When Was the Last Time You Started Something Completely New?

This weekend, I assisted in a Co-Active Coaching Fundamentals course.

It brought me back to a time—less than two years ago—when I sat in that very same course, not as an assistant, but as a student. I didn’t know then just how much of a turning point it would become.

Back then, I was just curious. I didn’t yet realize that this weekend would be the start of something much bigger:
A journey that would lead me to hundreds of hours of coaching, deep personal transformation, and eventually becoming a certified coach myself.

Witnessing the Beginning Again

As I watched the new students arrive—excited, nervous, open—I saw something beautiful unfold.

They were stepping into the unknown.
Many of them had never coached before. Some hadn’t been in a learning environment in years.
But there they were—brave enough to try something completely new.

It made me pause and think:
How rare is it, as adults, to do something like that?

To learn a new skill.
To start speaking a new language.
To let ourselves be beginners again.

There’s something powerful about choosing growth.
Especially when it means stepping into uncertainty.

Coming Full Circle

Being back in that room felt like closure.
But also a reminder.

A reminder of how it all began for me, and how much I’ve grown since then.
And it made me think—what advice would I give to that younger version of myself?

I shared this with the students, using a metaphor I love:

Don’t just look at the apple.
Eat it.

Smell it. Bite into it. Feel the crispness, the juice, the sweetness.
Experience it fully.

Same goes for your coaching journey (or any journey, really):
Don’t just go through the motions.
Don’t just observe.

Jump in.
Start coaching.
Get messy.
Explore your values.
See what you have to offer.
Be surprised by what you discover.

That’s how transformation happens—not by watching, but by doing.

Your Turn

So I want to leave you with a question:

When was the last time you started something completely new?
What was it—and if you could go back to day one,
what advice would you give yourself?