Why I Started Life Coaching
The truth behind the beginning, the pivots, and the peace that followed
When I first started life coaching, I didn’t have it all figured out.
In fact, I didn’t even know that “coaching” was what I wanted to do.
What I did know was that I was deeply unhappy, restless, and ready for something more meaningful — even if I couldn’t yet describe what that was.
Back then, I was working in a corporate job that looked perfectly fine on paper. I was paid well, treated well, and good at what I did. Yet each morning, I’d feel a heaviness that no amount of gratitude journalling or self-pep-talks could lift. The moment I stepped into the office, it felt as though a little piece of me disappeared.
I remember thinking, is this it? Is this what I’m supposed to be doing for the next twenty years?
And the most frightening part was, I didn’t have an answer.
From “fine” to “something has to change”
There wasn’t a single dramatic event that pushed me into change.
No sudden breakdown or major crisis. It was quieter than that — a slow, steady realisation that I was living someone else’s version of success.
I had followed all the expected steps: get the degree, build the career, tick the boxes.
But the more I achieved, the emptier I felt. The work didn’t challenge me, it didn’t light me up, and it certainly didn’t feel like mine.
For a while, I convinced myself I should just be grateful. After all, I was “lucky” to have stability and a good job. But gratitude can’t fix misalignment. It can only delay the moment you face it.
Eventually, the ache to do something that meant something became impossible to ignore.
I didn’t know what that “something” was yet, but I knew I couldn’t keep pretending I was fine.
Life coaching helps you move forward, especially if you “feel” stuck.
Maria Duckhouse | Mindset & Strategy
Discovering personal development and the spark of possibility
When I finally decided to do something about it, I started where many of us do — with books, online courses, and a lot of soul-searching.
I didn’t have a plan to become a coach. I just wanted to understand why I felt so disconnected and how to feel alive again.
I dove into topics like mindset, success, self-belief, and spirituality. I was fascinated by how the way we think shapes the way we live. The Law of Attraction first caught my attention, but it was mindset work that truly opened my eyes.
It wasn’t long before I found myself studying for certifications, not for a new career, but because the learning itself felt like oxygen.
Every page, every module, every conversation gave me a sense of expansion I hadn’t felt in years.
Through that process, I realised how deeply I wanted others to feel this too — the relief of seeing that change is possible, that you can reshape your life from the inside out. That desire slowly became my “why.”
Becoming a coach (and all the messy pivots along the way)
When I first introduced myself as a life coach, I said I helped ambitious women get aligned with their core values, desires, and gifts so they could create success on their own terms.
And that was true — to an extent. But if I’m honest, I didn’t fully understand what that really meant for me yet.
In the beginning, I thought my work was about mindset for success.
I loved seeing clients go from stuck and overwhelmed to confident and clear. It was fulfilling, and it worked. But over time, I noticed something missing.
Mindset work alone didn’t always reach the root. My clients wanted more than clarity. They wanted connection: with themselves, their creativity, their voice, their essence. And if I was honest, so did I.
Even as I supported others, I still struggled to apply that same compassion and clarity to myself. I knew how to help someone else move forward, but when it came to me, I’d freeze. I’d overthink. I’d hide behind “productivity” instead of presence.
That’s when I realised: I wasn’t just teaching mindset. I was trying to remember who I really was.
When the inner work became personal
Every pivot in my coaching journey came from something I first had to learn myself.
Mindset taught me how to shift thoughts. But creative self-expression taught me how to listen to truth.
It took years of trial and error to understand that what I was really craving wasn’t “success,” but authentic alignment.
To live and work in a way that felt like me.
To create, not because it was strategic or productive, but because it was honest.
That shift changed everything. I stopped trying to fit into what a coach “should” look like and started blending what felt natural — art, creativity, spirituality, emotion, conversation, intuition.
The more I allowed that integration, the more peaceful my business (and my life) became.
Clients began showing up who resonated with that energy. They didn’t want to be fixed; they wanted to feel seen, supported, and safe enough to express what was real for them.
And that’s when Soulfully.Maria was born — a space where coaching meets creative self-expression. Where healing happens not through forcing change, but through allowing truth.
In hindsight: what this journey taught me
Looking back, I see how every chapter had a purpose.
The corporate burnout taught me to recognise misalignment.
The mindset phase taught me to believe in possibility.
The years of pivots taught me patience and self-trust.
And most importantly, coaching taught me to listen — not just to others, but to myself.
The woman who once felt trapped in an office now builds a life around creativity, connection, and gentle growth.
The coach who once sought success now finds peace in authenticity.
And the human behind it all has learned that the most powerful transformations are rarely loud or instant. They unfold quietly, with courage and honesty, one decision at a time.
What life coaching feels like now
Today, life coaching feels different.
It’s softer, calmer, and more real.
It’s not about setting perfect goals or pushing through blocks. It’s about meeting yourself where you are and creating from there.
When I work with someone now, I’m not trying to “fix” them or lead them toward a predefined success. I’m inviting them to reconnect with their own rhythm, their own creative energy, their own voice.
Some sessions are full of laughter. Others are quiet, reflective, and raw. All of them are human.
The beauty of this work is that it reminds me — and my clients — that growth isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about coming home to who we already are.
That’s what I love most about Creative Self-Expression Coaching.
It’s not about changing your life overnight. It’s about rediscovering your wholeness and learning to trust it.
Personal Development is can be a challenging and overwhelming journey. However, you’ll know you’re ready when the alternative seems unbearable.
Maria Duckhouse | Mindset & Strategy
What I stand for now
If my early “why” was about helping women take control of their lives, my “why” now is about helping them come home to themselves.
It’s about guiding creatives, deep thinkers, and sensitive souls who feel stuck in self-doubt or perfectionism to remember who they are beneath it all.
I believe:
- Your creativity is sacred.
- Your truth deserves space.
- You are allowed to express yourself freely, without fear of being too much or not enough.
- Healing doesn’t have to be hard; it can be gentle and beautiful.
- And the way you show up in your life can be an art form — uniquely, unapologetically yours.
That’s what this work is about. That’s what all those pivots and tears and breakthroughs were leading me toward.
If you’re standing where I once stood
Maybe you’re still in a job that feels safe but lifeless.
Maybe you’ve started something new but can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing.
Maybe you’re just tired of being the strong one, the organised one, the one who has it all together.
If any of that sounds familiar, please know this: there’s more to you than the version you’ve been hiding behind.
You don’t need to have it all figured out to start. You just need to begin — gently, honestly, and in your own time.
Coaching won’t make you someone else.
But it can help you return to yourself, the part of you that remembers how to feel, create, and trust again.
And if that’s what you’re craving, I’d love to hold space for you in that journey.
How to Work with me
Creative Self-Expression Coaching
If you’re ready to reconnect with your creative voice and express what’s real for you, this space is for you.
Together, we explore what’s been silencing your self-expression and guide you back to your natural rhythm. Through honest conversation, reflection, and soulful support, you’ll begin to create — in art, in work, and in life — from a place of truth rather than fear.
You don’t need to push for breakthroughs. You don’t need to perform.
You simply get to be.
You can learn more or book a session here: Work With Me
With much Love, Maria
https://mariaduckhouse.com | Let’s connect on Instagram
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