You’ve become used to the benefits of your coaching sessions but now your coach is unavailable. And you have a topic that you want to work on. Whether you’re stuck in an important project or you’re unsure how to handle expectations at work. So what to do?

There are ways to deal with this. It is easy to get used to the external help which a leadership coach can provide. It can be reassuring to know there is a neutral person that will support you. And it can be a trap to believe that you cannot support or help yourself.

When there is an urgent topic you need to take care of or when there are moments of uncertainty, this will help you:

Steps to take

Step 1: Identify what the issue or the goal is. And take some time to define and answer this. Best way to do this, is to write it down. This will give you extra time to reflect on what is being asked from you. It does not need to be full journaling. You can also note keywords.

If it’s not about a task but about a stressful moment, do the same. Start writing what it is that gives you feelings of stress and try to describe the issue and also the effect on you. This will help you recognise the trigger or underlying issue.

Step 2: Refine what needs to change: This may involve setting a clear goal, envisioning a solution to a problem, or determining how you wish to feel. What needs to be different to the situation you find yourself at right now. This can work by identifying a change that needs to happen now and one that is further ahead.

Step 3: What action is required from you to make this change happen? Again, is it doing something specific to reach your goal or is it going for a walk to counter your moment of stress? Define it and note it down. This helps a lot with reflecting on the situation later on.

Step 4: Take action and do what you have defined.

Step 5: Be aware of what is changing. As you take action to reach your goal, how does this feel? What changes? As you go for a walk to counter stress, can you see a difference it makes? Try to be in that present moment and be aware of these changes. And be aware of how it changes your attitude and also your own feelings.

Reflecting helps you learn for next time

Step 6: Write down what happened. Write down what is different to when you started this exercise. Reflect as much as possible and recognise not only any differences but also actions you have taken and how does affected you.

It’s important to remember that a lot can be done by oneself. This is very important in difficult moments, be it stress or pressure or expectations on oneself. It helps a lot to be in the present moment, to take a deep breath and be aware of one’s own strength.

The more you practice, the more confident and self-reliant you’ll become. So, whenever your coach is unavailable, don’t hesitate to turn to techniques like this.

Here’s a related post by Harvard Business Review.