'If It's Not Right, Go Left' Author Kristen Glosserman on Turning a New Leaf

The world is in one big funk. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and its continuing devastation in 2021, many may not have been as eager to pick up a pen and paper to jot down their resolutions for the new year.

While there’s no controlling how 2022 will unfold, Kristen Glosserman — esteemed life coach and East Hampton native — is here to remind us that personal success is possible with hope and drive.

Glosserman unveiled If It’s Not Right, Go Left: Practical and Inspirational Lessons to Move You in a Positive Direction in September: a book saturated with 11 lessons to move the reader’s life forward in a positive direction. Glosserman says she views the book as a little pocket of a directory of decisions to help when someone finds themselves in a moment of indecision.

While videos on apps like TikTok constantly reference positive manifestation through crystals and affirmations, Glosserman says her recommended technique to attain your desires comes in three steps: think it, write it, share it.

“Thoughts lead us to our goals,” she says. “I’m a huge supporter of journaling. I think journaling really allows you to work out those thoughts, and then sharing it with other people makes it real and starts opening doors.”

Reflecting within yourself, breaking unhealthy habits and implementing small changes may not sound appetizing for the many caught up in the daily whirlwind of work, family and living through a pandemic. However, Glosserman says pulling yourself out of a rut starts with a simple question: What do I want? “Allow that to lead you,” she advises.

Moving towards success boils down to discipline. Even happiness, Glosserman says, is a series of good decisions.

“I’m not a religious person. I’m a hopeful person,” she clarifies. “Hope is what drives me. And it’s hard work, because if it was easy, everyone would be successful.”

Life coaching is not therapy. Glosserman says the biggest difference between the two is, with her clients, each session is measurable in terms of success. It’s a step-by-step process that she envisions as a baseball diamond: mindset, discipline, goal setting and accountability.

“We’re running the bases and we’re closing that loop,” she says. “That process is moving them closer to their goals.”

While being a mother to four kids, running a hospitality business with her husband and coaching executives from companies like Ralph Lauren and American Express, times of tragedy and uncertainty brought Glosserman to where she is today.

After losing her younger brother, Michael, when she was 13, “I felt particularly motivated to do something positive with my life and to do something that could really positively impact the lives of others,” Glosserman says. “I’m so grateful to my clients because I love my work so much, and I love working with them. It’s an honor when someone says, ‘Partner with me in my life.’”

Glosserman found life coaching in her late 20s when going through a divorce and reevaluating her future. After receiving certifications from the Institute of Life Coach Training, she commenced on the path towards her passion.

While the past few years have been anything but easy, Glosserman shared her secret to staying motivated.

“Celebrate the small wins,” she says. “The celebration is when you do what you say you want to do. That’s the celebration. Small, achievable goals.”

If It’s Not Right, Go Left: Practical and Inspirational Lessons to Move You in a Positive Direction is available on Amazon. Learn more about Kristen Glosserman at kristenglosserman.com.