Many men ask me how coaching actually helps—and what it’s really like to face change when you feel stuck. Toward the end of this article, I share a piece of my own story—because I believe lived experience speaks louder than theory. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the climb ahead, keep reading.🧠
⛰️ Standing at the Base of the Mountain
Recognising the mountain is a courageous act in itself. Many men never admit—either to themselves or others—that something needs to change. They carry on as if the terrain is flat, even as their internal world becomes heavier with every step.
So if you’ve seen the mountain—if you've acknowledged that something in your life is out of alignment—then you’ve already taken the first brave step. Even if you're stuck right now, even if you haven’t moved yet, that recognition is powerful. It’s the start of every meaningful climb. Have you ever looked at your life and felt completely overwhelmed by the change you know needs to happen?
You might know something is off—whether it’s your career, your marriage, your motivation, or your sense of purpose—but the sheer size of the shift required leaves you frozen. Sometimes, it’s not just the scale that intimidates—it’s the uncertainty. The mountain is often shrouded in cloud, its path unclear. You may not even know how far it goes or what the next steps look like, only that something big stands between you and the life you’re meant to live. It’s like standing at the base of a mountain with no clear path, no guide, and no belief that you can make the climb.
This is where many men find themselves in midlife. They’ve achieved a version of success, but feel increasingly misaligned with the life they’ve built. And when they finally realise that something needs to change... they don’t know where to begin.
🧑💼 The Weight of Doing It Alone
Most men I coach have spent their entire lives believing they need to figure things out on their own. It’s a message we’ve internalised since boyhood: real men don’t ask for help.
But here’s the truth: this mindset isn’t noble—it’s exhausting. And more than that, it’s limiting. It not only holds the man back—it also impacts those around him. When a man is stuck in silence or avoidance, his loved ones feel the disconnect. His team at work notices the hesitance. His partner senses the emotional distance. The cost isn’t isolated—it’s relational, emotional, and sometimes generational.
Trying to navigate major life change alone can lead to stagnation, burnout, and quiet despair. You stay at the base of the mountain, staring at the summit, not because you’re lazy—but because no one ever taught you how to climb it with someone beside you—like a Sherpa on Everest, a guide who knows how to navigate the climb, adjust the pace, and encourage you when you falter.
🧭 Coaching as a Guide: What It Unlocks
Coaching doesn’t make the mountain smaller—but it can make the climb more achievable. The climb is possible without a coach—some make it on their own. But for others, the support of a coach offers something valuable: insight, perspective, and encouragement at critical moments. Not to carry you, but to help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Here’s what a skilled coach helps unlock:
🔍 Clarity – Identifying what truly matters, sorting signal from noise.
📈 Confidence – Helping you recognise hidden thought patterns that may be holding you back—even ones you don’t realise are there. These beliefs often operate quietly in the background, shaping decisions and feeding self-doubt. A coach helps bring these into the light and replaces hesitation with healthy momentum. 📆 Accountability – Someone walking beside you, keeping you on track.
🔮 Strategy – Turning abstract desire into concrete, aligned action.
A coach isn’t there to rescue you. They don’t carry you—but they walk with you, attuned to your pace, your terrain, and your strength. Their role is to help you remember your own capability—and guide you to use it with purpose.
🔄 The Shift in Identity: Becoming Your Own Climber
Perhaps the biggest change isn’t what you do—it’s who you become.
Coaching helps men move from:
This shift may not come with applause or summit flags—but it changes everything. Eventually, the Sherpa steps back, and you continue the climb stronger, clearer, and more aligned than ever before.
🧠 My Own Mountain
Before we wrap up, I want to share a part of my own journey—because sometimes the most powerful perspective comes from lived experience. If you've been wondering whether you're the only one feeling stuck or unsure, this next section is for you.
My mountains came into view around 2019—and they didn’t appear one at a time. It was more like a mountain range: challenges in work, personal relationships, habits I wasn’t proud of, and the creeping reality that my body could no longer do what it once had. I was also facing down the weight of imposter syndrome, struggling with a version of success that no longer aligned with how I felt inside.
I’ll admit, I dipped into a mild state of depression—until I found the courage to reach out for support. For me, that came in the form of a coach and members of my faith community. They became my Sherpas—not fixing the climb, but walking with me. They helped me find perspective, encouraged me to take just the next step, and reminded me not to obsess over the summit.
I learned to appreciate the view from where I was—even if it wasn’t the peak. I began to take in what each phase of the climb had to offer: the pain of growth, yes, but also the beauty of becoming.
