Guided to Your Goal: A Glimpse into a Coaching Journey

“The more you overthink, the less you will understand.” - Habeeb Akande

Do you know that feeling of having a million things to do, but you don’t even start because you're afraid of failing?

That’s exactly what 24-year-old Julia was going through when she signed up with Coach-Wave, hoping to gain clarity, motivation, and finally tackle her procrastination. We sat down with her to talk about her coaching journey.

In the interview below, we explore:

• Why someone decides to try coaching

• How Coach-Wave helped her find the right coach

• What the coaching process looked like

• What she took away from the experience

  
  

First off: thank you, Julia, for the open and heartfelt conversation.

What sparked your interest in coaching?

“As a student, I used to approach my studies pretty spontaneously and often crammed last minute for exams. Most of the time, I just barely passed. By the fifth semester, I realized something had to change. I often felt overwhelmed and unsure of where to even begin.I knew I needed more structure in my life but didn’t know how to build it.On top of that, I started feeling disconnected from myself. My thoughts became restless and negative: Why can’t I just get started? Am I lazy? I’ll probably fail anyway... Eventually, I opened up to a friend who told me about Coach-Wave and recommended the platform.”

What was your first impression of Coach-Wave?

“At first, I was skeptical. Coaching had always seemed a bit unprofessional to me, and I had my doubts about self-proclaimed ‘gurus’. The huge range of options online was just overwhelming.

What convinced me, though, was knowing that all coaches on Coach-Wave are vetted and certified. That gave me confidence in their professionalism and experience.

Signing up was easy and commitment-free. I really liked the short survey where I could specify which topics I wanted to work on. Based on that, I got matched with suitable coaches – which made the whole process so much easier.”

What topics did you want to focus on?

“My focus was on stress, time and self-management, and figuring out my goals and vision. I was facing four tough exams that I had been procrastinating on for weeks. I needed motivation and a structured daily routine.

Up until then, I was just going with the flow and had no idea how to build a learning routine. At the same time, I felt pressured to get my life together and constantly compared myself to other students who seemed way more organized.”

What was your first impression of the coaches suggested to you?

“Very positive! I got a selection of five coaches that matched my needs and preferences. I could browse their profiles and see their experience and pricing – which was especially important to me as a student.

There was also a feedback feature where I could read reviews from other coachees, which really helped me get a sense of what to expect. It made the selection process clear and straightforward.”

How did you choose your coach?

“I took advantage of the free intro calls. I didn’t even know that was standard practice, but I was really grateful for it. I could easily schedule them through the Coach-Wave website and the Calendly app.It was important to me that there was a personal connection and that I liked the coach’s approach. In total, I had three initial conversations.The calls took place over the phone or via video. All the coaches were friendly, professional, and structured. I was impressed by how they immediately helped me articulate my goals.After the conversations, I took some time to reflect and ultimately chose Simon Kratzer – a psychologist, psychotherapist-in-training, and coach.”

What were your coaching sessions like?

“Simon and I had already talked about expectations during the intro call. Each session lasted two hours, and the hourly rate was listed on his Coach-Wave profile.

In the first session, we clarified my goals. We worked on a Miro board (a digital whiteboard), where I could visualize my challenges – that helped me gain so much clarity. We created a monthly, weekly, and daily plan. I quickly realized that having a clear structure helped me overcome procrastination.”

How did Simon support you in reaching your goals?

“Simon explained that as a coach, he’s like a guide helping me find my own answers. That was really empowering because I never felt judged.He documented the key takeaways from each session on the Miro board, so I could always revisit them later. It helped me organize my thoughts.Together, we built a realistic daily structure and worked out how to integrate study time and social activities into my routine. We also created a visual overview of my personal strengths and long-term goals, which I could refer back to as motivation.This visualization really helped me follow through on my plans.”

How many sessions did it take to reach your goal?

“We had two sessions, each two hours long. Even after the first one, I already felt more grounded. I was able to continue working independently and knew I could always schedule another session if needed. Simon was also available between sessions, which gave me a sense of security.”

When did you feel the coaching process was complete?

“Once we created a structure that really worked for me. I noticed my procrastination was decreasing, and I was tackling my study goals more consistently. At the same time, I started feeling more balanced again.Simon and I agreed that I would now implement the results on my own. We scheduled a follow-up check-in via email in a few months.”

How would you rate your coaching journey overall?

“5 out of 5 stars! I'm really grateful I asked for help. I was surprised by how easy and effective the coaching experience with Coach-Wave was. Sure, you confront your insecurities, but Simon created a safe space to do that.

That new perspective still sticks with me today. I can only recommend it!”

Thank you Julia for your openness!

Got something on your mind that you’d like to talk about with someone professionally qualified? Take a look around at Coach-Wave. You can create an account for free and explore which coaches specialize in the topics that matter to you. If someone catches your eye, you can easily schedule a free intro call – no pressure to commit. Who knows? You might just take the first step forward. :)