"I want to make a major life change, without it taking a major life event."
I can vividly remember whispering that phrase to myself one day; hoping I could pull it off. Today I look back and smile – knowing I became the kind of person who did it.
What Worked For Me
Living Authentically and On Purpose
We can all get disoriented if we don’t have a clear sense of who we are and what we were created for. It is so easy to settle into what we can be good at and not be connected to a deeper sense of purpose. I was soldiering through high levels of achievement and winning awards only look up one day in 2019 feeling burned out and lost. Then, COVID hits and shuts down the world. Turns out, I really needed for the world to slow down so I could regroup. My identity crisis had begun… and it would last about a year.
In July 2020, a friend re-connected me with the principles in the best-selling book The ONE Thing, co-authored by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. That book has now sold over 3.5M copies and while that may sound impressive, it was not helping me at all. Just buying and reading the book back in 2013 did not change my life. Going to seminars and dabbling with the concepts over the following years did not move the needle either. In fact, I had given up on ever having enough discipline to implement the strategies outlined in The ONE Thing. I believed it – I just didn’t believe it would work for me. Something was missing.
The tipping point where all of this finally clicked was when I plugging into a community of people using these principles in real life and seeing how they were doing it! I jumped in with both feet and not only did I discover these principles did work for me, I got certified as a Trainer and Coach for The ONE Thing by the fall of 2021. I had found my “lane” and it was like all the turbulence melted away.
There have been clues all over my real estate career pointing to how I view what I do with clients as “coaching”. That philosophy showed up consistently in my Google reviews. The ONE Thing provided a framework and language to pull all the pieces together. Slowing down to get Core Values and a sense of Personal Mission settled can help us filter life and show up – the way we want to – wherever we go. I now share my journey and what worked for me with others through training events and personal coaching.
Step 1: “The Personal Scavenger Hunt”
RECENT FEEDBACK
I just want to say how much I enjoyed the Personal Scavenger Hunt. It was very thought-provoking and I am impressed by the way you take one piece of information and really drill into the “why” behind it. Thank you for helping me open my mind and my heart and for your vulnerability and transparency.
Shelley W. / “Living On Purpose” at Mend Coffee / Feb, 2025
I can’t recommend this highly enough! Michael has this wonderful way of making complex concepts feel accessible and achievable. Truly enriching experience and I feel more empowered to move forward with confidence. His insight and guidance were invaluable.
Ursula L. / “Level Up Mastermind” / Feb 2025
You are truly an inspiration! I have taken your class at least three times and each time I learn something new about myself. It not only helps me get closer to defining my purpose but also allows me to appreciate myself and genuinely love the person I am becoming. Thank you for being vulnerable and courageous! Can’t wait to join the next Personal Scavenger Hunt!
Savanah B. / “Level Up Mastermind” / Feb 2025
I loved being able to listen to your discussion between the others in our class on Saturday and how quickly you were able to pinpoint their values based on a simple comment. I’m so thankful that you made time for us ☺️ Everyone left feeling fulfilled and seen.
Stacy B. / “Living On Purpose” at Mend Coffee / Feb 2025
The Personal Scavenger Hunt was a great reflective exercise to help people explore their values, preferences, and personal inspirations. It includes questions about media consumption, influences, interests, pet peeves, and core values, leading to a “Mission Formula” that encourages people to define their life’s purpose.
John D. / “Scavenger Hunt Consult” / Jan 2025
Thank you so much for your transparency and for allowing God to use you to bring healing to all of us. I’ve never met anyone who expressed your truth as you did today. I am so blessed and honored to know you Michael Bunch. Love and Blessings,
Alice D. / “Living on Purpose” at KW West ATL / Dec 2024
Where are you today?
- Stuck – seeking clarity and wisdom about identity, values, and purpose.
- At a crossroads – career shift, personal growth, leadership development.
- Pulled in multiple directions – but want to move forward with intentionality.
- Dealing with problems money can’t solve; sometimes dealing with problems money (and/or power) causes.
