What if the thought of training as a coach has been sitting with you for years for a reason you have not yet fully acknowledged?

As the new year begins, we slow the conversation down and ask a bigger question than whether coach training is a good idea. We explore whether 2026 is the year you finally make a clear decision either to step forward or to consciously let the idea go.

In this episode, we reflect on why coach training often stays on people's mental to do lists for far longer than expected. For many, it is not about gaining a qualification. It is about meaning, connection, identity, and the desire to do work that feels more aligned with personal values. We talk openly about the emotional and practical drivers behind the decision to train as a coach, including career pivots, leadership development, self-awareness, and the longing for deeper conversations at work and in life.

We also address what can quietly hold people back. Waiting to feel ready. Decision paralysis when comparing training providers. The pressure to have a fully formed plan before taking the first step. We share why readiness is rarely something you feel before you act and how clarity often follows commitment rather than precedes it.

Drawing on our own experiences, we reflect on how coach training develops far more than coaching skills. It builds emotional intelligence, confidence, boundaries, ethical practice, and the ability to work with human complexity in a grounded and responsible way. We discuss what coach training really involves and why discomfort and growth are part of the process rather than signs you are doing it wrong.

We also offer a balanced perspective on when coach training may not be the right choice. If you are seeking a quick financial fix, external validation, or if working with emotion actively drains you, this may not be the right investment at this stage of your life. Equally, we share why coaching continues to grow in relevance as human centred skills become more valuable in a world shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid change.

Throughout the conversation, we come back to a simple decision framework. Does it make sense in your head? Does it feel meaningful in your heart? Is there space in your calendar to make it work? When those three align, 2026 may well be the year you move forward.

This episode is an invitation to stop circling the same question and to make a conscious choice that frees up energy, whether that choice is to train as a coach or to redirect your focus elsewhere with confidence.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why this question keeps returning year after year
01:21 Understanding the deeper needs behind coach training
03:09 Common reasons people feel drawn to coaching
04:03 What coach training actually involves
05:24 The myth of waiting until you feel ready
06:22 Choosing a training provider without paralysis
07:42 Questions to ask before committing to a programme
08:55 When coach training may not be the right choice
09:49 Sampling coaching before making a decision
12:37 Career strategy, confidence, and professional identity
14:26 How coach training can change your direction
15:49 Human skills in an AI driven world
18:32 A simple framework for making the decision
20:17 Taking action rather than waiting

Key Lessons Learned:

• Coach training is rarely about the certificate and more about meaning, identity, and growth
• Waiting to feel ready often delays clarity rather than creating it
• Decision making improves when you listen to both head and heart
• Coach training develops emotional intelligence, boundaries, and self-awareness
• You do not need a full plan for how coaching will fit into your future to begin
• Conscious decisions free up mental and emotional capacity
• Human centred skills are becoming more valuable, not less

Links and Resources:

https://mycoachingcourse.com

https://igcompany.com

Keywords:

coach training, train as a coach, coaching career, coaching skills, becoming a coach, leadership coaching, personal development, emotional intelligence, career change coaching,

2026 CPD Accelerator: https://igcompany.com/CPD2026

What if the way you approach your CPD this year could fundamentally shape your confidence, energy, and impact as a coach?

In this episode, we sat down to have an honest, grounded conversation about what continuous professional development really looks like for coaches in practice, not theory. As Master Accredited Coaches and founders of an accredited coach training provider, we reflected openly on our own CPD journeys, including the years of intense learning, the quieter phases focused on business growth, and the moments where CPD crept up on us through deadlines, reaccreditation reminders, or a deep need for stimulation and renewal.

We explored why so many coaches fall into reactive CPD patterns, binge learning one year and neglecting it the next, and what happens when CPD becomes something you chase at the last minute rather than plan with intention. Throughout the conversation, we found ourseleves reflecting on how powerful it feels when CPD is aligned with who you are as a coach, the clients you serve, and the impact you want to have, rather than driven by fear, comparison, or industry pressure.

We talked about compassion fatigue, confidence dips, and the quiet anxiety that can show up when CV requests or accreditation deadlines land unexpectedly. We also explored the joy of learning for learning's sake, the gift of community and connection that comes from cohort-based CPD, and the way one programme can open doors you did not even know existed.

This episode is also about practicality. We discussed the importance of anchoring CPD into your diary, planning financially, and understanding your own learning preferences, whether that is bite-sized learning, intensive programmes, or facilitated cohorts. We share reflections on how CPD can reignite momentum for early-stage coaches, support experienced coaches returning after time away, and help those who trained years ago feel current, capable, and confident again in today's coaching landscape.

As we step into 2026, this conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and choose your CPD with clarity and intention. We also introduced the CPD Accelerator, a short, focused experience designed to help you map out your CPD for the year ahead in a way that feels supportive, energising, and achievable.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Introduction and why CPD matters at the start of a new year
• 00:57 Our personal experiences of binge learning and CPD cycles
• 01:50 Why coaches need CPD that reflects real client issues
• 03:36 Planning CPD with intention rather than urgency
• 04:35 Compassion fatigue and filling your own cup as a coach
• 06:18 Missing opportunities and the cost of not planning ahead
• 08:30 Choosing CPD from confidence rather than fear
• 09:49 The power of community and cohort-based learning
• 11:28 CPD for early-stage and returning coaches
• 14:37 When CPD is imperfect and still valuable
• 18:15 Introducing the CPD Accelerator for 2026

Key Lessons Learned:

• CPD has the power to shape not only your skills, but your confidence, energy, and identity as a coach.
• Planning CPD early creates focus, financial clarity, and space to choose learning that truly fits.
• The best CPD is aligned with your strengths, gaps, and the clients you want to serve.
• Community and connection are often as valuable as the content itself.
• CPD works best when entered from a place of intention rather than panic or comparison.

Links & Resources:

• CPD Accelerator: https://igcompany.com/CPD2026

Keywords:

Coach CPD 2026, coaching continuous professional development, CPD planning for coaches, coach accreditation CPD, coaching confidence development, professional development for coaches, coaching CPD programmes, coach learning and development,