How Long Coaching Takes To See Results

“How long is this all going to take?”

^ I hear this question a LOT on my exploratory calls with potential clients. 

Typically when I start working with people, they wonder what they should expect and how long it’s going to take for them to see results in their work. Whether their goal is leaving their current role, landing a new job, or figuring out what it is that they really want to do, they’re eager for change and ready to talk about timelines. It’s natural! They’re about to embark on uncharted territory, and it’s normal to have questions.

Unfortunately, my answer to them tends to be “it depends”. I know that’s not a particularly rewarding answer, but it’s the best answer I can give. I simply can’t provide you with a clear timeline for our work because it varies so much.

Coaching timelines vary because each person, goal, situation, and experience is completely different. I’ve had plenty of similarities between clients over the years, but I’ve never had two people who are exactly the same. I’ve worked with some clients who decide to leave their company, and have something lined up by the time we start working together (forcing us to shift our coaching plan entirely). I’ve also had clients who take in our work, find clarity, then shift their existing role to better align with their needs. I’ve ALSO had clients who did this, and then 6 months later, decided to use what we applied and start their own side business.  

Short answer: there’s no short answer. 

As a coach, I can’t tell you EXACTLY what the path ahead will look like. I don’t have a crystal ball. What I can tell you, though, is that this coaching container is typically 3-5 months for 1x1 coaching, and a month or two for self-study. I can also tell you that while we can’t predict the future, I can say with quite a bit of certainty that if you do the work and take different actions, you will likely have VERY different results too. Change will happen, we’re just not sure what it will look like! ;) 

Action drives change. So while I can’t predict the future, I can tell you that with certainty

What other questions do you have about coaching? Drop them in the comments, and I’ll happily reply. If you get lucky (and I have way too much to say), I might even share a whole blog post with an answer! And of course, if you’re curious about what coaching might look like for you, you can always apply for a free exploratory call here.