A Life Coach? What's that?

Upon receiving my Life Coach Certification, I was extremely excited as it had been a goal, dream and vision of mine for most of my adult life. The curriculum was extensive and the assignments tough, and I had done it. YAY! As many super proud graduates I couldn’t wait to tell anyone and everyone of my new role, my soul profession so to speak. “I am A Life Coach!” I would beam, and usually the response was either “That’s great! Everybody needs a Life Coach!” or “You’re what? What’s a Life Coach?” So I put this together, along with some other common questions I have encountered for anyone wondering  what this “Life Coaching thing” is all about and why it’s quickly becoming the number one “counseling” of choice for so many.

Everyone has a vision of what their ideal life looks like. Maybe you've always dreamed of being a successful entrepreneur, artist, or corporate executive. Or maybe, like so many you are just stressed, overwhelmed and unfulfilled. It seems like life is passing you by and you are not one step closer to your vision, your ideal life. Enter the Life Coach. Just like the coaches who push athletes to greatness in sports or vocal coaches who launch their students into the perfect aria, life coaches push their clients to find success and satisfaction with their jobs and their lives by focusing on, and develop their clients’ strengths and abilities.

There are many reasons people have chosen to work with a Life Coach and some examples might be:

• Needing some guidance on moving forward in life/career
  
  
• Wanting to learn how to utilize personal strengths and talents
  
  
• Unsure what to do about a major life decision
  
  
• Searching to perfect a work-life balance
  
  
• Experiencing a lot of stress
  
  
• Feeling unfulfilled
  
  
• Wanting to achieve big goals
  
  
• Looking to be happier
  
  Is a Life Coach a “Shrink”? No, a Life Coach is not a psychiatrist. A Life Coach is a consultant, motivational speaker, part therapist and part friend and they have the ability to view things from the outside shedding new light on difficult situations. Many times they can be a sounding board through tough decisions and can provide their clients new insights, new motivation and accountability while assisting them to move forward into the life they envision by providing  the tools necessary to make it happen. Life Coaches focus on the present and the future with their clients.
  
  Does it work? A loud and profound YES! Life Coaching has become so very popular as more and more people are turning to coaches every day. Coaching works for several reasons including:
  
  •           Synergy between the life coach and client creates momentum and enthusiasm.
  
  •           Better goals are set - ones that naturally motivate the client.
  
  •           The client develops new skills which lead to greater successes.
  
  •           Structure and support - more is accomplished with fewer struggles and less effort.
  
  •           A Life Coach is an objective, positive supporter.
  
  These are just a few benefits of working with a Life Coach. Simply stated people that are stuck in a rut can become clearer about reaching new goals, and those who are already successful may achieve even more. The bottom line is that by working with a coach, people set better goals and reach them faster than trying to reach them by themselves.
  
  I have friends, do I need a coach? There are many people that have to a friend or family member to go to when it comes to certain life circumstances such as making big decisions or overcoming problems. But these friends may not always have the best answers or may not be truly objective about a situation to give decent advice. This is one reason life coaching has become so sought after. Coaching helps people see their life from a different, third party perspective and gives them the confidence to move forward launching them towards success.
  
  Oh, one more thing. The success of coaching really depends on people finding the right Life Coach for them. An effective coach for one person may not be a good match for another. Personal chemistry and rapport are more than important, they are vital. To find a good match, it's best to speak directly with your potential coach first so you may want to look for a coach who offers a sample session before you commit. You'll want to be sure you feel comfortable enough with your coach to develop the deep trust so necessary for successful coaching.