Life and Career Coaching

- Creating the life you want with intention and wisdom...

Together you will delve into what is really important to you. You will work with your values, beliefs and habits (including unconscious blind-spots) to help you break free from the aspects of your personality that have been holding you back and wasting your energy. This includes looking at your shadow and understand how to engage with those parts of you in a kind and supportive way, towards wholeness.

Benefits of life coaching

Get clear on your goals and ambitions
Assess your values, passions, strengths and skills
Identify where to focus based on your strengths
Build your self confidence
Create more balance in your life
Develop your resilience
Develop and reach out to a support network of people to help build success more quickly
Build your self-awareness and situational awareness
Clarify your needs and ensure that they are served by your new career direction
Build strong motivation around your goals
Career transition and taking the next step
Work on areas that are holding you back, such as interviewing, negotiating, communication
Develop your skills and strengths even more so that you shine more brightly than others
Create a strong sense of identity based on your authentic self
Hone your ability to tell impactful stories about yourself based on your authentic identity
Create a process for you to continue moving forwards, and to incorporate learning at each stage

Through coaching, you can work on your goals and values, as well as your thinking process and the way you make meaning of your world. This includes supporting you to develop your self-belief and motivation to achieve whatever it is that you feel is missing right now in your life. It may be related to success, happiness, connections, impact, balance or anything else that is important to you. As your coach, Tom will balance support and challenge to assist you in creating the change you seek.

A collaborative approach to coaching

The process of coaching is a tricky one to explain. For all the training and science behind the methods, there is a slightly mystical element to how it works and what the outcomes are. It's as though the process of coaching is unexplainably more than the sum of its parts. For Tom, the most important aspect of coaching is that this is a partnership between coach and client. The coach is not an expert in life, or on the client, so the client partners with the coach to explore their thinking, their reality and their journey towards whatever inner or external goals are important.

Coaching can be seen as:

A deep processes to help you identify where you are limiting yourself, and to move past these internal limits so that you can transform your life
A mixture of powerful cognitive, emotional and somatic approaches to bring you fresh perspective, let go of what no longer serves you and move forward with new skills and insight
A safe space to share and be heard without judgement
Practical and effective evidence based approaches
Tools that you can take away and use for yourself to accelerate your growth

Life / Work Balance

The real work of regaining your authentic success and fulfilment in life

Tom has experienced first-hand the strain of poor work-life balance. He knows what it feels like to constantly work, to neglect health, to miss out on precious moments with loved ones, and to let hobbies and passions fall by the wayside. He also know the toll it takes - the toll on physical health, mental well-being, relationships, and personal growth. It’s a path he walked down for many years, until he realized the value and importance of a balanced life.

The first step on his path to change was to acknowledge that there was an issue. He understood the importance of taking ownership of his life and creating a plan to balance work with relaxation, connection, and enjoyment. He says it wasn’t easy, but it was one of the most rewarding decisions he's ever made.

Along the way, he learned valuable lessons and developed strategies that helped him overcome roadblocks, particularly self-sabotage. He discovered ways to redefine my boundaries, delegate tasks, manage his time effectively, nurture his relationships, take care of his health, and rediscover the things he loved to do. "Mountain biking has been an important part of my life since I was a teenager, but somehow I'd lost contact with it. Buying a bike and getting back out on the trails with friends was one of the best things I've done for myself". He also learned to practice mindfulness and to ask for help when needed. The journey was a transformational one that led me to where he is now - living a life where work is an important part, but not the only part.

As a life coach, Tom has taken these lessons and experiences and used them to help others in similar situations. "My journey gave me insights and empathy to understand and relate to the challenges my clients are facing. I've been there, and I know the way out. I've turned my past struggle into a toolkit of resources and strategies that can help you reclaim your life from the clutches of overwork".

With Tom as your guide, you won’t just be receiving coaching from a trained professional, but from someone who has walked in your shoes. Together, you will identify your unique roadblocks, develop personalised strategies, and work step by step to create the balanced life you deserve.

We invite you to join Tom on this journey. This is not just about striking a balance; it's about cultivating a more profound, authentic success that values personal well-being as much as professional achievement. Reach out to Tom at coachingwithtom.com, and embark on this journey towards genuine work-life balance and success, together.