Am I at the summit? No. And to be honest, I’ve come to love the climb so much that I don’t want the process to end. I’m at peace with the man who is emerging—still a work in progress, but no longer stuck. And when I stumble or lose my bearings, my Sherpa is there—supporting, encouraging, and guiding me back to my path.
I know this journey, because I’ve taken it myself—and I’m still on it. I share that story not to centre myself, but to let you know you are not alone. The first step isn’t easy—but it’s powerful.
💬 Let’s Talk About the Mountain
You don’t have to stay stuck staring at the summit. The climb begins with a conversation.
🚀 If this resonates, let’s connect for an obligation-free chat.
📢 If you know someone silently facing their own mountain, share this with them. Let’s normalise these conversations—seeking support isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom.
📷 StockCake
For years, I looked successful on the outside - but inside, I questioned whether I was truly enough. Like many men, I carried the weight of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the quiet fear that one day, I’d be ‘found out.’
Yet, here’s what I’ve learned: self-doubt is not permanent. It is possible to move beyond it and into a life of confidence, purpose, and deep fulfilment. This is what changed for me when I finally saw myself as enough.
✅ Leadership: Avoiding risks, hesitating to speak up, or feeling undeserving of success.
✅ Relationships: Struggling to be fully present, fearing vulnerability, or keeping people at a distance.
✅ Personal Fulfilment: Constantly seeking external validation or feeling like an imposter despite achievements.
I can trace my self-doubt back to childhood—always feeling like I had to prove my worth and striving to be ‘good enough’ in the eyes of others. That drive carried into adulthood, where I learned that hard work and overachievement could mask my feelings of inadequacy.
As I climbed the corporate ladder, I wore success like a suit of armour. But beneath it, I still doubted myself. Every promotion, every accolade felt like a temporary shield against the fear that I wasn’t truly deserving. And the weight of that performance took its toll.
I became exhausted by the act of ‘holding it all together,’ avoiding situations where my so-called weaknesses might be exposed. Deep down, I feared that if people really saw me, they would realise I wasn’t who they thought I was.
Then came the moment of reckoning—the day I finally acknowledged the truth: I was measuring my worth by the wrong standards. Self-worth isn’t earned through external success - it’s built from within. And that realisation changed everything.
✅ Clarity & Inner Peace – Finally being comfortable in my own skin and finding my voice.
✅ Authenticity in Leadership & Relationships – No longer hiding behind perfectionism or people-pleasing.
✅ Energy & Purpose – Moving from self-doubt to self-assurance, fully stepping into my purpose.
Self-worth is not about external success - it’s about how you see yourself. The journey isn’t easy - it’s layered and often requires unlearning deep-rooted beliefs about ourselves - but it is possible, and it is worth it.
I share my story because this struggle is more common than you think. If you're feeling something similar, know this: You are not alone - and most importantly, it does not have to define you.
🚀 If this resonates, let’s connect for an obligation-free chat.
📢 If you know someone who needs to hear this, share this with them. Let’s normalise these conversations - seeking confidence isn’t weak; it’s essential.
#SelfWorth #MensMentalHealth #LeadershipGrowth #MidlifeReinvention #ConfidenceMatters
For years, I built a life that looked successful—career achievements, financial stability, a happy family, and the ‘right’ lifestyle. But increasingly, something felt off. I was surviving, not thriving. Looking back, midlife wasn’t the crisis I had feared; it was an incredible blessing and opportunity. When I finally chose to realign my life with my true purpose, everything changed. Here’s what that looked like.
This day is still crystal clear to me. I was writing an executive report but struggling to engage with it. I thought, I cannot do this for the rest of my life!
I turned to my bookcase for yet another procrastinating distraction and noticed its four rows. Two books on IT (… and I was an IT Exec!!! …), while the rest were dedicated to teams, corporate culture, self-mastery, and faith. Neither of the IT books had been read. That was when it hit me—I never truly cared about the technology. It was always about the people.
It has become a four-year journey of rediscovery and restoration. The journey continues, but every day is now filled with an adventurous, almost boy-like enthusiasm—rather than wondering how I will survive another day.
The first step was acknowledging who I was—and, more importantly, who I was not. Instead of living in denial and forcing the proverbial round peg into a square hole, I decided to explore what might emerge if I pursued my passion for people.
At this stage, everything was still very fuzzy and undefined—at some level, even terrifying. I had no idea what lay on the other side or how I would successfully transition into it. But I knew one thing: I couldn’t stay where I was.
