Seriously. Why does anyone need coaching? Does coaching really get results for people?
If yes, what kind of results does it get? How does it all work exactly?
Before studying coaching myself, I had no clue about any of the above. If anything, I had the suspicion that coaching is for weak, self-indulgent navel-gazers.
Having a “life coach” seemed like something airy-fairy and light-in-substance. A luxury. Something people in Beverly Hills do on their phones while their mini-chihuahuas get their nails done.
I’ve Since Realized a Variety of Things About Coaching
1. Yes, coaching gets results
The results will vary depending on your personal goals and circumstances.
But, in general, coaching is very effective. It helps people listen to themselves, achieve their goals and find their way through transitions.
Sometimes it helps you decide NOT to pursue something, after all.
Coaching can support you with things like, moving from one career role into another.
It can help you move on with life post-divorce. It can make the difference in you losing 50 pounds, or not.
Or it can be a journey of exploring who you really are, so you can finally draw in the relationship you’ve always wanted.
2. Not all coaching is “life coaching”
Life coaching is the most general form of coaching.
But more often people look for specialized coaching that helps them achieve a goal in a specific area of their life.
A specialized coach might be any of the following: A dating coach. A career coach. A health coach. A business coach. Or, yes, even a basketball coach.
With any of these you’ll be diving deep into a chosen area of your life with a person who has intensive training or life experience in that realm.
3. Coaching is about transformation
At its best, coaching is a very profound work with a lot of insight into human needs, and human nature.
Coaching’s highest aim is to help you be the human being you truly want to be by helping you realize your dreams and actualize your potential.
That said, going for your dreams and daring to broach a new identity can bring up some very vulnerable feelings.
A coach has your back, and is there for you during your highs, lows, and tedious middle-ground. They hold space for your process like a cocoon, so you can grow something new.
While a lot of coaching’s results come about through the coaching conversation itself, the full set of results depend up the actions you take.
Conveniently, your coach also serves as an accountability partner. The idea is this helps motivate you to take action!
4. It’s collaborative
Coaches engage in a collaborative dialogue or creative conversation with their client. Their primary role is deeply listening to you.
They also sparingly offer their own intuition and wisdom. Curiosity and questions pull out more of what the client means, wants and needs.
The best coaching draws on the wisdom of the heart and body, in addition to the mind. It consults the whole-person for guidance, insights and answers.
5. Coaching helps you know what you want. Then get what you want.
I did my introduction to coaching through The School for Coaching Mastery.
There I learned that — about 50% of coaching is helping you know what you want. The other 50% is helping you get what you want!
Good coaching keeps track of where you are on that spectrum.
6. Coaching is a response to the complexity & information overwhelm of modern life.
A good coach isn’t going to load you up with advice or opinions. They won’t add to the burden of information excess you already have.
Instead, they’re there to help you process your abundance of ideas and information. So you can successfully navigate complexity.
7. It helps you find leverage
At its best, coaching helps you get to the essence of what’s going on with you right now.
It looks for how you can shift the greatest number of circumstances in your life with the least effort. This is one of the secrets to how coaching gets results for you.
8. Coaching helps you learn like a pro
According to Master Coach David Peterson, coaching helps you become a better learner.
And as we know, we’re all constantly learning as we go through modern life.
Coaching helps us cultivate both insight and an attitude of openness and curiosity. This means that learning is more enjoyable and efficient and less, well, painful.
9. It’s future oriented
Coaching is not like therapy, which primarily looks at the past.
Instead, it’s firmly focused on what we can shift in the present to better get you to the future you desire. A coach assists you in evolving and moving forward much faster.
10. Coaching helps those who are willing to help themselves
Personal development great Jim Rohn said that coaching is best for self-motivated individuals.
If despite trying your hardest, you’re still feeling stuck, frustrated, trapped…
If you’re feeling like a hamster on a treadmill going nowhere… but you’re willing to do everything it takes to go somewhere good…
Then you’re an ideal candidate for coaching!
Let Coaching Get You Results
If you know exactly what you want, then I suggest finding a specialist coach. One way to do this is to search online by category or keyword, and then add the words “coach” or “coaching”.
Examples: “career coach” or “weight-loss coach”.
If you’re less clear on what you want, then a “life coach” may be for you.
Coaching is something I’ll be practicing for the rest of my life, as it’s such a rewarding and valuable skill.
My current focus is helping visionary entrepreneurs and freelancers navigate overwhelm and blocks to their success.
If that sounds like you, sign up to my email list for deep support and cutting-edge insights!
