What Is A Life Coach?
Your new BFF, that’s what! Well, maybe. Very broadly put: A life coach is someone who helps you go from where you are to where you want to be in your life.
Coaches are goal and results-oriented collaborators, completely focused on you and your best life. We work with you to achieve what you most desire or need. And we’re typically a good hang.
What Does A Life Coach Do?
Ever feel like you’ve got a big ole case of the blahs? Things are okay, fine, a little tiring, but manageable, and that’s about it.
You know you want something more, but you don’t know what. You know something should be different, but don’t know how. You’re stuck in indecision, wondering what choice is right for you, so you do nothing. For months then years. You don’t know what your direction is.
That’s when you need a life coach.
Life coaches are big-time, all-about-YOU advocates. We come to help and support you as you work to figure out the best choices for your life. We empower you to find and walk toward the right path for you.
We’re in your corner, walking with you, cheering you on, and we believe in you until you can believe in yourself.
At the same time, we use and teach you tools and techniques to explore your ultimate potential and overcome the obstacles that stand in your way.
When is a good time to consider life coaching?
You might turn to coaching when you’re at a crossroads or when you have goals that seem just out of reach – whether in your career, personal life, spiritual path, or wellness journey.
I always say one thing that makes coaching so special is that we’re always working toward a goal. We don’t just meet to chat or vent (although that can be a part of it when needed). We focus on progressing in the aspects of your life that most matter to you.
(**FYI- This is one thing I tend to be quite good at, I always want you to feel like you’ve accomplished or discovered something that will move you forward when we meet.)
What’s The Role Of A Life Coach?
A Curious and Inquisitive You-Advocate
Navigating life’s decisions and transitions is challenging. It brings up insecurities, fears, hopes, regrets, and longing. With all of those thoughts, it can feel impossible to make sense of things and find clarity on your best next move.
This is when a life coach can really help you.
We partner with you and help you find your way. Your coach is there to help you discover your intuition and reasoning. Together, you find what you need and want most.
Your life coach is your ally.
They help you figure things out and take actionable steps to find success and fulfillment (which is defined by you, of course).
Coaches ask you thought-provoking questions to help you discover your beliefs, desires, and hold-ups. These questions stir reflection and insights you have that may be blocking you from your greatest life. The questions we ask lead you to a point of clarity, truth, and confidence to make choices aligned with your aspirations and values.
(**FYI-This is another spot where my personality and techniques make me a great resource. I’m “a digger.” Often the first and second answers people give are just the beginning of deeper feelings and wisdom. Safely and lovingly, I encourage us both to look for more, find the root, and find the true beliefs, and blocks, so that long-lasting changes can be made. I find it’s best not to settle for easy answers, but get to what’s beneath it).
An Ear With An Eye For Direction
Life coaches foster a safe space for you to pour out, lay everything on the table and brainstorm solutions until you figure out what the heck you need to overcome hurdles and roadblocks standing in the way of a life (and a you) you love.
Coaching with a trained and skilled life coach is like having a “what should I do with my life” conversation with your best friend… but on steroids.
It’s not a one-time thing where you vent your frustration and ponder your dreams over a glass of wine and a bag of Doritos. Nah, with coaching, you have the “what should I do with my life” conversation then you and your coach work together until you have a clear direction and know what you need to actually do to accomplish it. Your coach is completely committed to you and your best.
Ohh my!! Someone to talk to about every question I have, every decision I’m stuck on, every fear that holds me back, every secret life dream I have? Amazing!
Friends exhaust. We can only bend their ear so many times with our indecision or “what ifs.” But a life coach… YOUR life coach? We’re in it with you until you succeed.
An All-In Big-Time Believer In Your Potential
Another thing to note here: Life coaching isn’t just about overcoming your blocks. It’s about raising your expectations for what’s possible for you and your life.
You have one life. And you have desires in your heart for a reason. You have natural talents, learned skills and useful life experiences for a reason.