Here’s the problem
- It’s common to feel stuck, unclear, or overwhelmed by choices and information.
- Many crave self-discovery and direction but aren’t sure how to process it.
- Eventually we are all haunted by questions like “I should know who I am and what I want by now, but why do I still feel uncertain?” “I want to live with purpose, but how do I define that for myself?”
I get it. I’ve been there.
I know what it’s like to soldier on and perform at a very high level only to feel like something is missing. Like many people, I felt like I should have had everything figured out by now but wasn’t willing to slow down long enough and do the work.
As a trusted real estate advisor, I have spent 30 years guiding people through complex decisions. The goal has always been to facilitate self-discovery and guide my clients through the complicated process of buying and selling homes.
Thanks to the certification team at The ONE Thing and the principles in that best-selling book, I now have the skills to process through the very things I needed to wrestle with myself – clarity in life’s core categories.
Getting Started
1
Scavenger hunt
Tapping into what drives you is not always easy. This is a guided journey through some easy but thought-provoking questions about what inspires you, what irritates you, how you view the world and the why underneath it all.
2
Core Values
Through guided coaching conversations, we will process insights and identify themes to help you zero in on your core values. Words don’t mean the same thing to everyone – settling on your top core values may be a process.
3
Personal Mission
Craft a clear, actionable path forward – whether in career, relationships, or life direction. My mission is life is to ______________ through/by/in order to _______________________. The goal is to draft a mission statement that will become initial filter by which you measure all of life.
“Our work, our relationships, and our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. While no single conversation is guaranteed to transform a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can. Speak and listen as if this is the most important conversation you will ever have with this person. It could be. Participate as if it matters. It does.”
Susan Scott, Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time
The cost of waiting…
- Continue feeling stuck, uncertain, or reactive instead of intentional.
- Risk making more decisions without a strong foundation of self-awareness.
- Get drawn into other people’s priorities rather than pursuing your own.
- Living on “cruise control” but “running on empty”
The reward of taking action
- Peace of mind!
- Deeper understanding of your unique strengths, values, and purpose.
- Confidence in making life and career decisions that align with your true identity.
- Sense of direction and fulfillment as you step into your next chapter with clarity.
Meet Coach Michael Bunch
INTRODUCTION
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Certified ONE Thing Trainer and Coach
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KWU Instructor
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KW NextGen Certified Instructor
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Founding Member, ONE Thing Time Blocking Mastery
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Residential Real Estate Agent since 1995
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Former Registered Professional Civil Engineer
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Married for 41 years with two children
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Superpower: I help people Connect the Dots and Take Action
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Core Values: Trust, Authenticity, Humility, Courage, Taking Action
Contact Me
Recent Blog Posts
Legacy
We are all building one. If —by Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by...
Connection
Perhaps one of the most important lessons Brene' Brown has learned in her career - Vulnerability is the gateway to authentic Connection. https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability
The ONE Thing
Overview The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is a best-selling productivity and success book (over 3.5M copies sold ) that emphasizes the power of focus. The core idea is that by identifying and...
Justifying the Means
Another Coach Bunch / ChatGPT Interview How does the Bible square with “the ends justify the means”? The Bible consistently rejects the idea that the ends justify the means. Instead, it emphasizes that both the goal (the ends) and the process (the means) must align...
Favorite Quotes
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives...
The Role of Guide
Powerful presentation by Donald Miller at The Welcome Conference in 2024 hosted by Will Guidera. https://youtu.be/OYlt0wTi_xE
Recommended Reading
Choosing Sides
At some point we choose a side The timeless airplane safety adage of "put the oxygen mask on yourself first" is definitely wisdom in action. But after that, there are countless points where we get to decide who we want to be and what kind of legacy we want to leave....
Biblical Leadership
What does the Bible say about holding leaders or influencers to a higher standard? The Bible acknowledges the importance of holding leaders and influencers to a higher standard due to their responsibility to guide and influence others. Here are several passages that...