Step 1: Name the pattern
Before contacting anyone, spend a week noticing. Jot down when you feel most drained, which meetings leave you flat, and what you skip because there's no time. Flint leaders often carry layered duties: a job at an anchor institution such as the Mott Foundation downtown or Kettering University on University Avenue, plus civic boards and family obligations. Seeing the full load on paper is the first honest step. Include the small things too: the standing Friday call, the weekend email check, the favor you said yes to in a hallway. Those often add up to more hours than the big projects.
Step 2: Decide what you want to change
Pick two or three concrete goals. Examples: leave the office by six on most days, stop answering email after nine at night, hand off one recurring task, or take a real lunch. Vague goals like "feel better" are hard to coach. Specific ones give you and a coach something to track. Write them down where you'll see them, and rank them so you know which one matters most if the week gets crowded.
Step 3: Understand the service
Burnout coaching is non-clinical. A coach helps with workload, priorities, boundaries and recovery time. If you're dealing with symptoms that worry you, talk to a doctor first. A good coach welcomes that and won't try to stand in for health care.
Step 4: Choose a format
Think about how sessions fit your week. Video calls cut out a commute, which matters if you drive in from a suburb. In-person meetings can serve as a fixed pause. Some coaches offer a mix, or short check-ins between longer sessions. Ask yourself which format you're most likely to keep showing up for.
Step 5: Request introductions
Use this directory to contact a few coaches who serve Genesee County. Briefly describe your role, your goals from Step 2, and your preferred format. Note who replies and how clearly they explain their process.
Step 6: Hold a short discovery call
On each call, ask:
- What does a typical engagement look like, start to finish?
- How often do we meet, and for how long?
- What will you expect me to do between sessions?
- How do we measure whether the changes are sticking?
- What happens if I need to pause for a busy stretch?
Notice whether the coach asks about you before describing their package. Curiosity about your situation is a good sign. So is a coach who is honest about what coaching can't do, and who is comfortable if you want time to think before signing anything. After each call, give yourself a minute to note your gut reaction: did you feel heard, rushed or sold to?
Step 7: Plan your first outdoor reset
Rest works better when it's on the calendar. Two county parks make easy targets; drive times are approximate.
For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum in Burton is roughly fifteen to twenty minutes from downtown Flint. Genesee County Parks lists 383 acres there, a 116-acre arboretum and more than seven miles of trails, with grounds open from 8am to sunset daily. Try a sixty-minute walk before work once a week.
Holloway Reservoir Regional Park, listed in Davison, is about half an hour away. The county describes 1,975 acres of reservoir with canoe and boat launches, fishing spots and hiking areas. Block a Saturday morning there once a month and leave your phone in the car for the first hour.
Tell your coach about these plans so they can help you protect the time. Bring water, check the park's posted hours before you leave, and dress for Michigan weather, which can turn quickly in spring and fall.
Step 8: Commit to a trial period
Agree on a set number of sessions, often six to eight weeks, before deciding whether to continue. Put every session on your calendar at the start so it doesn't get squeezed out.
Step 9: Track small wins
Keep a simple weekly log: hours worked, evenings protected, tasks delegated, outdoor time taken. Bring it to each session. Small, steady shifts are the goal, and seeing them in writing helps you keep going when the week gets loud.
Step 10: Review and adjust
At the end of the trial, sit down with your notes. Which goals moved? Which didn't? Decide with your coach whether to continue, change focus or step back. You can also switch coaches if the fit isn't right.
This directory connects Flint-area professionals with independent coaches. It doesn't deliver coaching or review providers' credentials, so the final choice is yours.