We are here to encourage the “possibility” in you.
You have a bit of magic in you. What’s it for? A life coach can help you understand how and why you’re made and what your purpose is. Coaching can help you be your fullest, truest self.
The clarity and vision you discover in a coaching session gives you the strength and confidence to pursue YOU at your FULLEST.
A Goal-ie
Your coach collaborates with you to clarify and set goals. These aren’t just any goals, but ones that resonate with your life’s vision and come from your soul. You work with your coach to make your goals specific and do-able. And you two come up with your step-by-step approach to conquering these ambitions.
An Intuitive, Technical, Observant, Tool-Using, Motivating, Mindset Master
What are some tools and techniques coaches use? In a session you might run into one of these life coaching skills:
Visualization, hypothetical questions, mindfulness, meditation, sensory exercises, games and prompts that get you in tune with your intuition, framing scenarios in a way that makes it easier for you to understand, asking powerful questions, creating a sacred space, mirroring, grounding work, imagination work, sequenced questioning, exploring values, anchoring, journaling, stories and metaphors, and about a zillion other tools, concepts, and skills.
Sometimes there are worksheets and written activities or “homework” for you, sometimes not. It all depends on the client, the coach, and the scenario.
Be assured that whatever techniques your coach is using, we are working to find the best way “in” with you.
We are always looking to find your magic recipe and understand what makes you tick and what types of tools and questions will illicit what you ultimately want and need from your sessions.
(**FYI- Prayer and listening to God can certainly be included as a skill. This is not true for all coaches. I stay open to opportunities for prayer in session if the client is interested in it and if the situation calls for it. It’s something that comes up sometimes, sometimes not. I pretty much always quietly listen out for nudges and insights from God that can help. I’m also a certified Spiritual Coach, so that’s part of my training. Plus, it fits my personal style. But some coaches may not get spiritual at all. And some may incorporate a diverse spiritual practice. This really varies based on the coach).
When Should You Work With a Life Coach?
Here are some scenarios when it’s a good idea to consider life coaching:
- You’re 45, single, and want to find a life partner. But you live in a small town and most of the dating prospects aren’t a fit. You’re thinking of relocating to a larger city
- You’ve been a stay-at-home mom for ten years. You don’t know if you should go back to work or not
- You used to feel vivacious and full of life and potential. But you haven’t felt purposeful or excited in a long time. You know you want to make a change, but have no idea what
- Your youngest child is headed for college and leaving the nest. You have no clue what to do with yourself. You life was completely wrapped up in your family. Now what do you do with your time and how do you find fulfillment?
- You’re about to retire and are nervous about the open calendar every day with no routine. You want purpose and excitement in this part of your life
- You don’t have any hobbies or interests really. You work and go home to watch TV. You’re not deeply interested in anything, but you want to be. How can you choose something?
- You used to feel connected to God, but things are pretty distant now. You want to figure out what your relationship with God is now and how to make it satisfying
And…. and…and… there are endless scenarios that could encourage you to work with a life coach.
Life Coaching Is Life-Changing
Thankfully, I’ve experienced the power of life coaching on both sides. Going to a life coach set me on a path to find my passion and use my gifts.
(And I still work with some kind of coach depending on what I need at the time: health coach, business coach, time management coach, etc. When I need an assist, a coach is usually my first point of contact).
And I’ve had the pleasure of helping clients find their own fulfillment- from making peace with their self-criticizing minds, shifting career paths, setting financial boundaries, understanding their purpose… (just to name a few).
It’s a joy to be a life coach and spiritual coach. I absolutely, positively love it. And I just can’t speak highly enough of the power of coaching.
Curious about working with me?
Schedule a free 20-minute call.
We’ll get to know each other, I’ll share a bit more about the process and answer any questions you have, and I’ll let you know if coaching or counseling is best for your circumstances (There’s a time and circumstance for each).
No salesy stuff. I don’t enjoy that either. Let’s just have a chat and see if it’s a good fit for us both.
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