The season of reflection, renewal and becoming.
Guest Blog Post By Lynne Copp, Executive Coach & Writer
Is anyone else like me, someone who regards the true New Year as September, and not January? Of course, this may be a throwback to my school-days conditioning when a September new school year usually comprised ‘new’ teacher, shoes, pencil case, and classroom – as well as the giddy chatter of friends catching up on one another’s summer adventures.
All of this carries an unconscious devotion to the cycles and seasons of our lives. One in which we recognise the passing of the ‘outward and active’ seasons of Spring and Summer, becoming replaced by the ‘inward and reflective’ needs of Autumn and Winter.
September encourages reflection. It interrupts our thinking and invites us to shift attention from what is happening around us to what is happening within us.
It is often at this point in the year that people begin asking deeper questions:
· Is this role still right for me?
· Am I living in the way I want to?
· Are my relationships flourishing?
· What's next?
· What am I avoiding?
· What do I fear?
· What do I desire?
These are the kinds of questions that coaching helps us explore.
To me, this is the real reason that September feels like the New Year and going back to school. September often shines a light on things we've been too busy to notice during the playful and social summer months. It is the season when many of us reassess our priorities, re-enter routines, begin new roles, face organisational change, or prepare for the year ahead. A career that no longer excites us. A leadership challenge we've been avoiding. A dream we've postponed for another year. A confidence issue that keeps holding us back. A relationship that is coming to an end.
We sense something needs to change, but we're not always sure what that change is, or how to navigate it wisely.
If there is a time to invest in yourself, September is it.
Sometimes, reflection alone isn't enough. We need a trusted thinking partner to help us make sense of what we are discovering about ourselves, our work, our life, and our future.
This is where coaching comes in.
Coaching offers something increasingly rare: protected thinking space.
In a world full of noise, advice and constant demands, coaching provides an environment in which the focus is entirely on you, your challenges, your ambitions and your future.
What is Coaching?
‘Coach’ literally comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word for a carriage, which is something that takes you from where you are now to where you want to be. In a nutshell, Coaching is the same, except that you hold the wheel, choose the direction, and manage the speed.
A coach supports you through exploration and creative inquiry to move from where you are now, to where you want to be. Coaching and mentoring are two of the most effective ways for people to build the self-belief, capability, strengths, behaviours, and actions required to succeed in life and work.
However, there are clear differences between the role of a mentor and coach:
· A mentor develops you from the ‘outside-in’ by teaching skills and capabilities to you, so that you can develop your competence to do a thing better. A mentor is a teacher and advisor.
· A Coach develops you ‘inside-out’ by guiding you to become aware of the strengths and talents you already have and creates the environment to achieve your visible and hidden potential.
My coaching clients come to me with a variety of presenting topics like building confidence, dealing with inner critics, a desire for a new career, support to transition into leadership or out of the workplace to new adventures – a coach is present for the conscious and unconscious agendas of the client.
Coaching is not therapy – and qualified, experienced coaches know the boundaries and terrain well. We know when to refer to counsellors, psychotherapists and other therapeutic professions. That is because our coach education is robust. Coaching remains an unregulated profession, so it is important to choose carefully. Look for recognised qualifications, professional accreditation and adherence to ethical standards. The relationship you build with your coach matters enormously, and so does knowing they have the training to support you safely and effectively. After all, you wouldn’t seek medical advice from an unqualified doctor, so why trust an unqualified coach?
Do I need coaching or mentoring?
Both coaching and mentoring are powerful companions in your work and life journey. One helps you stretch your thinking, deepen your self‑awareness, and grow from the inside out. The other helps you learn skills, navigate complexity, and benefit from experience you haven’t yet had.
With me, you have access to both.
A September Reflection
Before the season gathers pace, take a moment to ask yourself:
· What am I ready to leave behind?
· What deserves more of my attention?
· What do I want to achieve by next September?
· What is one conversation I've been avoiding?
· What lesson am I taking the longest to learn?
· What do I yearn for in work and/or life?
· What support do I need to move forward?
You might be surprised by the answers.
As September invites us to harvest, perhaps it is also an opportunity to harvest your personal potential too? If you are facing a transition, a challenge, a career decision, or simply feel ready for a new chapter, coaching can provide the space, support and challenge to help you move forward with confidence.
This September, give yourself the gift of thinking time.
It may be the most important investment you make to become the person you were born to become.
A bit about me:
Hello, I am Lynne Copp, Founder of The Worklife Company (1998). I am an experienced Executive Coach, expert in Organisational & Leadership Development, and an award-winning writer.
My craft of developing people and organisations, spans over three decades, and is continually enhanced by my dedication to continuous personal development on behalf of customers, clients and my own creative projects. I deliver coaching on a Private Client or business-to-business contract basis. My clients have included people who lead and work for the NHS, Google, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, EY, Life Sciences Agencies, Government Public Bodies, the Police and the Armed Forces. Private clients engage me directly, and not as part of their organisation.
I am a fully qualified and very experienced Executive Coach, with over 2500 hours of coaching experience. As a member, I uphold the ethics and expectations of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). In addition to my qualifications and credentials, I am currently studying for an MSc in Coaching & Behavioural Change at Henley Business School.
Click here to learn more.