Who this is for
This guide is for owners, managers and senior staff in Lubbock who feel worn down by their work and want a structured way to change that with a coach. Coaching here is non-clinical: it deals with workload, boundaries, priorities and rest, not health care.
Step 1: Map your year
Take a blank calendar and shade the months that are hardest for you. In Lubbock, many workplaces feel the pull of Texas Tech University, which lists more than 42,000 students and more than 1,900 faculty on its Broadway campus. Semester starts, commencement, crowded event weekends and summer slowdowns can all show up in your shading even if you do not work on campus. Add your own industry's crunch periods, budget deadlines and travel. The pattern you see will be the first thing to share with a coach.
Step 2: Name what has changed
Write a few lines about how your work feels now compared with a year or two ago. Are you sleeping less? Dreading certain meetings? Answering email late at night? Losing interest in parts of the job you used to enjoy? Keep it short and honest. This is not a test; it is a starting point for conversation.
Step 3: Decide what you want from coaching
Pick two or three aims. Examples: hand off more decisions to your team, protect one evening a week, get through the next peak season without canceling time off, or decide whether your current role still fits. Clear aims make it easier to judge whether a coach is a match.
Step 4: Find two or three coaches
Use this directory to find independent coaches who serve Lubbock, in person or by video. We introduce you to providers; we do not run programs or check credentials. For each name, note who they usually work with and how they describe their approach.
Step 5: Hold short intro calls
Ask each coach how their sessions run, how often you would meet, and how they help you turn talk into action. Ask how they handle months when your schedule explodes. Ask what they do if a client's concerns go beyond coaching. Listen for direct answers and a plan that respects your calendar.
Step 6: Build in local recovery time
Plan small breaks before you need them. The Lubbock Lake Landmark, an archaeological and natural history preserve at 2401 Landmark Drive on the north edge of the city, is part of the Museum of Texas Tech University and is open Tuesday through Sunday. An hour on its grounds midweek can serve as a reset between meetings. Put it on your calendar the same way you would a client call.
Step 7: Plan one longer break
Choose a weekend or two in your quieter months for something bigger. Caprock Canyons State Park, roughly two hours from Lubbock by car (an approximate time that depends on route and weather), has nearly 90 miles of trails and a protected bison herd, according to the state parks department. Because the park says it often reaches capacity, book day use or a campsite in advance. Tell your coach about the trip so you can talk afterward about what it taught you.
Step 8: Bring your team into the plan
Changes you make alone tend to slide back once the next deadline arrives. Decide what you will tell the people closest to your work: a deputy, a business partner, an assistant, or your board chair. You do not need to share details of your coaching. A simple message works: you are adjusting how you handle meetings, after-hours email or approvals, and you would like their help. Ask one person to take over a recurring task for a trial month, and agree on how they will reach you if something truly cannot wait. Coaches often help you script these conversations, and practicing them in a session can make them much less awkward. Note how the trial goes and bring that back to your next meeting with the coach.
Step 9: Review every few months
Every three months or so, look back at your aims from Step 3 with your coach. What has shifted? What still feels stuck? Adjust the frequency of sessions, the focus, or the plan for breaks. If the relationship is no longer useful, it is fine to wrap up or try a different coach.