Life Transitions

Life is a series of transitions. Each of us, at different stages, will encounter moments of transformation that fundamentally alter the path we walk. Whether it's embarking on a new career, stepping into retirement, navigating the complexities of divorce, or grappling with other significant life changes, these transitions, though inherently part of our journey, can often feel overwhelming and daunting.

Life transitions, though inevitable, challenge us in unique ways. They disrupt our routines, force us to step out of our comfort zones, and present us with uncertainties about the future. For instance, a career shift might stir questions about professional competence, while retirement could raise concerns about identity and purpose. Similarly, personal transitions like divorce might involve emotional turmoil, requiring adjustments in lifestyle, relationships, and self-perception.

But as challenging as these transitions may be, they also hold immense potential for personal growth and self-discovery. And this is where life coaching comes into play.

Coaching is not about providing all the answers, but it's about partnering with you in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires you to maximize your personal and professional potential. Here's how coaching can support you through life transitions:

Gain Clarity: Life coaching helps you to gain clarity about your goals and desires, enabling you to make decisions that align with your core values.
Develop Resilience: Through coaching, you'll learn to cultivate resilience, an essential skill in navigating change and overcoming adversity.
Improve Decision Making: With coaching, you can learn effective decision-making strategies, helping you to make informed choices about your future.
Boost Confidence: Coaching can provide you with the tools to boost your self-confidence, empowering you to embrace new beginnings and opportunities.
Enhance Emotional Wellbeing: By offering strategies to cope with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, coaching supports your emotional well-being during challenging transitions.

Tom is here to help you navigate these periods of change with grace, resilience, and confidence. Our coaching sessions are designed to respect your unique journey, focusing on your strengths and potential, and empowering you to make the most of every transition life throws your way.

You don't have to face life's transitions alone. Reach out to us, and journey together towards a more empowered, resilient, and fulfilling life.

Coaching for Resilience

In life, we face numerous challenges and setbacks that can test our resilience. Whether it's dealing with personal loss, facing career transitions, or navigating difficult relationships, building resilience is key to overcoming these obstacles and thriving.

Tom believes that resilience is not just about bouncing back from adversity but also about learning, growing, and adapting in the face of challenges. "I work with my clients to develop skills and strategies that enhance their ability to handle stress, manage setbacks, and maintain well-being".

Resilience represents our ability to bounce back from adversity, challenges, and life's various stressors. It's our psychological adaptability that allows us to maintain emotional balance and continue moving forward despite the hardships we encounter. While we all face adversities in life, with high resilience, we are able to cope with and recover from difficult situations more effectively, using their experiences as opportunities for growth rather than as sources of lasting distress.

Resilience can be challenged by a range of factors. These can include major life events like the loss of a loved one, a health crisis, or losing a job, as well as everyday stressors like work-related issues or interpersonal conflicts. External factors such as economic instability or societal pressures can also put our resilience to the test. Personal factors such as low self-esteem, lack of social support, or the presence of mental health issues can weaken resilience, making it more difficult for us to bounce back from adversity.

Despite these challenges, the importance of resilience in life cannot be overstated. It plays a crucial role in our overall well-being and quality of life. Resilience allows us to manage stress, overcome obstacles, and adapt to change. When we are resilient, we are way more likely to view difficulties as manageable rather than insurmountable, seeing them as opportunities to learn and grow rather than as threats. Resilience can help us maintain a positive outlook, improve our relationships, and enhance our performance in professional settings.

Resilience also serves as a buffer against deeper mental health challenges, and serves to promote psychological growth following traumatic events. By fostering resilience through coaching, you can equip yourself with the inner resources needed to navigate life's challenges with grace and strength, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Through a combination of awareness, intention, and choice, Tom helps his clients build resilience in various areas of their lives. He supports individuals in re-connecting with their direction and letting go of what no longer serves them in their personal lives and in their relationships. He helps his clients build awareness, set and achieve goals, and navigate life transitions with resilience and grace. He also assists individuals in unlocking growth and maximizing their potential in the workplace. Tom helps clients develop leadership skills, build effective teams, and create a work-life balance that promotes resilience and well-being.

