Unleash Your Passion for People
Unleash Your Passion for People
What is Life Coaching?
What does a Life Coach do?
What is Life Coaching? and What does a Life Coach do?
These are, understandably, quite commonly asked questions, and we do our best here to provide the answers!
LIFE COACHING: AN EMERGING AND EXCITING PROFESSION
Life coaching is a relatively new concept,
having risen to popularity in the late ‘90s and the early years of this
century, thanks to the many celebrities who credited their success to
having hired life coaches.
Of course, although the term ‘life
coaching’ is quite new, the idea of helping others to appreciate their
true inner power and overcome obstacles to live to their full potential,
has been around for a long time.
Life coaching has, fairly recently become a formalised 'profession' – albeit an unregulated one – that is now one of the fastest growing in the world.
At its heart life coaching holds great promise as a means to make the world a better place by inspiring and empowering people to create better lives for themselves, through the use of various innovative tools and techniques.
At the core of life coaching
At the core of life coaching is the belief that every person has the capability, within, to be, do and have anything he or she desires.
We are all unique individuals. However, we share one very powerful attribute – the ability to create our own reality by understanding, controlling and managing our thoughts, intentions, values, beliefs, actions and behaviours.
One of the most important key assumptions on which effective life coaching is based is that a person's past in no way has to determine their future. Through life coaching, people learn to see the past, not as an obstacle but as a series of learnings that has prepared them to create a bright future, characterised by ongoing personal growth and development.
Solution focused personal development
So, what is life coaching exactly?
It's a solution focused approach to personal development aimed at helping people make very positive and lasting changes in their lives.
People, or 'clients', are encouraged to realise their true potential by following a process that will uncover and eliminate obstructive thinking and behavioural patterns in their lives.
The life coach facilitates this change using tried and trusted tools and techniques to empower their clients, in a caring, supportive and inspiring environment.
A life coach is there to guide and inspire his or her client to bring about a clearer understanding of their aspirations, goals and life purpose and to effect the necessary changes in their current and future behaviour to ensure the realisation of those goals and aspirations.
A Life Coach is an Agent for Change!
Human nature being what it is ... with the motivation, support and caring attention that a good life coach can provide, most people are capable of achieving far more and leading more fulfilling lives than they would if left to their own devices!
Life coaching is different!
To answer the question 'What is Life Coaching?' it may be helpful to contrast it with other related and perhaps better known disciplines.
LIFE COACHING VS COUNSELLING & THERAPY
COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY
Interventions are aimed at helping people overcome past traumas and events that require venting, coming to terms with, and healing, before the future can be faced with confidence.
LIFE COACHING
Aimed at functioning, mentally well people who want to achieve more from their lives by accepting that the present is what it is and that the past does not have to dictate the future.
LIFE COACHING VS MENTORING
MENTORING
A process in which people who are wiser and more experienced in a specific field, or area of life, look to impart their knowledge and advice to younger people or apprentices who want to be guided to advance in that field or area.
LIFE COACHING
Life coaches do not look to share their experience, give advice or offer solutions. They look to use their training to help their clients come to realisations about themselves and to embrace their own inner power and capability to achieve their goals and dreams.
LIFE COACHING VS MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING
A one off intervention where a person looks to motivate and inspire an audience of many in the hope that this may provide food for thought to encourage action to change. There is no contract or follow up.
LIFE COACHING
A process that can involve several sessions working intimately with an individual, to inspire and motivate transformational change. There is usually a contract and extensive personal interaction and follow up.
LIFE COACHING VS CONSULTING
CONSULTING
A process by which experts with specialist knowledge and skills in a specific area or field will design and/or execute solutions to problems or challenges faced by their clients.
LIFE COACHING
Life coaches know that their clients are the only true experts when it comes to their own lives. Life coaches will work with their clients to help them design and execute their own solutions to their problems and challenges. They are thus facilitators of personal transformative change.
WHAT IS LIFE COACHING?
HERE's AN ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE
There's an alternative, perhaps more compelling way, to answer the questions "What is life coaching?" and "What does a life coach do?"
Here's a beautiful piece that answers these questions in a very different way.
It will probably suit some people more than others.
See if it resonates with you?
WELCOME TO LIFE COACHING ... THE NEW INSIGHTS WAY!
Just Imagine ...
A relationship where the total focus is on you, on what you want in your life, and on what will help you achieve it.
Just Imagine ...
Someone listening, not only to your words, but also to what's behind them; someone who even listens to the spaces between your words; someone in tune with the nuances of your voice, your emotion, and your energy - who is intent on receiving everything you communicate; someone who listens to the very best in you, even when you can't hear it in yourself.
Just Imagine ...
Someone who will hold you accountable and keep you moving forward toward your dreams and goals.
Just Imagine ...
A relationship with someone who is totally curious about your dreams and aspirations, what makes you tick, what you value, what you are most passionate about in your life - a person who will help you clarify your goals and provide the tools for action and learning that lead to the results you want.
Just Imagine ...
A relationship with a person who is sometimes even more committed to what you want in your life than you are.
Just Imagine ...
What it would be like if someone knew your values and life purpose and was holding you true to them; someone who would hold the flag at the top of the hill, encouraging you to press on towards it; someone who is with you to celebrate your victories and help you learn from your setbacks.
Just Imagine ...
A relationship with someone who will absolutely tell you the truth - the truth about where you are strong, and where you sell yourself short; someone who knows you can handle the truth and knows that's what you really want; someone who sees how big you can be and constantly holds that big image for you - even when you can't hold it for yourself.
Just Imagine ...
A relationship where you finally break free of those self-limiting conversations you’ve been having over the years - where the voices of sabotage are simply noticed for what they are and where the really powerful part of you is always encouraged.
Just Imagine ...
Someone who listens to you without judgement and allows you to show emotion; someone who accepts you without analysing you.
Just Imagine ...
You get to talk to this person every week, after you've had some great successes or after you've just made a mess of things. This is the place you visit regularly and consistently... to consolidate, to integrate, and to push on.
LIFE COACHING ARTICLES YOU MAY FIND USEFUL
We have selected four articles from our Blog/Podcast, New Insights On Life that we feel may help further your understanding and appreciation of what life coaching is and what life coaches do.
If you like these, please consider subscribing.
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