Living Your Dreams with a Life Coach

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what a life coach is and what a life coach does. In this blog post I'd like to clear up some misconceptions about what life coaching is and what a life coach does. If you're wondering where can I find a life coach, I'll address this at the end.

Life Coach?

A life coach is someone who helps you reach a goal or make a change in your life. They don't do the work for you, nor do they just tell you what to do. It's your life and your decisions. A life coach simply helps you to find out what it is that you really want, what's holding you back, and how to take action steps to get there. It's easy to hear the term "life coach" and immediately think, "Life coach? I don't need a coach for my life. My life is fine!" But if I were to ask you some deeper questions, you might get a better sense of how helpful a life coach can be in your life. Is your life going the way you want it to? Are you getting what you really want out of life? Have you been feeling stuck lately? Are you having trouble finding your purpose and path in life? Just from considering these questions, you might start to get a better sense of what a life coach can help you with.

Get What You Want in Life

Imagine speaking to someone who allows you to get clear on what you really want in life. Imagine having a guide to help you figure out how to achieve your goals more quickly and effortlessly. What would it be like to finally making the changes in your life that you've been wanting for such a long time? As one coach put it, "I will help you get what you want." It's that simple! Your coach is going to listen to you to understand what it is that you want in your life. It has nothing to do with what your coach wants. It's your life -- so you get to decide what you want|! If you're not sure what you want, that's okay too. He or she will help you discover what you want in your life. Your coach will introduce you to some some new tools and techniques to help you reach your goals. Having a life coach is by no means a magic bullet. You do not hire a coach, have your sessions, and expect that things will start to magically happen and change in your life -- although they might! You will have some homework to do in between sessions. You might have to face some difficult truths, do some work on yourself, and put some effort into making changes. However your coach will be there to support and guide you the whole time. You can face your fears together, as a team. You won't have to do it alone.

Guidance, Help, and Support

As one coach, Christoph Nauer put it, "nobody ever got to the Olympics on their own." I love this quote because it's so true. Yet for so many of us, we might feel uncomfortable asking for help. If you ask for help, most of the time you'll get it because as surveys have shown, people love to help. But we're reluctant to do ask, as Christoph said " for whatever strange reasons, because we don’t want to appear weak, or not perfect, or not in charge, or whatever it is." I thought about that for a moment and I just thought, "Wow, that's so true." If I ask for help, then I might feel dependent, maybe even needy or incapable. I have heard that women are more likely to use life coaches. The reason? They're not afraid to ask for help. Whereas for men (to make a gross generalization) to ask for help might be a sign of weakness.

Coaching vs Therapy

Simply put, a life coach is not a therapist. Your coach is not going to just talk about your problems and feelings, although you will certainly address them. A therapist might help you "manage" certain situations in your life, heal from trauma, and "deal with" things. A coach, on the other hand, will help you to figure out what you want, uncover what's really holding you back, and take action steps to get there. While a therapist might have you more oriented on your past, a life coach will have you directed more towards your future. That's exciting, because anything is possible for you tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Transformation usually does not happen over night -- although it can. It's more often a gradual process that takes time, patience, and persistence.

What Do You Want in Your Life?

The possibilities with life coaching are endless. Some people want to find their career, start a new relationship, or build confidence and self-esteem. Other people want to make more money or get motivated. There are no limits to what you can achieve with life coaching. It's really up to you and what you're seeking. What excites me the most about coaching is getting empowered to pursue your dreams. Maybe there's something that you've always imagined having in your life but you still haven't gotten it yet. Imagine having it and what that would feel like. Imagine if you can live your dreams, whatever they are. Doesn't that excite you?