A bit about me - Sally Chapman

My Background - what led me to coaching 

I believe we all go to work because we to make a difference, we want to do a good job.

And that's how I felt about HR.  I didn’t choose HR - but I fell into it & loved it.  

You see, I too wanted to make a difference.   The thing is when you love what you do, you go all in. You take on anything & everything, whatever is thrown your way. 

But what happened is that I let my work ‘get out of hand’. I put it on a pedestal and wasn’t quite sure how to get it back down.

It was like this snowball rolling downhill fast, getting bigger, gaining momentum.

Let me take you back to my HR days…  which is what I did before I trained to coach and founded Shine Coaching.

As an HR professional, I loved what I did. I loved the people, the organisations, the variety, the pace of work, the challenges.

I was respected, valued as a leader of people, projects, just about anything that came my way (or I sought out); I was constantly in demand because I was making a difference. I felt I had impact stamped on my forehead!

It gave me such a buzz. A full-on adrenaline high.

And God, I worked so damn hard.

Working 60-70 hrs/wk, doing my CIPD degree in my ‘spare’ time, running a household, battling with a teenager going off the rails.

I felt I had to prove my worth, that I could cope, take on the world, and more.

And then when I did, I didn’t know how to take my foot off the pedal, slow down, and for some of it, I was afraid of what would happen if I did. There was a bit of me that loved the thrill of being at full throttle! You know it’s dangerous but there’s a pull that you just can’t resist.

Work became all-consuming; I made it my number one priority. I’d say no to stuff out of work, and make excuses to others, myself, why work had to come first.

Everyone thought I had it sorted. I’d been masking & putting on this ‘I’ve got this’ front for so long it became second nature.

And because I’d put my everything into getting this far, because it had my blood, sweat & tears invested in it, everything I’d ever wanted, there was a part of me feeling guilty as to why I felt this way.

It wasn’t until 2019-20 that I caught sight of what I had become. I am forever grateful to the pandemic for making me slow down. Yes, it damn near caused me to burn out completely, but it also was the wake-up call I needed.

I couldn't switch off, my mental & physical health were pants, and my relationships weren’t as solid as I wanted.

I'd lost sight of the whole me, who I really was outside of work; work ‘me’ was bigger than the rest of me. 

Does any of this sound familiar? Do you have a similar story, not knowing how it will end?

Let me give you a few more clues to see if it really resonates with you:

• You feel pretty confident in your work persona 

• You please others yet forget to please yourself

• Have one or more of the following characteristics (Be strong, Try harder, Please others, Be perfect, Hurry up) raising their head more than you’d like 

• You know what the signs of stress and burnout are but pretend they don’t apply to you or indeed show up in you 

• You feel slightly isolated even when you’re in the midst of others 

• You are certain no one will understand how you feel 

• You look like you’ve got it all from the outside 

• You feel something is missing but haven’t the foggiest about what it could be 

• You want to progress further, promotion, new challenges, organisation, own business but are either being looked over or you’re scared that this will be thing that actually breaks you if you continue at the rate you are going (when actually it could be the making of you)

• You over-promise to the detriment of yourself 

• The responsibility feels good, earned for, yet heavy and cumbersome
  

You’re not alone. And you can change. I did. And I can help you too as well.

Yes, I get it. Work is very important. It is very important to me & so many others. 

And yes, it does define us in a big way, but it doesn’t have to consume you. 

It is just one part of the wonderful human that you are, just one part of your rich tapestry of life 🧡

Are you ready to take that leap? Make that change?