"Which direction should I choose? And which job is the best one for me? I get bored quickly."
"I often feel different, as if I don't belong."
"I find it difficult to fully open up to others. It always takes a while before I feel at ease."
"I am a huge perfectionist. That regularly gets in my way."
"I find it hard to deal with extroverted people. I often see the solution in my mind, but can't find the words fast enough to name them."
"I avoid conflict. And I find it difficult to ask for help. That makes me feel lonely sometimes."
"Self-confidence is something that I struggle with, because I always put myself second or overthink situations."
These are just a few examples of the challenges highly gifted introverted professionals struggle with. They feel misunderstood by their environment, are constantly looking for new challenges and are often also strongly perfectionist. This leads to self-doubt and gets in their way.
Know that you're not the only one struggling with this and that there are ways to get more clarity and to make the choices that suit you. As a coach, I can help you with that.
Do you recognise yourself in the following:
• You feel 'different', because you act and think differently.
• You feel like you're not using your full potential. You'd like to be able to use it, but in a way that suits your gifted and introverted nature.
• Your inner voice keeps on questioning you. 'Am I good enough?' or 'Why can't I be more like them?' are questions that keep on coming back.
• You have a rich inner world full of ideas and knowledge. But because of your gifted and introvert nature, you don't always share this with the world around you.
• You tend to avoid situations where all eyes will be on you, like meetings or social gatherings. You'd like to contribute, but don't exactly know how.
• You feel like you're not seen for who you are. You'd like people to understand you better, but don't exactly know how.
Know that you're not the only gifted introvert struggling with this and that there are ways to go where you want to go, doing it your own way. It's a journey that will give you more fulfilment and happiness in your life. I'm more than happy to accompany you on this journey.
How I can help you
I don't believe in teaching you how to be an extrovert in order to be more successful. Instead, I prefer to help you embrace your natural strengths as a gifted introvert and be proud of them. By coaching you one-on-one I can help you realise:
• What introversion is and what it's not
• How to discover your own strengths
• How to approach meetings, social gatherings and presentations
• How to be seen for who you truly are
• How to balance your own energy
• How to lay a foundation to tackle any difficult situation as a gifted introvert
My story
I'm no exception when it comes to the things mentioned above. My name is Karolien Koolhof and I'm a gifted introvert myself. I worked in the media industry for years and always felt like I wasn't using my full potential and I didn't feel completely seen. I used to get remarks like 'you should be more out there' and 'you should share more', which made me question my own abilities. Until I decided I wanted to change that.
By learning more about myself, about being gifted and about the differences between introverts and extroverts, I started to see that my way wasn't a bad way, but just a different way. Instead of blaming myself for not being like the rest, I started to see my unique strengths as an introvert. I started to become a proud gifted introvert.
When I finally discovered this, I decided to make it my mission to share my insights. Because I believe that every gifted introvert should be able to use his or her full potential. Instead of adapting to an extroverted world, you should embrace your unique qualities and share them with the world. Because the world needs more reflection, peace of mind, active listening and leading from behind. Because quiet is a quality.