Are you taking too many notes or none at all?

If you've ever grappled with whether you should be taking notes during your coaching session, then this one's for you.

Hello, friends, and welcome to the Bright Morning podcast. I'm your host, Elena Aguilar.

And in each podcast episode, you will learn how to lead conversations that build connection

and spark change.

So today, we're diving into a destatively tricky question. Should I be taking notes while I'm

coaching? It seems simple, but this question touches on trust, presence, memory, and even power dynamics.

So let's explore what thoughtful, aligned note taking can look like

and how to make it work for you and your clients. A lot of coaches feel unsure about whether to take

notes during conversations.

They worry, will it distract my client?

Will I lose connection?

Will I forget what was said if I don't take notes?

And without a clear approach, coaches end up doing one of two things, taking so many notes that they miss what's happening right in front of them in the moment, or taking none at all and struggling to remember key insights later.

If your note taking is disorganized or inconsistent or distracting, it's probably not helping.

Your notes might be hard to find later.

They might be full of words but lacking meaning.

They might be disconnected from your planning or reflection process.

And that means that you are missing out on the true purpose of note-taking,

which is to deepen insight, build continuity,

and honor and track your client's growth.

When I first started coaching, I carried around a notebook and I scribbled constantly during sessions.

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