What Is A Life Coach - The Ultimate Guide.

What exactly is a life coach?

Everyone understands what a coach is. As an example, a coach could be someone who is specialised in a particular sport, who teaches others to play that sport or in the case of a professional sportsperson, helps them achieve a high level of per.

We would refer to this person as a sports coach.

So to answer the question simply, a life coach is someone who teaches and guides people to live their lives to the fullest.

However, that isn't doing justice to what a life coach is or how big of an impact a life coach could make to your life. A life coach is somebody who is professionally trained to help you achieve your full potential and get more out of your life, whether that is in your personal life or work life. A good life coach is like a supportive friend and a trusted advisor. They’re someone who will push you to identify your goals, hold you accountable and provide encouragement throughout your journey to become a better version of yourself.

A professional life coach will also have completed extensive training that will equip them with the skills to ensure they ask the right questions, communicate effectively and be able to understand your needs and desires in life.

What does a life coach do?

A life coach encourages and guides their clients through a range of issues which can be both in their professional or personal lives. People tend to work with a life coach to deal with specific issues such as dealing with a midlife crisis or to achieve more from their working life.

A coach helps you achieve your goals by understanding your current situation and where you want to be whilst identifying limiting beliefs and other potential challenges and obstacles you face. They will then create a plan of action that is designed to help you achieve specific outcomes in your life.

You would find that a relationship between a client and their life coach is more like a partnership than a teacher telling a pupil what to do.

The below are typical areas a life coach can help with.

MANAGING STRESS

Helping you deal with and manage stress.

RELATIONSHIPS

Improving personal and work relationships.

CAREER GROWTH

Helping people achieve career growth.

LIFE EVENTS

Coaching people through difficult life events.

What are the benefits of life coaching?

CONFIDENCE

Improve your confidence, feel good about yourself and your life.

BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

Improve your relationships with loved ones, peers and colleagues.

REDUCED STRESS

Learn how to manage stress enabling you to reduce the stress you feel.

ACHIEVE GOALS

With the improvements you make, you can achieve the goals you set yourself.

How does life coaching work?

As we have covered the answer to the question “What is a life coach?”, now we will explain what you can expect from working with a life coach. Life coaching typically works in a structured format, although your coach will initially work with you to create an action plan.

The first thing that you will do with your life coach is to discuss where you are in your personal and professional life at the moment and where you want to be. This is simply defining your goals or a vision of where you want to be.

So that your coach really understands you and what you want your coach is likely to ask questions like:

What is it that drives you?

What do your goals revolve around?

Your coach will also ask questions to understand any limiting beliefs you may have like:

What negative things do you tell yourself?

How have these thoughts held you back?

After assessing your current position, identifying current and potential obstacles, when your coach feels they know enough about you and what you want to achieve, you and your coach will set challenging, but achievable goals. Your coach will ensure that you set short term and long term goals whilst ensuring that you are being realistic but also that you are going to push yourself. You’ll then decide which specific steps you will take, when you will take them and ensure that each step supports your goals. You will prepare for potential obstacles and decide how to cope with them.

The incredibly important part of how life coaching works is working with your life coach on an ongoing basis so that your life coach can measure your progress. Your coach will help you stay on track and monitor your plan to identify if it needs modification at any point. This ensures that you stay committed and are much more likely to achieve what you want.

Who should consider working with a life coach?

Anyone who wants to get more out of life tomorrow than they are achieving today should consider working with a life coach. Life coaching clients are typically people who don't want to settle for 2nd best, they want the best for themselves and their families.

A wide range of different people choose to work with life coaches, including business leaders, sports professionals, housewives/househusbands, professionals and small business owners. The one thing they do have in common is that they have identifed a gap between where they are and where they want to be.

Signs that a life coach could be good for you could be:

SELF DESTRUCTIVE HABBITS

You are stuck in self destructive habits like drinking

NEGATIVE INNER THOUGHTS

You think negatively of yourself or have "imposter syndrome"

MAJOR LIFE CHANGING EVENT

You are dealing with a recent major life change or stressful event

FEAR OF
FALIURE

You suffer a fear of failure that stops you from reaching your goals

Life Coaching misconseptions

It is strange that there are misconceptions surrounding life coaching as you wouldn't question a tennis coach, you would accept that if they are a qualified tennis coach that they know how to help someone improve their game of tennis.

Here we will examine the many misconceptions and myths about life coaching and cover some of the most common.

“Anyone can be a life coach and coaches do not require training.” This isn’t true. Yes anyone could call themselves a life coach in the same way that anyone could call themselves a tennis coach for example. A qualified life coach must have completed the appropriate training (that which is recognised by the International Coaching Federation) to ensure that they have the right tools and skills to help their clients.

“Coaching is unlicensed therapy.” Again this is not true, coaching and therapy are very different. Life coaching focuses on your present and looks to improve your future outcomes moving forward. Therapy on the other hand focuses on your past and looks into past actions and patterns.

“Coaches let you vent, then they offer advice.” While life coaches do need to have great listening skills providing high-quality coaching is far more than just giving advice. It requires that a coach is able to draw upon knowledge, experience and training to create unique solutions for each scenario and work with the client to implement them. Coaches will offer unbiased opinions about how to move toward accomplishing your goals while identifying and resolving inner blocks so that you can eventually coach yourself.

How much does life coaching cost?

This varies but typically in the UK you would be likely to pay between £100 - £150 an hour. That may sound expensive but it could be the best investment you make in your life if you need a life coach.
Do I need to physically go and see a life coach?

No, you can work with a life coach remotely via video calls etc You may prefer to find a life coach you can see in person but due to the great technology avaliable today you could work with a coach from anywhere in the world.
How do I choose the right life coach for me?

There are many life coaches to choose from and a coach that works well with a friend may not be great for you. Finding the right coach for you is more often than not a question of fit. Most coaches offer a free introductory session, in that session you will be able to determine if you and your life coach are a good fit. If not, you can search for a different coach.
How long will I need to work with a life coach?

This depends on you and how quickly you achieve your desired goals. Don't put unecessary pressure on yourself at this early stage. The best thing you can do is to start and see how you progress. a good life coach will not try and sell you time that you do not need and they will advise you when they think you are ready to fly solo.