Being a woman, undergoing career coaching sessions in Singapore was one of the best things that have ever happened in my professional life. No. They did not tell me things get better or those futile messages that are supposed to be comforting but hold no value. Instead, they focused on addressing problems and helping me overcome obstacles.

Let us focus on my takeaways. We will explore these lessons, and I hope to help people who are in the same situation I was in would have the courage to speak up and unleash their potential.

I HAVE FULL CONTROL

As a woman, I have always felt like I was not in control or should subscribe to traditions, which are usually inhibiting because they only tell me to know my place and recognise my weaknesses. Aside from that, I was unaware of taking control and changing the course of things once I got the chance. However, coaching and mentoring made me realise that I have control and can always strive for the things I wish to achieve.

IT IS PERFECTLY FINE TO FAIL

Failures are always essential in your career because they serve as lessons. You might question me for saying this because of the idea that these programmes should equip you with the skills or help you become perfect. On the contrary, it is about being realistic or facing failures wisely with grace. My mentor told me that people fail: It all boils down to how you deal with things. You can take it as a lesson or use it to your advantage.

MY VOICE COUNTS

In the workplace, I have always struggled with expressing myself during meetings or collaboration sessions because of traditions. On top of that, being a woman was a factor because of traditions, but I was glad my mentor helped me overcome that struggle. They gave me advice and even considered the idea of me starting my team coaching program to help those in need.

ALWAYS WELCOME CHANGE

Changes can be overwhelming, such as relocating to a new place for work or doing something new because of a recent promotion. One thing I have learned during my coaching and mentoring sessions was to welcome change with an open heart and mind. Get rid of the worries, take risks, go out of your comfort zone, and pursue what works for you! They even said that some things are worth risking and it is better to regret doing something than not doing it.

NEVER RUSH PROGRESS

Going from one to two, instead of jumping immediately to reach ten, was one of the best things I learned from this career coaching journey. It means being the best version of yourself without rushing things. Aside from that, it helped me build a mindset that every progress counts no matter how small or big. You start from one and go through all the numbers to reach ten.

ANspired was my partner in this journey. You can contact them for mentoring sessions or how to start a team coaching program in Singapore for your workplace.