What Exactly Is A Life Coach, You Ask?

I am often asked what does a Life Coach do?

What a Life Coach definitely isn't, is a counsellor. Counsellors historically work from the past, deal with a core issue; or issues related to specific symptoms and help their clients work through that area of concern.

Life Coaching is very much about working on the 'now' with a client and looking at obstacles that may be restricting them from achieving their full potential. On a personal level, these obstacles can be anything from low self esteem, self-limiting beliefs, a lacking of confidence, feeling stuck and a general sense of life passing you by without any real meaning. The following questions can help identify whether Life Coaching could be something you might benefit from:-

• Is your life predominantly run by things you have to do, as opposed to things you choose to do?
• Do you often feel like there is something holding you back from a much more successful life?
• Do you often know what you should be doing, but have a hard time actually doing it?
• Do you regularly run out of time, energy or patience by the end of the day?
• Is your career more of a job than a calling?
• Is there less meaning in your life, career, relationship, or business, than you would like?
• Do you ever get a sense that you are not living the life you were meant to live, and that there is much more to life than you are now experiencing?
• Do you have a difficult time balancing your career, family, friends, health, etc.?
• Has it been a while since you really enjoyed yourself?
• Do you routinely find yourself worrying, stressed out or concerned about the future?
• Do you often find yourself living automatically, or simply going through the motions?
• Would you benefit from establishing great habits that keep you moving ahead in all parts of your life?
• Would you like to learn how to create a life that directly reflects your greatest gifts, talents and interests?
• Do you want more success, peace, intimate relationships, or a sense that your life is making a difference?
• Would you benefit from having clear goals that reflect what is truly important to you?

Many of us have asked ourselves some of these questions, and at the time probably lacked the direction to do anything about it. What a good Life Coach should do is help empower you with new skills to maximise your potential. This will be through identifying your negative triggers and replacing them with positve ones, helping plan realistic and agreed goals and providing a supportive and encouraging environment for you to succeed in.

How long should life coaching last and what does it entail?

Life Coaching should never be an open ended arrangement. The Life Coach and the client will agree on the areas to be worked on, how many sessions they feel will be appropriate and what method is to be used, for example; I mentor my personal Life Coaching clients face-to-face, over the phone and by email. The choice is the client's as to how they wish to work with their coach.

After an initial session, and after establishing what it is they want to achieve, I create SMART Goals, and various assignments - customised to the client's personal needs.

Progress is regularly reviewed to ensure the right pace and structure is in place. Four to six sessions is the norm, and my clients regularly email me afterwards with updates and sometimes queries on maintaining their progress.

The most important and rewarding aspect for me is my client's success is MY success, and I work hard to help my clients reach their goals and live their dreams.

Copyright Elizabeth Bacchus