Few Needs, Greater Freedom: Coaching on the Frontline of a Noisy World

“He who is of few needs is already close to happiness.”

This line, attributed to ancient wisdom, has a quiet power. It’s not a call to renounce everything, but rather an invitation to notice how much peace there is in not needing too much. For many of the people I coach - those doing frontline work in NGOs, activism, public services, or community organising - this idea resonates deeply. They have often stepped away from a more material existence, not because they were forced to, but because something else mattered more.

That choice, of meaning over money, of contribution over consumption, is not easy, especially in a world that constantly markets more secure, more lucrative, and more socially visible alternatives. The siren song of personalised ads and curated social media feeds tells us we’re behind. That we should want more, have more, achieve more. That if we’re not climbing the housing ladder, maxing out our pension contributions, or moving up some imaginary career staircase, we must be failing.

Many of my clients come to coaching in moments when these pressures feel particularly acute. One client, for example, shared their discomfort with how often they compare themselves to old school friends. “They’re buying their second house, planning for early retirement. Meanwhile, I’m wondering if I can afford to take unpaid leave to work on a campaign that matters to me.” Beneath this was a deeper question: Am I on the right track?

My job isn’t to answer that question. It’s to create a space where the facts can be separated from the beliefs and feelings, and where we can look clearly at both. We analyse: What are the stories being told by the world around you? Which ones have you internalised? Which fears are valid and worth responding to, and which are more like background noise, pulling you away from your centre?

We also look at needs. Because needs aren’t fixed. They’re shaped by context, culture, comparison. One of the most powerful outcomes of coaching can be realising that some needs aren’t truly yours. And in that realisation, something shifts: anxiety turns into choice.

Together, we weigh up competing needs: security, impact, joy, connection, freedom. We get specific. How much do you need to live the life you want? What do you want to feel more of in your day-to-day? What goals are really yours, and not borrowed from the world’s expectations? And we set strategies, not just for what you’ll do, but for how you’ll hold your ground when the noise of “more” gets loud again.

Frontline work is demanding. It’s also deeply rewarding. But staying close to the mission requires inner steadiness. Coaching doesn’t offer that steadiness in the form of answers, it offers it in the form of clarity, reflection, and choice.

And perhaps that’s one of the greatest freedoms of all: to live with fewer needs, and to know which ones are truly yours.