Coaching - Session 1

Well, I had my first life coaching session today. As I told my BFF, I just have one word: BOO!!!

It was horrible. Number 1, at 2:30 (our scheduled appointment time), I didn't get a phone call. At 2:35, I called my coach, got a voice mail, and left a message. At 2:54, I get a phone call from him saying he needs to call me back. He finally calls to start the session at 3:10.

Then he asked me all these questions that didn't seem to have any real purpose - like, "Do you think in general that women grow into their own skin as they get older?" So I'm answering all of his questions thinking - what?!?! What does this have to do with me and my specific needs? Then he went on and on about Heather and her experience - a woman he coached. Hello - you wrote a whole book on her experience. I read it. You told me all about it on our introductory call. No offense, but I don't need to hear about it again. Where am I in this conversation?

I felt like he was reading from a script. He wasn't listening to me. And he obviously didn't pick up that I was getting annoyed by these crazy questions and ramblings.

We spent about 15 minutes going over my top 5 strengths that resulted from my Strengths Finder assessment. But again it seemed like he was reading. "An empathetic person shows these characteristics.... Do you see that in yourself?" Then he would ask me to give an example. So I did. Then he went on another tangent and then asked, "Can you give me an example of this in your life?" Hello...isn't that what I just did? Weren't you listening or paying attention?

Then he was like - ok - let's wrap up this call by coming up with an action plan for you to complete before our next session. He asked, "what would you like to do?" And I'm like - hello - I need your help. I don't know what action to take. Otherwise I would have taken the action already and not be stuck. So here is my "action plan" that he came up with:
1) Journal about your experiences. (I already do this.)
2) Do the reaching out worksheet. (Which I already did - it was a homework assignment for our first session. I told him I already did it. He said, "it may be helpful to do it again." WHAT?!?)
3) Finish the exercises in the "One Woman's Journey" book.
4) Spend 10 minutes every day in silence, listening for God to speak.

I hung up the phone feeling very disappointed. I spent $600 for this??? Since he is on a cruise next week, my next session is February 24. I really hope it's not another repeat of this session. I feel like I can't even be honest about it with my husband. He didn't want me to spend the money in the first place, as we are trying to get our way out of debt. But I convinced him that the investment would be worth it. Ugh!! I just feel so sad and disappointed. I want to cry.