7 Tips for How to Get the Most Out of Coaching

We see coaching sessions not as a quick fix but as a creative space for deep personal growth, expanded self-awareness, and authentic leadership development. Whether you work with an experienced professional coach through executive coaching, leadership coaching, or even with a trusted life coach, the real value comes when you show up fully and embrace the process.

This guide shares practical, neuroscience-backed ways to turn each coaching conversation into lasting change — so your coaching experience improves not just your work but your whole real life.

1. Before You Begin: Get Curious About What Feels Off

Many new coaching clients feel pressure to set goals before they start. But often, the real journey begins with noticing what doesn’t feel right and giving yourself permission not to have all the answers.

From a brain science perspective, acknowledging what feels uncomfortable activates your brain’s learning networks and shifts your mindset from threat to curiosity. This openness lays the groundwork for a meaningful coaching relationship.

A great coach helps you unpack what’s underneath the discomfort — not just fixing symptoms but getting to the source. So before your first coaching session, ask yourself:

• What feels stuck or misaligned?
• What am I tolerating that I’d rather change?
• What’s the most important thing I want to feel or do differently in my real life?

With Macula, your coach helps turn these reflections into realistic goals and a flexible action plan that evolves with you.

2. Prepare by Slowing Down — Not by Writing Agendas

A powerful coaching session isn’t a board meeting — it’s a space for reflection, insight, and sometimes uncomfortable truths. Neuroscience shows that when your brain is calm and present, your prefrontal cortex (your planning and insight centre) works better.

So instead of obsessing over a to-do list, prepare by slowing down:

• Reflect on what’s shifted since your last session.
• Sit quietly and ask: What did I notice? What did I learn? What feels alive now?
• Choose a quiet place for the next session with stable internet so you can be fully there, with no distractions.

This simple habit tunes you into your deeper awareness — and primes you to stay open when your coach invites you outside your comfort zone.

3. Choose and Commit to Mutual Trust

We know the most life-changing coaching happens in a relationship of total trust. Neuroscience shows that a safe, supportive connection lowers cortisol and boosts oxytocin, the trust hormone — which frees up your brain to explore honestly.

A good coach isn’t an all-knowing advisor; they’re a skilled partner in your coaching process. They listen, reflect, and ask questions that challenge your thinking patterns. You bring your expertise in your own life. Together, you co-create the breakthroughs.

When you trust each other, you can test new perspectives, name your fears, and experiment boldly — essential ingredients for successful coaching.

4. Remember: Coaching Trains Your Whole Self

Neuroscience proves we have “multiple brains”: your head (logic), heart (emotions and values), and gut (intuition and courage). We teach leaders to connect all three — so they lead from the inside out, not on autopilot.

Think of coaching as training for a marathon: a professional coach can’t run for you, but they guide your strategy and check your alignment. You do the daily coaching work: reflecting, trying new actions, and noticing what happens.

This whole-self training makes your leadership skills more robust under stress. It also supports clear time management, wise decisions, and authentic relationships — vital whether you’re in a global firm, a family business, or building a startup.

5. Do the Real Work Between Sessions

Most breakthroughs don’t happen while you’re talking with your coach — they happen afterwards, in your real life. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, relies on daily repetition and feedback.

After each coaching session, capture your insights and decide on a few practical action items. Keep a journal or voice memo log to track what you notice day by day.

Plan a short weekly follow-up moment: check your progress, adjust your action plan, and celebrate even tiny wins. Stretch yourself outside your comfort zone, then reflect on what you learned. This practice makes your coaching insights stick — so they become part of who you are, not just ideas in your head.

6. Treat It Like a True Partnership

In neuroscience, insight often happens when we interact and co-create ideas with another person. This is why a rich, equal coaching relationship is far more effective than passive advice.

Be proactive:

• Share honest feedback on what’s helping you grow.
• Tell your coach when you want to try a new exercise or reflection style.
• Discuss how to adapt the coaching program to your real needs.

This shared ownership strengthens trust and makes the coaching engagement feel truly yours. It also ensures you get effective coaching and the best return on your time, energy, and investment.

7. Look at Impact Beyond the Obvious

Many people start coaching for career goals: a promotion, a performance boost, or clearer time management. But the deepest coaching impacts go much further.

Macula’s philosophy is to treat the source, not the symptom. So while you’ll see concrete results — better decisions, stronger teams — you’ll also notice subtle shifts:

• More calm in conflict
• A clearer sense of purpose
• Confidence that comes from acting in alignment with your true self

Ask trusted colleagues and family for honest feedback. Notice how you handle stress, lead meetings, or make hard calls compared to six months ago.

This inside-out change is what makes coaching truly life-changing — it ripples into every corner of your life, not just your job title or paycheck.

Ready to Get the Most Out of Coaching?

A powerful coaching process is an investment in how you think, feel, and show up every day. It’s not magic; it’s consistent practice, honest reflection, and daily choice to live closer to your values.

At Macula Executive Coaching, our certified coaches weave neuroscience, real-world insight, and a safe, challenging partnership to help you unlock your best self — at work and beyond.

Ready to get the most out of coaching? Contact us today and let’s see how we can help you thrive.