The year was 2017. I was a mid-level manager at an advertising agency searching for something. In an annual review with my boss I asked “what do I need to work on in order to be promoted?” Rather than receiving actionable feedback, I received a shrug and the words “I don’t feel it yet. I’ll let you know when I do.”

I left the office that day and sobbed. I was frustrated that there was so little feedback or direction on my performance and seemingly nothing actionable I could do to grow - both my skill set and my position in the company.

It was that day I knew I needed a change. I wasn’t sure what that change would be but I knew something needed to be different.

I found myself Googling how to get promoted and how to become a leader to no avail. Yet there was a silver lining to my desperate Googling. I came across the field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. It was in this moment my next step became clear: graduate school.

The idea of pursuing a graduate degree was overwhelming. No one in my family or close circle of friends had ever taken this step so I didn’t have any footsteps to follow in. In the absence of clear direction, I knew I had to chart the course for myself. I broke down the overarching goal - apply to graduate school - into smaller steps: take the GRE exam, write the personal essay, complete the application case study, and ask colleagues to serve as references. Each of these steps felt overwhelming in themselves but dividing them further into strategic and actionable sub-steps made the gravitas of each step feel less consequential.

While I was under the impression I had thought of everything, I hadn’t anticipated the onset of a global pandemic. While my original plan was strategically sound, the new reality of my external environment had set in. Because testing centers closed due to COVID-19, I had to push back my GRE exam which had a knock on effect on the semester I would be applying, which subsequently impacted the case study I was to complete. Knowing the only thing that’s certain in life is change, I remained agile and allowed myself to adapt to the unpredictable world around me. I moved the goal post and strategically rejiggered my plan to take into account the elements in life I couldn’t control.

Google and a series of lucky choices set me on my path to scoring my goals. What I didn’t realize at the time is that you can make your own luck. What seemed ‘lucky’ was really the product of strategic planning and remaining agile to the world around me. I was able to see the overall picture as well as the small details which is what ultimately enabled me to score my goal.

While I was able to do this on my own, I relied heavily on outside forces to serve as my coach. My friends, family, and most importantly, Google, aided me in this process but ultimately I had to coach myself.

In reflecting back on my experience, I yearned for a coach in the early stages of my career. Someone that could have helped me navigate the lack of feedback I had become accustomed to and then later to help me during my career transition. Someone to help set the tasks for me and someone to move the goal post when I was feeling like the tasks were no longer achievable. Someone to hold a mirror up to my face and remind me why I’m doing what I’m doing. Someone to score the goal with me rather than watching from the sidelines.

I believe that individual success is a team sport and all teams need a coach.

As your coach, your goal is my goal. Let’s score some goals together.