It is brave to work with a coach, to determine to make changes in one’s behavior that will bring one’s life to more satisfying places. I am glad that William chose to trust me to assist him.
William is a writer. I will always remember the first thing he said when he called,
“I am a very frustrated man. I am always on the brink of depression. I am wildly creative, have multitudes of ideas, and two novels I have been working on for years. I am passionate about my work and have never completed anything. I don’t know what to do.”
William turned 50 shortly before we met. He had struggled with challenges related to his AD/HD throughout his life, though had not identified them as such until his teenage son was diagnosed with AD/HD about five years prior.
William was funny. Early on in our work together, he mentioned that he was considering getting a job at Walmart. Taken aback, I asked him to clarify. “That way my wife will think I have a real job,” he said. William’s wife was very successful in her work outside the home. She often left lists of tasks for him to complete while she was at work.
In addition, William’s writing area, his “desk,” so to speak, was the dining room table. Between competing household tasks and trying to write in an open, unprotected environment, William actually had very little concentrated writing time. No wonder he was frustrated and accomplishing so little.
I asked William if he would consider taking an office outside the home and dedicate this space to writing. William’s entire demeanor brightened immediately! He had never considered this in the past. In less than a week William located a small office not far from his home. He brought a small bookshelf and filled it with favorite books. He brought in a simple desk, his computer, a comfortable chair and some organizing supplies including a calendar.
William and I met weekly. We broke the creative tasks of writing his novel into steps that made sense for him and his creative work, specifically. We created a schedule on which William would write. He began to understand the hard, daily, necessary work of being a writer. Over time and with support, he developed the skills and tenacity needed to write and write and write. He finished his novels as well as many additional creative projects and is no longer “a very frustrated man on the brink of depression.”
I am continually and deeply moved by the trust my clients place in me. I am grateful for their willingness and courage to try new things as they create more fulfilling lives.
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