Blog - KPCoaching

What’s one story you’ve been telling yourself that is no longer serving you?

October 13, 2026/by Kathy Parks

We can be incredibly hard on ourselves sometimes – especially with our self talk that can be so negative – we sure wouldn’t talk to a good friend that way!

And yet, we do it to ourselves all the time.

Many of these stories that we tell ourselves have been with us for years. Some started when we were very young, perhaps from something we didn’t understand or misinterpreted at the time. But over the years, those stories grew. We found examples to reinforce them, and eventually they became something we just accepted as true.

I’m not smart enough, good enough, (thin enough?). I’m terrible at math, I’m not leadership material (You fill in the blanks).

And now, years later, we may not even remember where the story came from. But it’s still there, always holding us back, and often sadly, we don’t even notice it sabotaging us.

So here’s a question I often ask my coaching clients:

Is that really true?

Maybe it was true once. Maybe that story even helped protect you at some point in your life.

But is it helping you now? Or is it keeping you from seeing what you’re really capable of?

What would happen if you challenged that story? Or even just put it aside for a while?

Who would you be without it?

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own heads that we can’t see what’s right in front of us.

Maybe it’s time to stop letting an old story define who you are today.

And start writing one that reflects who you’ve become.

What’s one story you’re ready to let go of?

I’m Finally Taking My Own Advice!

October 4, 2026/by Kathy Parks

Prune, release and let go.
Over the past month, I attended several different women’s groups, and strangely enough, the speakers all seemed to have a similar message: Sometimes we need to let go of what is no longer serving us to free up more time for what does. For what is really important.
I finally heard it enough times that it hit me. This is what I’ve been talking to my clients about all year.
Apparently, I needed to hear it a few more times myself!
It was a bit of an epiphany (and I haven’t had many of those lately!) but once I started looking at what I could release, it felt like a real weight had lifted.
As we head into the final push of the year, I think there’s a question worth asking:
How much capacity do you really have?
And maybe even more importantly, what is taking up too much space in your head?
Sometimes clearing your mind is even more valuable than clearing your schedule. In fact, one often leads to the other.
We don’t have to control everything, and we don’t have to volunteer for everything.
And we don’t always have to jump in because we know we’re right—or because we know we can fix something. Especially when no one actually asked us to fix it! Sometimes the best thing we can do is step back, step out, or simply let it go.
It’s not always easy, but I’m discovering that it can be incredibly liberating.
And when we release the things that are draining our energy, we create more room for the people, work, and experiences that really matter.
Who knew?
So, what could you prune, release, or let go of before the end of the year?

One Great Job Search Strategy (hint: it’s not rocket science or even new!)

September 27, 2026/by Kathy Parks

Here’s one job-search strategy I wish more people would use – it’s not new or revolutionary, but so many don’t do it. And it can separate you from all the noise out there and the hundreds of applications a hiring manager receives.

Stop just applying for jobs & start talking to people.

It sounds so obvious that I’m a bit reluctant to mention it to my clients. But I still see talented, experienced professionals spending hours submitting application after application – and then waiting for a response that very often doesn’t come.

There’s another step that can make a difference. When you find a role you’re genuinely interested in, do a little detective work. Find the hiring manager, someone on the team, or a person in your network connected to the company. (And there’s lots of ways you can easily do that)

Then reach out – start a conversation.

Introduce yourself. Mention the role. Share briefly why it caught your attention and what you could bring to it. Is there a need or problem that the Organization has that you can help solve? (It really helps if you have done your homework and can show your knowledge about the Org.)

Keep it short, personal and most importantly, human.

Because your goal isn’t to ask a stranger to get you a job – it’s to start building a relationship so you can stop being just another résumé in a very crowded applicant pool (that they may not even see!)

A thoughtful message can show initiative, genuine interest and confidence – and it gives someone a reason to connect your name with the application that they now pull out of their big pile. And maybe even move it to the top of the pile!

Apply for the job for sure, but don’t stop there. A job search isn’t only about submitting applications – it’s about creating conversations & relationships before you get into the room (and to help you get into the room!).

If everything else you are doing isn’t working – try this and see if it helps. If they don’t reply back, nicely sent them a note again – people are busy. But they absolutely appreciate the effort of someone trying to stand out and be seen – if it saves them time, even better.

And sometimes one conversation is all you need to get noticed.

It’s Never too Late to Live Up to Your Potential

September 24, 2026/by Kathy Parks

I believe it is sad when people do not live up to their fullest potential.

It’s a shame – and a waste of how they could have contributed to themselves, their work, their families, and the world. And I care because it means they’ve unknowingly denied themselves of a potentially richer, fuller and happier life.

But what does “living up to your fullest potential” actually mean? And why would someone want to do it anyway?

Potential does not have to mean achieving more simply for the sake of achievement. It can mean recognizing what you are capable of and deciding what you want to do with it. It can mean finding work that allows you to contribute in a way that matters to you.

As a coach I see that people do not always believe in themselves or see what their real potential is. Maybe they have lived small or simply gone along, not expecting very much.

Maybe they are afraid to make the effort, put themselves out there, and perhaps fail.

Or maybe no one else has expected them to become who they really are. No one has noticed what they might be capable of—or taken the time to see it. And that is sad, too – sometimes just a little light shined on them is all they need.

Or, perhaps another person does see the potential in someone but doesn’t know how to bring it out. Seeing possibility in someone is not the same as helping that person recognize it for themselves.

If you have a sense that something is missing from your work or your life, perhaps it is time to stop and think about what else might be out there.

What have you always wanted to do?

What would make you much happier than what you are doing now?

What do you have to contribute that the world might need?

