Get a life ! – Get a Life Coach !

Posted by Rory on Sep 12, 2011 in Articles | 0 comments

Are you making the most of your life? Or do you still wake up some mornings feeling unfulfilled and unsure about what the future holds for you?

If you are totally focussed on your life’s objectives, using every possible opportunity to maximise your inner potential and enjoying a rewarding and contented lifestyle then congratulations – you are one of the 1% of the population who is already ‘living the dream’.

Alternatively, if you are still unsure about exactly where your life is heading or feel there is ‘something missing’ then you are in good company – 99% of us are still trying to work out where we want to be in our lives – and how to get there.

And this is exactly what ‘Life Coaching’ is all about.

Simple and powerful

Life Coaching is a much misunderstood concept and often confused with Counselling, Therapy or mentoring. Life Coaching however is none of these things. Instead, it is a very simple but very powerful method for converting dreams into reality in a constructive, professional and structured way.

The concept of Life Coaching is still relatively new but has seen considerable growth in the USA over the last two decades, being introduced into the UK and Europe in the late eighties.

The growth of life coaching

It was born out of the realisation that there are millions of people ‘searching’ for some missing ingredient in their lives that cannot be resolved by traditional remedies. Quite simply individuals were reaching a stage in their lives where they felt the need to stop and take stock of their ambitions, motives, lifestyle and plans for the future. These individuals recognised an internal need to change certain aspects of their lives but were unsure how to turn their ideas and dreams into tangible reality.

In the past this need would rarely be met and people would continue to walk the same treadmill, destined to remain forever unfulfilled and frustrated, feeling trapped in the ‘rat race’ and unable to see a way out. The traditional structures of Society provided little opportunity to change this situation and there were few people individuals could turn to for guidance. Although there was no shortage of ‘advice’ from well meaning partners, friends, family or well wishers this was rarely objective or framed in such a way that real benefit could be derived.

Development of coaching tools and techniques

Today, however, things have changed. Professionally trained Life Coaches are able to help individuals maximise their potential and achieve their goals and ambitions through a series of guided one-to-one sessions and practical exercises. Coaches use a variety of tools and techniques to both challenge and assist their ‘clients’ in reaching their chosen targets in a similar way that sports coaches help athletes achieve maximum performance on the sports field.

Having your own ‘life coach’ to help and support you through periods of change might have seemed a little unusual a few years ago, but today it is becoming more and more acceptable and few senior executives in the USA are without their own personal life coach, stimulating and encouraging them to sustain peak performance within a balanced lifestyle.

A word of caution

But before you sign up with your own personal life coach – a word of caution. Today ‘Life Coaching’ remains an unregulated industry which means almost anyone can call themselves a ‘life coach’ – and untrained coaches give the profession a bad name. Conversely, a professionally trained and accredited life coach can make a real difference to people’s lives. In today’s world of rapid change, economic uncertainty, career unpredictability and relationship breakdown individuals often need someone they can turn to for professional guidance. In other words someone who has been trained to listen in a non-critical and non-judgemental way, knowing that the coach – client relationship is always conducted in complete confidence. A good life coach is someone the client completely trusts – someone who is always fully supportive, encouraging, resourceful, challenging, honest and totally dedicated to the clients aspirations and dreams.

An accredited life coach charges for their time in the same way as a Lawyer or Accountant though the costs are likely to be considerably less. The benefits to be gained from employing a life coach, however, can be far more profound and far reaching.

So why has coaching suddenly become so popular and why is it so effective?

Quite simply it has been proven through research that most people spend more time planning a holiday or house purchase than they do planning their lives. This means that most of us go through life like a cork in the ocean – being taken where the ocean currents take us rather than in the direction we really want to go. But even those who do take the time to plan rarely keep up the momentum choosing the easiest path when things get tough. This is where good Life coaches can really make a huge difference. A Life Coach will force their clients to really spend quality time on thinking about their future so that goals, objectives, dreams and ambitions can be thoroughly examined and understood. The coach will then take their client through a series of practical exercises and goal setting scenario’s so that idle daydreams can be constructively turned into workable and achievable plans. The coach – client relationship is not a one-off event though. Many relationships continue for months or even years. The coach has been trained to listen, understand, support, challenge and guide their client to not only construct their life plan but to actually make it happen – and life plans are not just about careers and job satisfaction. Financial security, work-life balance, relationship stability, health, fun and enjoyment and personal growth are all elements of life that need nurturing in order to flourish and life coaches will make sure every aspect of their client’s life is given a thorough makeover.

Changing your life for the better

For those who have chosen to employ the services of a good coach the results can be truly dramatic and life changing. By having someone challenge your deepest dreams and anxieties and turn ideas into actions amazing things can be achieved. And for those who are still not sure that employing a life coach can be a cost effective decision then just think  for a moment about the alternative – ‘What is the ultimate cost of not changing your life for the better?’