Coaching for Performance

Getting an Edge

As athletes keep looking to new ways to get an edge in training and competition, Tom believes that addressing the impact of thoughts and emotions on physical wellness and performance is fundamental to an effective, holistic, approach to coaching. This is especially true given all the research and evidence that now exists demonstrating the impact of the mind on the physical body. Having competed in various sports for most of his life, he moved to Chamonix in 2011 to work and enjoy an active life in the mountains. As a Mountain Leader Tom is regularly in the mountains and enjoys supporting clients with the mental as well as the emotional and physical aspects of staying active.

The application of sports psychology and mental coaching isn't only relevant to sports; the same inspiration and values are directly applicable to the wider arena of life and work. Tom's holistic approach to coaching, drawn from extensive research and personal experience, focuses on the crucial influence of thoughts and emotions on overall wellbeing and performance. His method of coaching is geared towards defining goals, identifying potential blocks, adjusting unhelpful mental and behavioural patterns, and addressing self-sabotage. Crucially, he maps out the interrelated aspects of life, revealing how various factors can influence our mindset and performance, both of which are vital in today's ever faster paced and crisis focused world.

He also stresses the importance of comprehending clients' "whys", thus enhancing commitment to their professional or personal endeavours through motivational work. Topics such as managing perfectionism, overcoming high expectations, improving self-acceptance, and developing consistency in performance are beneficial not only to athletes but also to clients in everyday life, offering strategies to cope with challenges, enhance self-confidence, and perform optimally, moving beyond one's comfort zone. By consciously and unconsciously addressing these aspects at a mental and emotional level, clients stand to unlock new levels of achievement. As a coach, Tom supports athletes in the following ways:

Defining goals and identifying internal and external blocks to achievement,
Adapting mental and behavioural patterning from to detrimental to supportive.
Addressing unconscious self-sabotage and eliminating unhelpful unconscious patterns.
Mapping the impact of the wider interconnected aspects of life.
Values, meaning and strengths work supports athletes to understand their “why” and to stay committed to their practice, training and competing through motivation and engagement.
Self-awareness to stop athletes wasting energy in ineffective belief and response patterns.
Identifying potential unresolved trauma, both minor and major trauma which occurs naturally and sometimes unexpectedly during our life.

Specific areas of focus might include:

Overcoming high expectations.
Strategies for optimal concentration.
Building and maintaining superior confidence.
Improving trust in skills.
Coping with mistakes.
Managing perfectionism.
Overcoming the need for approval.
Improving self-acceptance.
Developing consistent performance.
Strategies for pre-event preparation.
Performing beyond the comfort zone.
Coping with pregame nerves.
Working with the fear of failure.
Efficient practice and training.
Returning to performance after major life change or setback.

By addressing these at a mental and emotional level, both consciously and unconsciously, there is potential for athletes to unlock new levels of performance and let go of mental and physical limitations.

Mindfulness for Performance

Tom is a certified mindfulness guide and can support athletes to use mindfulness as a powerful tool in both training and performance. Mindfulness, like any other skill, takes practice to master, the benefits for athletes (and all those involved in high pressure situations) can be significant.

Here are the most important aspects of mindfulness for performance:

Present Moment Awareness: One of the fundamental aspects of mindfulness involves being fully engaged in the present moment, which allows athletes to focus on the task at hand rather than getting lost in thoughts about the past or future.
Non-judgmental Observation: Mindfulness involves observing one's thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without labelling them as good or bad. This can help athletes to accept their current state and performance level without negative self-judgment.
Body Awareness: Mindfulness helps athletes to tune into their bodies and notice subtle physical cues that can inform their training and performance. This can involve noticing sensations of fatigue, tension, or injury that might otherwise be overlooked.
Mind-Body Connection: In practicing mindfulness, athletes can foster a stronger connection between mind and body, which can contribute to improved motor control and technique.
Stress and Anxiety Management: Regular mindfulness practice can help athletes to better manage stress and anxiety, both of which are common in competitive sports settings.
Cultivation of Positive States: Mindfulness can help to cultivate positive states of mind such as calm, focus, and resilience. These can be particularly beneficial for athletic performance.