About Life Coaching
“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime” – Confucius
It is also a fact that we cannot see the back of our own head unaided. You need some form of help. Similarly Bookshop shelves are lined with self-help books and the Internet is full of tips, DIY guides and people such as myself offering to transform your life. Each with its own focus and emphasis and each in its own way claiming to be the best thing on the market.
Which, if any is right for you?
The answer lies in what you want to do. Perhaps you’re looking for:
- better relationships,
- improved work/life balance,
- healthier, less stressful way of living,
- greater financial stability,
- achieving success in a job, training or education,
- enjoy higher self-esteem and wider recognition,
- new life skills.
All are examples of what life coaching could help you bring about.
How does life coaching work
Life Coaching is about making specific changes in your life and is a very straightforward concept:
- start by being clear about what you want to achieve and why it is important to you,
- understand your starting point,
- figure out what you need to do to succeed in your aims,
- plan how you will do it,
- successfully Do It!
- finally, check that you have achieved what you set out to do and give yourself a pat on the back for your success.
Pretty much all the coaching material I have ever come across uses some variation of this.
Does everyone benefit from Life Coaching?
The short answer is no. In my experience those that get most from coaching have motivation, perseverance and determination. They are also willing to take responsibility for themselves, are realistic about both their potential and limitations and welcome genuine feedback.
What to look for in a coach
Like buying any professional service, there are a number of things to look out for in a prospective coach, things like:
- Experience and competence,
- Reliability and trustworthiness,
- Professionalism, e.g. subscribing to a recognised code of practice and ethical way of working,
- The three ‘A’s - accessibility, availability and affordability.
But probably the most vital ingredient for any successful coaching relationship is the extent to which you and your coach get with on with each other as fellow human beings. This has little to do with qualification or experience, more about that inner recognition of “Yes – this is someone that I can work with”.
So don’t be afraid to shop around. Most coaches will expect and welcome some form of initial, free, no-obligation conversation with you before you make any decisions. And if they don’t, then that might say something about their suitability for you.
Decision Point
By now you will have begun to form an opinion about me and my approach to coaching and perhaps be deciding that you now need some more detailed information, in which case try ‘My Approach’.