I often think about what it means to be “ready” for something.
Ready for the Camino. Ready for coaching. Ready to stop trying to figure everything out alone.
When I was discerning whether to sign up for coach training, God kept putting this phrase in my mind: “Let’s try something new, together.”
Not “you need to have this figured out first.” Not “wait until you’re more prepared.” Just: let’s try something new. Together.
It reminded me of preparing for my first Camino. I could train, I could read guidebooks, I could buy the right boots. But at some point, I had to show up in St. Jean Pied de Port and start walking. (The blisters taught me I definitely wasn’t as ready as I thought.)
And that’s what readiness actually looks like. Not having it all together. Just being willing to try something different – with help.
So if you’re wondering whether Catholic coaching is right for you, here are three signs.
Sign #1: You’re Tired of Making All the Decisions (And You’ve Lost Touch With What You Actually Want)
Here’s something that often feels counterintuitive to me: I live alone. I only have to answer to myself. So shouldn’t I know exactly what I want?
But the truth is – I’m tired of making decisions. All of them. Every single one.
I do always figure things out. Partly because I like to, but also because I feel like I have to be self-reliant. There’s no one else to figure it out for me.
This can be a particular struggle for single Catholics, I think. Because we’re called to be God-reliant, not self-reliant. We CAN’T do it on our own – that’s the truth of the human condition. But we’re living in a reality where we think we have to, at least for the everyday stuff.
Somewhere in all that decision-making and figuring-it-out, I lost touch with what I actually want; not what needs to get done, not what makes sense, but what I actually want.
And I lost the sense that my desires can actually be gifts from God, hints about my purpose, and not just me being selfish. Anyone else struggle with feeling selfish because the only person you have to worry about on a daily basis is yourself?
Through my own coaching experience, this started shifting in small ways. Like realizing I could delete songs from my favorite playlist instead of just skipping them every time they came on. (Why did it take me so long to figure that out?) Sounds silly, but it was practice for saying “I don’t want this” instead of just enduring it.
You might be ready for coaching if: You’re tired of being the one who always figures it out. And you’re willing to admit that maybe God-reliance actually includes asking other people for help.
Sign #2: You’re Done Waiting (But You’re Not Ready to Settle, Either)
You’ve been in waiting mode for a long time.
Waiting for your life to look the way you thought it would by now. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for things to fall into place before you can really start living.
And you’re starting to realize the need to accept that this IS your life. Right here, right now.
But here’s where it can get tricky: you’re not ready to just settle. You’re not ready to say “well, I guess this is it” and stop hoping for anything more. You still (long to) have dreams, desires, and things you want to move toward.
What you’re actually ready for is learning how to live fully in your actual life right now, while still holding space for what’s emerging.
For me, this currently looks like finally making my house reflect how I actually live now – not how I lived 10 years ago when I first moved in.
Turning my guest bedroom into an exercise room, even though that meant admitting I don’t actually have that many guests.
Finally repainting my bedroom and getting blinds – it’s been 10 years. My mom helped me paint when I first moved in, and I think part of me didn’t want to change things even though she’s been gone more than five years. But it’s okay to live the life I have now.
You might be ready for coaching if: You’re done putting your life on hold, but you’re also not willing to give up on what matters. You want to figure out how to do both.
Sign #3: You Know You Can’t See What You Can’t See
You’ve tried to figure it out on your own.
You’re self-aware. You read books. You pray. You journal. You reflect. You go to mass.
And yet you keep ending up in the same place.
I think about questions I encountered in being coached myself – the ones that created real shifts for me. “What if change brings MORE comfort?” “If you want to be chosen, you have to make yourself an option.”
I would never have asked myself those questions. Not because I’m not smart or self-aware, but because I couldn’t see the angle I was missing. I was too close to it. Too stuck in my own assumptions about what was true.
That’s not a failure of intelligence or self-awareness. It’s just… you can’t see what you can’t see.
You might be ready for coaching if: You recognize that going it alone isn’t working anymore. Not because you’re failing, but because some things require a different perspective.
What Happens in the Finding Camino Joy Program
If any of these signs resonated with you, you might be ready to explore Catholic coaching with me.
The Finding Camino Joy program mirrors the journey of my first Camino – six weeks that move from building your foundation, through clearing mental obstacles, to integration and direction.
Weeks 1-2: Building Your Foundation
We start by understanding how you’re actually wired. Using the Four Temperaments framework, we’ll identify what drains you, what energizes you, and your default patterns when you’re stressed or making decisions. You’ll establish practices that work WITH your temperament instead of against it.
Weeks 3-4: Clearing the Mental Path
This is where we dig into what you actually want versus what you think you’re supposed to want. We’ll examine the obstacles that keep surfacing – perfectionism, people-pleasing, comparison, fear of disappointing others. The work here is staying with uncomfortable questions without rushing to solutions or distracting yourself with new projects.
Weeks 5-6: Integration and Direction
We bring it all together. You’ll start to recognize the transformation that’s happened, define what joy and contentment actually look like in your real life right now, and create concrete next steps that honor both your limitations and your longings.
You’ll have weekly one-on-one sessions with me, plus ongoing support between sessions as you work through what’s emerging.
Ultimately, you’ll discover that Camino Joy (that deep happiness and gratitude that comes from being exactly who you were made to be) is available right now, in your actual life.
The First Step: A Discovery Call
If you’re curious about whether this is right for you, the first step is simple: a conversation.
No pressure and no sales pitch. Just you, me, and honest conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
We’ll talk about what’s not working, what you’ve tried, what you’re hoping for. And whether the Finding Camino Joy program might be a good fit.
I’d love to explore this with you.
-> Click here to schedule your discovery call.
Because here’s what I know from three Caminos and my own life journey: you don’t have to have it all figured out to take the first step. You just have to be willing to stop trying to figure it out alone, and take it one step at a time.
Buen camino!
Ready to take the first step? Schedule your discovery call here.