Do I need a life coach?
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Coaches help you get from where you are to where you want to be. It sounds cliche but it’s true. It’s not uncommon to receive support and guidance from another person. People generally work with life coaches specifically because:
- They feel unfulfilled and want more out of life – Do you ever think to yourself, “I feel unfulfilled”? Working with a coach could help you identify exactly what’s missing, why it’s missing, and how to get it.
- They feel out of balance – With all the roles people play with competing goals it’s easy to get out of balance. Working with a coach can help you create a balance in your life based on your priorities, values and goals. Your coach can also hold you accountable to your new balance structure.
- They don’t know who they are – This person asks themselves, “Who am I?” They have lost sense of who they are and what they want. They have a hard time finding their place in the world. They don’t “fit in” with their current surroundings. Or they lack congruence in what they say, believe, and do. They may have gone through a major transition such as a marriage, divorce, empty nester, etc. They may have been subject to a bully at home or at work which has left them insecure and lost. Most people never take the time to really dig deep into who they are. It shows in the life they live and the things they settle for.
- They have a major decision that troubles them – This was me. I was in a relationship that didn’t feel right. On the surface I couldn’t tell if it was me bringing baggage from a previous relationship into that relationship or if it was him. Talking with my coach helped me sort out my thoughts, my feelings, and my needs. I was able to think clearly about what I was experiencing and decide if that was the right relationship for me. A lot of times we harbor so much responsibility for things that we shouldn’t. We think that it must be us so we’re reluctant to make the decisions that we need to make in order to create our own happiness. (BTW – it was him 😉 )
- They have big goals – One of the biggest benefits of having a coach (whether it’s business, life, health, etc.) is the accountability factor. Generally, when you make a commitment to another person you keep it. When you make a commitment to yourself a lot of times you don’t keep it. Let’s just be honest. When you know you have to report to someone else you’re likelihood of following through increases. In fact, research shows that your likelihood of accomplishing a goal increases to 95% when you have a scheduled appointment with your accountability partner or coach. How would you like to accomplish 95% of your goals?
What is a life coach?
A life coach is a professional who works with you to accomplish certain goals in your life and overcome challenges standing in your way. They are trained with a variety of tools and techniques to help their clients create their desired results for their life. Coaches may have a certain specialty such as relationship coaching or parenting coaching.
Why is working with a life coach valuable?
A lot of people are living unfulfilling lives that lack purpose. They have been in this cycle of “nothingness” for years. I talk to women all the time who say they have felt unfulfilled for years. Why is that? Working with a coach can help you break the negative cycles in your life. Whether that be the cycle of living an unfulfilling, uninspiring life year after year despite making a resolution to change every January or the cycle of constantly sabotaging your dreams and your relationships. A coach can help you get out of your own way and finally move forward.
Coaches provide outside perspective. They call you out when you need to be called out. They stretch you. They help you to get out of your head or out of your emotions so that you can make the best decision for you, your family, and your future. A good coach holds the vision you have for your life for you. She will hold you to your values when you are relaxing them. A coach is on your side. No, scratch that. A coach is on the side of your vision, your values, and your authentic self. She stands for those things even when you’re not.
What’s the difference between therapy and life coaching?
Therapy generally focuses on the past. Life coaching focuses on the future. Therapy asks, “How did you get here?” Life coaching ask, “Where are you going?” Therapy focuses a great deal on emotionally healing. Life coaching focuses on mastering your mindset. Therapy often serves as a release of thoughts and feeling related to an experience(s). Coaching focuses on the solution or best next step as it relates to the experience. Both will help you improve your life.
How does life coaching work?
Depending on the coach your first interaction with them may be a clarity or strategy session. The main purpose of this session is to help understand what the potential client’s situation is so that the coach can ascertain if they can help them. There’s no reason to take someone’s investment if you can’t actually help them. During this call, the potential client will also be able to decide if they want to partner with that particular coach on their goals.
Once there is a mutual decision to move forward you will likely receive a welcome packet with an agreement spelling out the terms of your relationship, an initial client intake form, an onboarding questionnaire to define your goals and objectives, and details on how to schedule your first session. The first session is generally the longest and can last up to 2 – 3 hours. This is where the coach will review your welcome packet materials with you, dive deeper into what you most want to accomplish during your time together, and map out how you will work together to accomplish your goals and what to expect in general.
After your first session you will meet with your coach with regularity. This may be weekly or biweekly. The sessions may last 30 minutes to an hour. Most likely you will meet via phone, but you could also meet in person with your coach. Each session will be geared towards helping you achieve your goal. Depending on the coaching program your coach may set the general theme for each session. Other times you may set the theme for the session. For example, in my Rediscover You 12 week private intensive I take women through a journey to getting back to their authentic self. In my Transform Your Life 12 week private intensive the client sets the agenda (with my support) based on the transformation they’d like to see.
Your coach will likely have assignments and exercises for you to complete in between sessions. This may be to help you overcome a mental block you are experiencing. It may be to help you identify what’s the right balance to seek in your life (see the Life Balance Wheel). It may be to help you get super clear on what you really want. Your coach may also send you additional resources as they see fit.
Meeting with your coach regularly helps to ensure you are making progress.
How many sessions do I need to see results?
It depends on your particular situation. I generally recommend working with your coach for at least three months to see the most transformation. It’s similar to your health. You wouldn’t work out one day and expect to lose weight. However, I do offer packages with as little as three sessions.
Do I really need a life coach?
Yes! Some of the most successful people in the world have a coach. Top coaches earn a million dollars per client. Yes, some people believe in the power of coaching so much they are willing to invest a million dollars.
Luckily, the investment to partner with me on the change you want to create in your life is not a million dollars (yet). To apply for a complimentary Rediscover You clarity session with me go to www.transformwithcharlene.com.
Additional Resources:
7 Powerful Stories of How Life Coaching Changes Lives
19 Life Changing Lessons From Amazing Life Coaches
26 Things Your Life Coach Would Tell You (if you had one)