You may not know the answers yet. You may have spent years going along with a path you did not consciously choose. You may have forgotten what you once wanted or stopped expecting that it could be possible.

But that does not mean the potential is gone.

It may mean that you have not seen it clearly yet.

There is still time to stop, look at what is missing, and consider what might be possible for you.

It is never too late to live up to your potential!

What Does Work Need to Give You Now?

September 16, 2026/by Kathy Parks

Some people plan their careers. Others just fall into them.

Either way, many of us do not think much about the choice after that. We go about our lives, doing what we have always done – until something changes.

Maybe the work is not fun anymore. Maybe it is not serving us the way it used to. Or maybe we begin to wonder whether we should have been doing it at all.

Different things matter at different stages of life. Some things become less important, while others become much more important. The work that once suited you may no longer fit who you are, what you value, or what you need from your life.

That does not immediately answer the question of what you should do next. It gives you a better place to begin:

What has changed?

What needs to change?

Before deciding whether to stay, leave, or do something completely different, it helps to ask what your work needs to give you now. What are the non-negotiables you need in your job and your life moving forward? What has become more meaningful? What are you no longer willing to accept? What matters now that did not matter as much before?

It can also be difficult to answer these questions when you do not fully appreciate your own potential.

People do not always see what they are capable of. They may have forgotten what they once wanted to do ‘when they grew up’. Even that answer can keep changing, because we keep changing.

When you cannot see your potential clearly, you may also struggle to see what is possible for you.

So the question is not simply, “What other job c uld I do?”

It may be: How do I reconnect with the passion I used to have? How do I identify what matters to me now? How do I create a path toward it?

Those are difficult questions to work through when you are inside your own head. Sometimes you need an objective person to talk to – someone who can help you explore what has changed, recognize the potential you may not see in yourself, and begin finding a way forward.

I think there is nothing sadder than someone not living up to their potential or realizing their dreams.

The answer – and the final outcome – is usually not what you expect it to be. I have seen this time and time again with my clients. But it is worth taking the journey to find out.

As a starting point, I would ask:

“If nothing changed and you were still in this same role two – three years from now, how would you feel about that?”

You do not have to know the final destination before you begin. You can start by asking what your work and life need to give you now.

Why is it so hard to figure out my next career step alone or how do I find the clarity to make the right decision?

August 17, 2026/by Kathy Parks

People cannot always see clearly when they are in their own heads. I run across this all the time – it’s not because people lack intelligence or self-awareness, but because we all have blind spots. We repeat familiar stories. We protect old identities and we confuse what we have always done with what we must keep doing.

Thinking out loud changes the quality of reflection. When I listen to a client, I am listening not only for the facts but also for what keeps returning: the phrase they repeat, the option that brings their energy up, the trade-off they avoid naming, or the assumption hiding beneath the decision. (or that secret dream they had as a kid…)

That is one of the greatest benefits of career coaching. A coach offers an objective, confidential space where you can hear your own thinking more fully. Workplace coaching research also consistently emphasizes outcomes such as greater self-awareness, learning, performance, and goal attainment. The coach is not there to hand you a life plan. The coach helps you develop the clarity and confidence to build one that is genuinely yours.

My Process: Expand Before You Decide

My working sequence is simple. I call it the ‘See it Clearly’ or ‘Expansion Before Direction’ Framework: or, let’s just take a deep look before we decide to do anything.

1. Step Out of the Immediate Problem

We shift from “What should I do?” to “What is actually going on?” This helps separate the urgent feeling from the deeper issue. Sometimes the job is the problem. Sometimes it is only where the problem is showing up.

2. Expand the Landscape

We look across work, life, and identity. We explore responsibilities, growth, environment, relationships, lifestyle, values, energy, strengths, and where you are in your life. The purpose is to see the full picture before narrowing the options.

3. Surface Patterns and Tensions

We connect the dots. What themes keep returning? Where do your stated goals conflict with the conditions you say you need? What have you not yet given yourself permission to want—or to let go of?

4. Clarify What Matters Now

We identify present-day priorities, non-negotiables, trade-offs, and the conditions that feel best for moving forward. The words “right now” matter. What defined success in the past does not have to define it forever.

5. Choose a Direction, Not a Perfect Answer

Then we move into grounded action. You may decide to stay and redesign your role, strengthen your leadership approach, explore a new industry, test an idea, or begin a career transition. The goal is not certainty. It is enough clarity to take the next honest step.

Should I Stay or Leave My Job? There May Be More Than Two Choices

Career decisions are often framed as a binary: stay or go. But that framing can create unnecessary pressure and hide useful possibilities.

Before deciding, I encourage clients to ask:

What, specifically, is no longer working—and what is still working?
Is the misalignment coming from the role, the organization, the manager, the workload, or the way I am working?
What would need to change for staying to become a genuine choice rather than a default?
What am I hoping a new job will give me that I do not have now?
Which needs are non-negotiable in this stage of my life?
What small experiment could give me more information before I make a major move?

Sometimes these questions confirm that leaving is the right choice. Other times, they reveal that a thoughtful redesign would solve the real problem with less disruption. Either result is valuable because the decision comes from clarity rather than reaction.

So You Do Not Necessarily Need to Blow Up Your Career to Change Your Life

One of the most important things I want people to know is that transformation does not have to be dramatic. You do not always have to leave and upend your career. Sometimes the courageous move is to go. Sometimes it is even more courageous to stay and renegotiate. Sometimes it is to admit that an old ambition no longer belongs to you. And sometimes it is to take one small step toward a possibility you are not yet ready to name as a plan. Either way, the choice is yours – it’s just so much easier to have someone help you see it more clearly!

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