Transforming Insight into Action: Expert Coaching tips for Real Progress
- Laura Haywood
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 5
Feeling stuck in life? You’re not alone. Constantly scrolling through self-help reels, listening to podcasts, reading books?
We’ve all had those lightbulb moments when journaling finally gives you an ‘A-ha’; the quote that you feel in your heart, and you stop mid-scroll; the book that makes total sense. And yet, you still feel stuck, you're not taking action.
You know what’s wrong. You’ve done the work (or have started). You’ve named the pattern. You’ve connected the dots back to childhood or your last toxic boss. You’ve got insight coming out of your ears. Why aren’t things changing?
Being stuck can show up as procrastination, indecision, people pleasing, burnout, overwhelm or the familiar ‘I don’t know what I want’. That stuck feeling is something many of my coaching clients (and me) know well.
If that sounds familiar, here’s the truth: Insight is important, and it’s not the whole story!
As a certified life coach with a background in therapy, I’ve worked with hundreds of people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or at sea. They’re aware of their obstacles but they’re still not creating the change they want. And that’s not because they’re broken. It’s because
knowing why you're stuck isn't the same as knowing how to move forward.
Why Insight Alone Doesn’t Create Change. Let’s break it down.
It’s the awareness. The ‘Oohhh, that’s why I do that’ moment. While awareness is powerful and the first step in any personal growth journey, it’s not magic. Because insight lives in your head. It gives you understanding. It connects the dots. You can think you’re aware but you’re still ruminating.
When you only stay in the ‘Aha’ you risk getting stuck in what I call the insight loop, thinking deeply, feeling seen, but not doing anything differently. Knowing isn’t the same as feeling differently and showing up differently. Practice, believing and showing up for yourself differently, not just thinking, is what gets you unstuck.
Real Change? That lives in your body. Your habits. Your choices. Your nervous system. Without intentional, aligned action, insight becomes another version of spinning in circles, but this time with better vocabulary. That’s where coaching comes in, to help you transform your insight into real progress.
Why Insight Alone Falls Flat
Think of it like this: You know your shopping bags are too heavy & weighing you down. You can trace back exactly when you picked up those bags, and how they made you feel at the time and how they are still making you feel. Unless you start to let go of some of the heavy bags, and leave them behind, you don’t have room for any new, lighter bags that fit with the you of today. You’re continuing to carry around the same, worn-out, holey, shopping bags. AKA beliefs, patterns, mindset, behavior which no longer belongs to you, or is helpful for you now!
Or like this: You can realize your job drains your energy. You can pinpoint exactly when you started settling. But unless you start setting boundaries, exploring what you actually want and taking steps to do something about it, you stay stuck.
Steps to Help You Move Forward.
So, what does help when you’re feeling stuck? Let's look at transforming insight into action! Here’s what I help my life coaching clients practice every day:
1. Small Steps. Aligned Action
Don’t wait for the perfect plan, just take one intentional step based on who you're becoming, not who you've been. Be realistic as to what you will commit to.
2. Support & Accountability
Change is easier when someone’s walking with you. A life coach helps you stay focused, adjust your mindset, and move forward. We all slip. A good coach supports you to reground, regroup & realign yourself without self-blame.
3. Mind-Body Integration
Feeling stuck isn’t just in your head, it’s in your body & your nervous system. Coaching can help you listen to your body and create change that actually feels doable. Change that ignores your nervous system won’t stick. To create new neural pathways takes time, commitment and repetition.
4. New Beliefs. Daily Practice
One insight won’t undo 20 years of conditioning. You’ve got to practice new thoughts and beliefs until they become second nature. That’s the difference between ‘a-ha’ and actual growth. Insight gives you the choice to change, or not. Repetition makes it real. You’ve got to practice the new belief like it’s a new language. Because it is. Practice till it sticks!
5. Letting Go of What No Longer Fits
Whether it’s people-pleasing, perfectionism, or outdated goals, real progress often means releasing old patterns that no longer serve you. Give yourself permission to let go of the old. I know, it’s familiar! Sometimes, it’s even easier to hang on to old beliefs and patterns, even though you want change. Growth means grieving sometimes, or celebrating. You don’t need to stay stuck just because it’s what you know. Giving yourself permission to let go, without being bogged down by guilt, is key.
If You’re Nodding Along…
Good. That means you know there’s more for you. You don’t need more information, more books & reels (or blogs!!!). You need aligned intention & integration. Letting go. Practice. Support. Failing. Self-compassion. Growth. Space to become.
Life Coaching Can Help You Get Unstuck
This is the work I do with clients every day. Not just connecting the dots, but figuring out what to do with them. Coaching isn’t about giving you the answers, it’s about helping you access your own, then take brave, aligned, small steps forward for real, lasting change.
So, if you’re ready to move, not just understand, let’s talk!
As a life coach based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and working online with clients across the U.S., I specialize in helping people just like you:
Stuck at a crossroads
Ready for change, but unsure what that looks like
Tired of thinking things through, and ready to take action
Adjusting to change and transitions
You don’t have to figure it out alone. You can schedule a free discovery call to see how life coaching with me can help you! Pass this along to anyone who needs it.
Laura is an ICF professional, certified life coach. She is passionate about helping people get unstuck & out of their own way. As a previous therapist, and now coach-for-life, Laura brings deep insight, experience and appreciation for people wanting to move forward with meaningful change. If you are looking for a coach to help you shine in the world, then reach out for a free discovery call, to see how coaching with Laura could help you. Rooted in therapy, powered by coaching, focused on you!
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