Looking back, these are some of the benefits I now (only now) realise I have received as a result of embarking on this journey:
✅ Inner Peace: No more living for expectations—I finally feel at home within myself. Imposter syndrome is diminishing, and there is a deep, intrinsic feeling that this is what I was made to do.
✅ Renewed Energy for Life: Waking up each day with excitement instead of obligation. I LOVE what I do. My days are filled with research, learning, engagements, and meetings that inspire and energise me.
✅ Stronger Relationships: Deeper, more authentic connections with those around me. My relationships at home have taken on a new depth and richness that words struggle to articulate. I feel like I love my wife and kids more than ever before. My love for them is now less about performance and more about genuine support.
✅ Reframed Success: I now define success on my own terms, not by external validation. I know what I do is important. I know it makes a difference. I don’t do it for fame or fortune—I do it because I love it. Seeing men move towards their unique purpose—and the sense of freedom that follows—is a privilege. It is available to all of us!
Purpose is not a magic wand. It is a process, a journey into yourself. As elusive as it may seem, it is well within your grasp.
It requires intentionality, courage, forgiveness, and self-compassion. It is a daily practice—wax on, wax off. (If you’re in midlife, Mr Miyagi’s words will resonate, I’m sure!) Yes, it requires discipline too, but the rewards are worth every effort.
The first step is to recognise and acknowledge if there is a misalignment. If engaging with this is difficult, seeking support from a trusted, non-judgemental thinking and processing partner can help navigate the journey.
It’s not all a bed of roses—it is hard, tough, and draining. But from the day I started (the day of the bookcase realisation), I also found sources of resilience I never knew I had. The journey wasn’t about easy answers; it was about stepping into the unknown, trusting that clarity would emerge along the way.
Midlife reinvention isn’t about throwing everything away; it’s about refining, realigning, and restoring.
If you’ve felt that quiet sense of misalignment, know this: You have the power to choose purpose over the mind-numbing routine of mere survival.
I have not taken this journey on my own. I owe this restored purpose to some very close and special friends, an incredible family, and the coaches in my life. I would never have made it this far alone—and I am eternally grateful.
🚀 If this resonates with you, let’s connect for an obligation-free chat.
📢 If you know someone who needs to hear this, share it with them. Let’s normalise these conversations—seeking fulfilment isn’t weak; it’s essential.
#MidlifeReinvention #PurposeAlignment #AuthenticLiving #MensCoaching #LeadershipGrowth
In the spirit of vulnerability, I want to share my own experience with imposter syndrome—because for years, I lived it.
💭 The Moment of Realisation Mid-2022, I sat frozen at my desk, struggling to write a report for my executive team. My mind was empty. A thought hit me: I cannot do this for the rest of my life.
📚 The Clue Was in My Bookshelf I turned to my bookcase—four rows of books. Two on technology. The rest? Leadership, culture, faith, and self-improvement. Those two unread tech books confirmed what I had long ignored: I wasn’t passionate about technology—I cared about people.
⚠️ The Weight of Imposter Syndrome This explained why leadership praise felt uncomfortable and technical feedback stung. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t who they thought I was. So, I overcompensated—working harder, staying later, avoiding exposure.
🚫 Avoiding What I Feared Most Networking events were my nightmare. Surrounded by IT experts, I felt like a fraud. My career thrived on careful navigation, but as technology evolved, my imposter syndrome grew.
😞 The Impact on My Whole Life This misalignment affected more than my career: ❌ Relationships – I wasn’t showing up authentically. ❌ Health – Stress and exhaustion took a toll. ❌ Spirituality – I felt disconnected from my deeper purpose.
🔎 The Answer Was Always There My bookcase told me what I needed to do. I didn’t need to double down on technology—I needed to pivot. Once I embraced this, opportunities opened. I gained new certifications, explored new spaces, and stepped into a career aligned with my true purpose.
✨ What I Gained by Letting Go I may not have the material ‘trophies’ of success, but I now have: ✔️ Relationships – Deeper, more authentic connections. ✔️ Health – Reduced stress and greater balance. ✔️ Spirituality – A stronger connection to purpose and faith.
Looking back, the hardest part wasn’t the shift—it was admitting I needed to change.
🚀 A Message for You If any of this resonates—if you feel a quiet misalignment—know that you’re not alone. Stepping into purpose takes courage, but the life you’re meant to live is waiting on the other side.
📩 Let’s connect—your next step starts with a conversation.
