After more than four months, I finally received the results of my application to be certified at the highest level (MCC) by the International Coach Federation. It was an intense process, involving 1.5 years of hard work on English training, recording and analyzing over 20 coaching sessions in English, coaching with a mentor, and achieving more than 2,500 coaching hours.
Most of my dossier was approved, but the assessment of my two English coaching sessions was ‘below passing standard.’ This meant I was not qualified as an MCC coach. It was a hard blow, and that weekend I shed quite a few tears. I felt like a failure (“See, you can’t do this!”) and doubted whether I wanted to go through the stress again.
But in those uncomfortable feelings lies growth potential. After reflecting with my peer coach Stella Rapti I decided that I no longer wanted to be the high performer who always wants more, better, and faster, even under stress. I want to feel joy and relaxation, continue to work on my development, and make a positive contribution to people’s working lives. Therefore, I have decided not to reapply within six months. That was a victory over the high performer in me, and it feels wonderful.
Sometimes you don’t get what you want: a promotion, that job, or a diploma. It’s disappointing, but in such situations, it’s interesting to slow down and reflect: who do you want to be, and how do you handle it? That’s why I’m sharing this with you, hoping that my experience might inspire you.