After 16 years of coaching (and living real life right alongside my clients), I can tell you this, the BEST advice isn’t always the most inspiring quote or the most perfect morning routine. The best advice is the kind that still works when you’re tired, overwhelmed, grieving, caregiving, parenting, or just trying to get through the week without losing yourself. Coaching has changed over the years, and honestly? I’m so grateful for that. The world is craving gentleness, truth, nervous-system safety, and support that feels sustainable, not another thing to “fix.” That’s also where coaching is trending globally, as growth is still happening, but the demand is shifting toward support that actually fits real life.
1) Start where you are and not where you think you “should” be
The fastest way to get stuck is to shame yourself into change. The most effective change comes from honesty: This is where I am today. From there, we build one small step that feels doable. If you’re waiting to feel motivated first, you may be waiting a long time. But if you start with the truth, you always have something to work with.
2) Your nervous system is part of your mindset
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen, and one of the biggest trends right now, is that people are realizing mindset isn’t just “think positive.” It’s also, Do I feel safe? Am I regulated?" "Am I running on fumes?" That’s why nervous-system regulation, somatic tools, mindfulness, and gentle practices are becoming more central in coaching conversations.
3) Consistency beats intensity (every single time)
You don’t need a huge breakthrough week. You need a rhythm you can repeat. Big “all or nothing” pushes create burnout. Gentle consistency creates trust, and trust creates change.
4) Stop trying to earn your worth
This one is personal and universal: so many women have been taught they must prove they deserve rest, love, support, and success. My best advice? Treat your worth as a given. You can still grow. You can still heal. But you don’t need to punish yourself into becoming “better.”
5) Make decisions from values, not pressure
Pressure makes you chase quick fixes. Values help you choose what actually fits. If you don’t know what to do next, ask yourself, what matters most right now? Questions to ask yourself: What am I trying to protect? What kind of life am I building?
6) You can’t hate yourself into a life you love
Self-criticism might feel like motivation, but it usually creates freeze, avoidance, and exhaustion. Compassion creates momentum. Not because it’s “soft,” but because it’s sustainable.
7) Healing isn’t linear, and neither is confidence
You will have amazing weeks and hard weeks. That doesn’t mean you’re back at zero. It means you’re human. A big part of coaching is learning how to respond to setbacks without spiralling.
8) The goal isn’t to become someone else, it’s to come home to yourself
Real coaching isn’t about a new personality. It’s about returning to the version of you that’s been buried under survival mode, people-pleasing, and exhaustion.
9) Coaching is becoming more digital, more flexible, more blended
More coaching is happening online and through digital formats because people need accessibility and flexibility.
At the same time, we’re seeing growth in “human + AI” support models inside platforms and workplaces, not to replace humans, but to scale support and improve matching and learning.
10) Clients are craving practical support for modern overload
Another trend that I’m seeing everywhere is that people aren’t just asking for help achieving their goals. They’re asking for help with their focus, overwhelm, emotional regulation, burnout, and the feeling of mental clutter that modern life creates. This overlaps with rising interest in coaching approaches that support executive functioning, burnout recovery, and real-life systems.
11) The most powerful question I ask clients
“What would you do if you trusted yourself completely?” Not if you had more time, more energy, more money, or everyone’s approval, but if you simply just trusted yourself.
12) My final, and best, piece of advice after 16 years
Don’t wait until you feel “ready” to start taking care of yourself. Ready is not a requirement. Start with one small, loving choice today. A boundary, a breath, a journal page, a walk, a glass of water, a conversation, a pause, or even a quiet moment where you simply choose yourself again. Because success isn’t just a big dream or a distant goal. Real success is being able to live your life without abandoning yourself along the way.
If any of what I said resonated with you, and you're truly craving a gentle place to begin or come back to yourself, I have created The Mindset Makeover as a self-paced space for reflection, self-trust, and small, meaningful shifts. It’s not about fixing yourself or rushing change. It’s about reconnecting with who you are beneath the noise and chaos of life, and having something steady to return to when you need it. There is no pressure to be ready. Just an open invitation, if and when it feels supportive for you.
Cheers,
Coach Jo <3
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