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Invariably,
when someone asks Geri and me what we do
for a living and “life coaching” comes
out, we often get a response of, “What’s
that?“. Even though the growth of life
coaching has been huge - there are about
250,000 coaches today, many people are
still not familiar with what a life
coach is and why they may need one.
Let me
preface this by saying what a life coach
IS NOT. A life coach IS NOT a
professional counselor or therapist, not
a consultant, not a spiritual director
and not a career advisor. A life coach
is someone who helps people set a course
for their future and attains the goals
necessary to get there. They are a
collaborator, facilitator and
encourager.
Let’s take
a look at a comparison of various
disciplines that often get confused with
life coaching.
Below is a
brief comparison of the various
professional services designed to help
people on their life journey.
In reality,
there is often some overlap between
these disciplines; however, each
distinct service exists to meet very
different specific needs and
situations.
As far a
life coaches go, they are all about
forward ACTION:
· They
help
stimulate a vision
that considers and embraces your
potential. They help you leverage your
strengths.
· They
stimulate improved performance.
First, they hold you accountable to
setting and attaining goals. Second,
they help you make mid-course
corrections as necessary.
· They
provide
support during life transitions
– as an outsider that knows you, they
possess a vantage point that is often
more objective than your spouse, friends
or co-workers. A good coach should
“speak the truth in love.” Coaches help
you manage change effectively.
· They
help you
identify and overcome your “roadblocks”.
Those methods of “self-sabotage” that
continually keep you stuck, hindering
your success.
Coaches are
not for everyone. They are for people
who realize their need for support as
they embrace and walk in their full
potential.
Some questions for you to consider:
· Have
you ever had a positive coaching
experience in your life – in a sports
setting perhaps? What did you like
about that relationship and what were
the results?
· Have
you ever had a negative coaching
experience in your life? What did you
dislike about that relationship and what
were the results?
· If
you envision a relationship with a
professional coach, what would it look
like and what would you hope to get out
of it?
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