Life Coach, mindset mentor and best-selling author Angela Cox tells Happiful how she transformed her life and career to find her happy

At the turn of 2018, I was working as a Director in a management consulting firm, desperately trying to juggle career with motherhood and feeling like I was being run ragged. I’d successfully lost a lot of weight after a lifetime battle with binge eating disorder, I was recovering from PTSD, working through the aftermath of childhood trauma and finalising the manuscript of my first book. Life was a busy mix of highs and lows.

As 2019 dawns, things have changed significantly. Thankfully, the weight loss remains a constant and everything else has had a complete overhaul - meaning life has never been better. Having launched my first book, Enough, and watched in awe as it reached best-seller status, I took the monumental decision to give up my safe yet highly demanding job and the security of the large salary that came with it and take a giant leap into my passion and my purpose. Five months on, I am pleased to say this is paying off and I am spending my time coaching, motivational speaking, writing, volunteering as a trustee for Mind and working mostly at home, making being a mummy much easier and more fun.

Becoming a coach was a no-brainer really. I wanted to move forward in a different direction allowing me to travel less, be present more, help people and use my empathic superpowers daily. I was hesitant to throw the baby out with the bath water as I’d built a successful career. I reviewed my skill set and realised the thing I enjoyed most about my career to date was coaching executives and leaders to overcome their limiting beliefs and be better placed to serve their people. Knowing this helped me decide to sharpen this already-established skill by developing in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Nutrition & Weight Management Coaching, Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy.

I have worked in business change for over 15 years and I recognised that the methodology used to transform a business can be applied to transform an individual - the way they think, act and behave. I have developed a methodology that takes clients on a journey from current state to future state over a period of twelve weeks, and clients are getting real value from it.  

I genuinely love what I do, and helping women and men to find the best version of themselves is rewarding. I enjoy combining coaching with writing and I’ve been fortunate to write for magazines and newspapers as well as regularly contributing to my blog, Self-Love-Ninja.

Recent projects include the development of a growth mindset journal for children called The Happy Path which teaches kids how to reframe negative thoughts, practice gratitude and celebrate successes using language they can relate to. I involved my own children in the design and was astounded to learn that high fives are so not cool when you are eight years old - apparently it is fist bumps all the way! My friend and creative designer Kate O’Shaunessey brought to life the ‘brain buddy’ characters and we have produced a journal that is bursting with colour and joy.

I have also created a Facebook community called The Mindset Gym which is designed to give people a daily focus on mindset activities to help them stay positive and focussed on their goals. I am mindful that coaching is not accessible, so the Mindset Gym provides an entry level resource for those who want to develop but can’t afford hourly fees.

A few years ago, I had a coaching session with an NLP master who pointed out that the barriers I saw in front of me had been built by me alone. If I’d built them, I can dismantle them too. Coaching has a way of helping you see the obvious which either you had failed to see or chosen not to see. I love how it can unlock the potential of a person and how they go on to flourish.

I am so pleased I have taken the decision to pursue a role I love. Success for me used to be about job titles, fancy shoes and accolades. I now have a new definition of success which includes three things:

  • Do I wake up every morning and choose happy?
  • Am I doing a job which I can’t wait to get out of bed to do?
  • Am I being myself - my true authentic self?

How successful are you based on that definition?

Finally, here are some tips on how I make every day count:

  • Get out of bed as soon as I wake up, six days per week, which provides a positive start to the day.
  • Write down my top three priorities for the day ahead to provide focus and clarity.
  • I don’t watch TV at all. This is a great way to create time in your schedule.
  • I outsource things that I am not good at because my time is better spent on things that add value.
  • I take at least 10 minutes for me each day regardless of how busy I am. This is my time to just sit and be and my best ideas flow through during this time.

We are not here for a look around, so I believe now is the time to make every day count.

For more information on Angela, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.