey and the techniques that we have explored so far in this blog - but it might all be for naught if your enthusiasm and motivation for the work and the journey fade away after that initial surge of optimism. So how do you make sure that things don’t fizzle out after a few weeks? Here are a few suggestions that might help you stay on the front foot:
Integrate your growth journey into your lifestyle: Growth shouldn’t feel like a second job, it should be woven into your daily rhythm. Learn to spot the opportunities for growth that arise in daily life, and how to make time to take them.
Expect challenges: Even if you’re really good at the point above, sometimes life will get in the way, or you’ll set a goal and miss it despite your best effort. When it happens, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed, and coaching will help you dust yourself off, and navigate the rough patches successfully.
Celebrate the small stuff: Not every win is monumental or a fundamental shift in your sense of self that needs to be shared far and wide. Nevertheless, no one step on the journey needs to be more important than any other - progress is progress. That being the case, the little wins are just as important as the bigger ones, and they’re just as deserving of celebration.
Redefine failure: When things go wrong, it doesn’t have to be ‘failure’, it doesn’t have to be ‘the end’, Instead, try to take it as feedback - a learning moment that showed you ‘what not to do next time’, and by doing so, brought you one step closer to success the next time you try. A good coach will be able to help you look at setbacks with curiosity rather than more negative feelings like shame or anger.
Coaching really shines by helping you stay on the path, or accept a better one, even when it gets a little bumpy. In fact, that quality might be what makes coaching one of the most effective ways to improve personal growth in a lasting, compassionate way.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’ve been thinking about working with a personal growth coach like me, now might be the time to act. To get started, I recommend asking yourself:
Am I stuck in patterns I’m ready to break?
Do I want more clarity, confidence, and momentum?
Am I open to being supported in a way that feels human and kind?
If the answer to those questions is yes, then I encourage you to book a discovery call with me, and let’s get a feel for how we might work together. If you do, there’s no pressure to commit, just an initial connection that lets us explore if we’re a good fit as coach and coachee.
Coaching isn’t the only service that I offer however. I also have a lot of experience as a motivational speaker, and I hold regular writing and wellness retreats in my native Cornwall. Often, there’s a lot of crossover between the things that are covered in a coaching session and the things that come up during a speaking event or at a retreat. So, if you’re not quite sure about coaching as we wrap up this blog, maybe consider coming to one of my talks or a retreat as a taster for the kind of support that I provide.
In any case though, and irrespective of whether we choose to collaborate as coach and coachee in the future, my hope is that this blog has lit the spark inside you to begin or continue your journey of personal growth. If it has, then I wish you every success with it!