05/09/2026
This week, I was reminded of what I can do when I put my mind to something and set it as a priority.
Key themes of this long post are to search for your answers internally, then find a way to externalize them!
I hadn't been tracking a new International Coaching Federation change that would require mentor coaches to be credentialed (starting 1/1/2027). A potential mentee asked me if I was pursuing the MCS. The answer was no: I wasn't in the process of getting my MCS, and I wasn't planning to do it.
At first blush, it seemed to be too far out of my reach. The approved trainings were costly, and it would take about 50 to 70 hours to complete them. I was hesitant about the hours of training and the expense.
Researching my heart was my next step in the decision process. After long walks to think, talks with my daughter and my peer coach, I decided I needed to see if there was a cost-effective way to obtain the training. That I wasn't ready to step away from mentor coaching.
I settled in and asked ChatGPT for programs, and it found two, but they weren't approved yet, and once approved, their pricing would go up considerably. Then I decided to email the programs ICF shared with me to see if any were approved and included the targeted program I needed, rather than the larger, comprehensive 24 to 50-hour programs for someone who wasn't already mentor coaching. This legwork led me to a wonderful course that met one of the required trainings, and it was under $500 (some were almost $5000).
Starting Wednesday morning, I dug into the three courses. It is almost the only thing I have been doing for the last four days.
Now, I didn't let this erode my workouts, my support for the YMCA, or my calls with important people in my life (my daughter, niece, and an old friend), but everything else fell by the wayside for a few days.
I just completed all the training, and I learned A LOT! Now I just have to wait for ICF to open the credentialing window, and I will be one of the first to come online (as long as they accept all my training and mentor coaching logs).
Picture of the boat I want to paint, I took on my walk, and Violet begging me to stop reading on my phone (I literally was training almost constantly for the last four days).
NOW WHY did I push so hard? I didn't want to have this hanging over me while I see my daughter in 10 days! Because she is my HUGE priority:)
If you are still here reading this, I will leave you with a question or two.
What are your priorities?
What can you do to externalize them?
