Life coaching is a fairly new industry and as such, one of the questions I get asked often is “what exactly is a life coach?”. This is such a fantastic question and one that I actually struggled to answer for a while.
I read many different articles about what a life coach did , I worked with a life coach, I even applied to BE a life coach…. but it wasn’t until I started coaching people myself that I truly understood the value of a life coach and what they did.
The National Coach Academy describes a life coach as someone who “works with their clients to help them achieve goals, overcome obstacles and make changes or shifts in their lives”. The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
These definitions all point to the truth, but honestly a life coach is so much more than that. They are a cheerleader, sounding board, and accountability partner. They hold space for your emotions, listen intently to what you say and don’t say, ask insightful questions and even give you tough love when called for.
There is such a huge spectrum of what a life coach can do and so many ways they can add value to your life. I think the best way to answer the question “what is a life coach?” Is to answer the question “ what can a life coach do for you?”
I want to answer that question by illustrating some common situations in which a life coach could be beneficial and how they could help elevate your life.
#1 You know all the things you SHOULD be doing to make a change, but you just cannot get yourself to actually do them.
A life coach can step in here and hold you accountable for all the things you “say” are important to you.
First they can help you get to the root of why you are not taking action. Often times we make up excuses such as “I don’t have enough time” or “life keeps getting in the way”, but really those superficial reasons are just a cover up. When we dig deeper we may find that the real reason we aren’t taking action is because we are scared on some level. Scared of change. Scared of failure. Scared of being seen.
Working with a life coach can help you get to the bottom of your inaction. With that new sense of awareness, taking action will become much easier.
Coaches can also help give you strategies and tools for overcoming resistance and following through on your commitments. They can put check in systems in place to physically hold you accountable.
I sometimes have clients send me a voice note once they have completed a certain task, or email me a copy of their business plan by a certain day. You will be amazed at how much stronger you become when you have someone constantly lighting a fire under your butt.
#2 You feel unfulfilled and like something is off in your life, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.
One of the most incredible benefits of working with a life coach is gaining clarity. A coach can ask you challenging and insightful questions that make you look inside yourself. They can help you find answers that you never realized were there.
They can also listen to you and read between the lines of what you are saying and what you actually mean.
A coach will offer back reflections based on what they hear and provide you with valuable insights and aha moments. Ultimately they can help you find clarity, direction and purpose within yourself which will start to drastically shift your life.
#3 You have a big dream you want to chase, but something is holding you back.
A life coach can help you get out of your own way and chase down that dream on your heart. There are so many things that can hold us back from what we want most in life, and most of the time those things are all internal.
Usually the biggest thing holding us back, is ourselves. There are lies we tell ourselves, limiting beliefs we hold to be true, old habits we are scared to break and fears to work through.
Life coaches can be hugely valuable here in helping you identify the ways in which you are self sabotaging and giving you the tools to set yourself free.
A coach can work with you on mindset shifts to overcome your limiting beliefs. They can help you with goal setting and action planning and motivation.
Working with a life coach can free you up to step into your full potential and share your unique gifts with the world.
#4 You feel constantly stressed, anxious or overwhelmed.
A life coach can be of huge service here in helping you manage these negative emotions.
There are usually two main varieties of stress. The kind that comes from having too much to do and not enough time, and the kind that is always present no matter what external circumstances are going on in your life.
The first one stems from issues with time management. A life coach can help work with you on this area. Usually a lack of “time management” is really a lack of priorities. When we stress out about not having enough time it is because we haven’t done the work of narrowing down our focus. Working with a life coach can help you identify your priorities so you can feel good about what you are accomplishing every day.
Life coaches can also work with you to track your time, streamline your to-do list, and say no more often. All of these tools and techniques can help you feel more in control of your time and your life.
The second form of stress is generally a learned behavior caused by habitual thought patterns. Life coaches can help you cultivate awareness of these thought patterns and develop strategies to overcome them.
These are just a few examples of the ways a life coach can help elevate the way you experience each and every day.
Ultimately, a life coach is someone who believes in the very best version of who you can be and then consistently holds you to that higher standard until you become it. Raise your hand if you need some of that in your life!
If you are interested in working with a life coach, click here to sign up for a discovery session with me. I’d love to walk with you on your journey towards a better life.
Yes! Yes! Yes! These are all reasons I love working with a life coach!!! It’s a challenging process, but one that is always pushing me to do better! And, on the other side of that, when things are going wrong I know I’ll have someone with me to help me see a way to the other side!
So proud of your quest to help people in this amazing way!!!
Yesss exactly! Its such a challenging and rewarding relationship to take part in. There is really nothing like it. Thanks for introducing me to the concept 🙂