Variety Is The Spice Of Life Coaching

Posted on 16 June 2007

Life coaching is still not that well known in the US. Actually let me rephrase that and be a little bit more accurate with my words. Not many people actually seem to know what life coaches do. Whenever anybody asks me what I do for a living and I say Life Coach I usually get a sage nodding of the head followed up a second or so later by ‘What’s that then?’

I suppose it is because it is one of those job titles that sound obvious. I mean, everybody knows what life is and coaches are fairly common so immediately you have two familiar things, but when you stick them together it tends to throw people somewhat. A coach for life? Well whatever next, a talking moose or limbo dancing raccoon?

So what do life coaches do and why do people need them?

I’d like to tackle the last part of that first and say that although I happen to believe that anybody can benefit from having their own coach, yes, even you, it would be unfair to say you need one or your life is a meaningless sham without one, unless of course it is, in which case you do, so give me a call.

A life coach can offer support and encouragement as well as a certain level of accountability. A good coach will not bully or intimidate you but he or she will encourage you, motivate you and stir you out of any complacency that you have been clinging on to tighter than that 30-year-old comfort blanket.

How do they do the above?

They ask good questions and then they listen and that’s about it.

Ok there is a bit more to it than that, but good questions are at the core of good personal coaching and without them the process usually stagnates. The most important thing is to shift the clients thinking because as that wise old bird Einstein once said ‘You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that caused it in the first place’ Right on Albert, you da man! So helping people look at things from different perspectives can in and of itself be hugely beneficial and effect rapid change for the better.

When somebody once asked me what I did I rather smugly replied ‘I do what Tony Robbins does only much cheaper’ Unfortunately he hadn’t heard of Tony Robbins so that pithy retort was about useful as the cold weather pack fitted to my car here in Florida (don’t get me started on that one).

The fact is that coaching and the coaching process is different for different people and to try and explain in a Blog like this exactly what we do is nigh on impossible. When I set off with a client I have absolutely no idea where I will end up. Seriously, how could I know unless I started making huge presumptions about what is best for my client before I even get to know them?

All I would say is that if you feel you could get more out of life and that you have untapped potential then a coach would probably be a wise investment of your time and money, but then again, I’m a coach so I would say that, wouldn’t I?

Enjoyed this post? Please share it!

Digg it | Stumble it |

 

Post a Comment

Name

Mail (will not be published)

Website

Enable CommentLuv which will try and parse your last blog post, please be patient while it finds it for you

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail