Spring is here – FINALLY! Especially, if you are in NYC, you know what I am talking about. I am so ready to lock away my winter coat, you have no idea. I love seasons and especially spring! I just feel like things around me are waking up and emerging again. It’s a time of renewal, reinvention, and creation of opportunities and relationships.

And, let’s be honest, spring clothes and rosy cheeks are just so much cuter than winter layers and Casper-like complexion.

In today’s post, I want to share with you how I first DECIDED on becoming a coach and then WENT FOR IT.

I know that so many of you are struggling with finding professional direction AND going for what you want. Getting clear about what you really want to do with your life and when the right time is to go out and pursue your purpose in the world is a tough and scary topic. Trust me, I know this just too well.

My story from confusion to clarity:

About a year ago, I finished my M.A. thesis and graduated as a published author with a degree in Counseling Psychology. However, by the time graduation rolled around, I instinctively knew that being a Marriage & Family Therapist who has to go through up to 5000 hours (depending on the state) before becoming licensed in one specific state only was just not going to align with the life I was currently creating for myself. (As you may know already, I am from Germany and Raz, my boyfriend who I met while I was getting my M.A. is from Sweden, so together we have no idea where in the world we are going to be in the long run.)

In addition, I started having doubts if I was cut out to be a therapist. To be honest with you (and I was embarrassed to admit that at first) I wasn’t sure if I could handle the emotional heaviness. I had my doubts about diagnosing and if I would be able to do crisis intervention work without burning out in about 10 minutes. I was also scarred shitless about being sued and not being able to pick my own clients. In essence, I was afraid that I would lose the harmony I had finally created in my personal life and within myself.

So, even though I loved my M.A. studies and all the amazing realizations I made and tools I learned –many of which I apply in my coaching today to listen, tune in, respond, and hear underneath the surface—there was just this lingering feeling that being a therapist wasn’t 100% right for me, both practically and emotionally.

I found myself back at square one and I cannot tell you how frustrated I felt. There were 100 voices and opinions around me (including my own!) saying “What?? Are you really going to change what you are doing AGAIN?”

To give you a little back-story: I majored in International Studies at Boston College for my undergrad, then I did a Postbacc Premed Program at Columbia University because I thought I wanted to step into my parents’ footsteps and go to medical school before I decided to get my M.A. in Counseling Psychology. Don’t get me wrong, I needed to go through all of these stages to first follow and then let go off external expectations, return to myself, and finally see and love who I really am.

But, regardless, even though I was now able to talk about international warfare, the molecular structure of Mg+, and help people interpret their dreams and overcome traumatic events, I had also just spent a good chunk of money on education and was feeling super guilty, restless, and incredibly annoyed with myself for not being able to just figure it out. Why was I so difficult? Couldn’t I just be normal?

When I started learning about coaching and how it differs from therapy, I had glimmers of hope that my studies weren’t for nothing after all.

Sometimes it just takes a subtle shift from what you are doing already to reveal what is a perfect fit.

Coaching as a philosophy aligned with all of the things I loved about counseling psychology (tuning into people, reflecting, creating intimate environments where a person could truly unfold and explore) AND it was also filled with forward-looking action, fun, and positivity. This combination is what I am good at and what I really could AND WANTED to add to the world.

But HOW would I start this? And WHEN was a good time? I felt completely overwhelmed.

So, what are the top 5 things I did to create clarity, momentum, and direction?

1) I confided in people I trusted about my doubts, hesitations, fears, and worries. If I was going to be free of negativity, I needed to flush through these things. I needed to see and recognize how my confusion was affecting other areas of my life to kick my butt into gear and act.

2) I went out and showed up with curiosity. I looked for networking events to meet other coaches and people who I thought were doing cool stuff. I began surrounding myself with people I admired and basically “tried on” what it would be like if I was one of them.

3) I understood that google does not have the answer. I stopped reading articles and instead actually utilized my psychology skills to tune into myself and get super clear about who I wanted to work with and what types of topics I want to talk about all day long. Once I created a program that reflected this I invited my friends over to my house, cooked them dinner and presented my ideas so I could get feedback from real people.

4) I got a coach to facilitate my own decision making process and teach me how to set up the cornerstones of coaching business.

5) I manifested (no joke!) my dream part-time job at Urban Zen in NYC that would support me through the initial months of prep work. Literally. My friend Lindsay sat me down and made me write out in detail what I wanted. Two weeks later I had that job.

These are some of the most essential things I did that worked in getting me into a state of clarity and direction.

Can you see what the overarching theme is here? I asked for help and created a community of support to bounce my ideas off of, to keep me grounded and sane, and to help me figure out what was right for ME.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT ON YOUR OWN AND IN YOUR OWN HEAD.

I don’t know about you, but my mind can go totally nuts at times and I can run myself into whole mountains of confusion, information overload, and second guessing hell. Knowing what you want to do and how to make strong decisions that are aligned with what you actually want isn’t easy. And that is okay! Once you do get clear, it will feel all the better.

This is why I am so excited for my up-coming 4-week workshop on Decision-Making. I literally cannot wait to share more information, exercises, and tools with you that I used in order to make decisions that I really really want to stick to.

This workshop will consist of an amazing in-person group of 6 women.

There is so much power in community and getting together in real life. Fears and doubts can be flushed out and released. Encouragement can flow freely and authentically. If you are unsure about how to make decisions that will support you in your own life, you don’t want to miss this opportunity. Here are the 4 topics we will cover:

Meeting 1: Flushing out confusion. The 4 truths about decision-making.

Meeting 2: How have you made decisions in the past? What is holding you back? Who are you trying to impress?

Meeting 3: Tuning in. How to access your intuition?

Meeting 4: Manifesting. Trusting. Committing.

We will meet at the beautiful Atmananda Yoga Studio on 67 Irving Place, 2^nd Floor for four consecutive Tuesdays: April 23^rd & 30^th and May 7^th & 14^th from 6:30pm-8pm aka. you will be out in time to meet your friends for dinner.

(If you cannot make one of the dates, contact me here and let’s talk about how we can work around that!)

Early Bird Special: $183 before Sunday, April 14^th

Regular Investment: $217 after Sunday, April 14^th

Wanna join the group and start Spring feeling clear, light, and on point? Email me at Caroline@carolinezwick.com to reserve your spot! I would love to have you.