Lots of people reach adulthood and feel like there is something missing in their lives. In fact, it’s completely normal to feel that way, especially if your life doesn’t look how your younger self envisaged. The constant cycle of working, self-care, healthy eating (and caring for kids if you’re a parent) can leave you feeling a little flat. It doesn’t mean that you’re unhappy with your lot, just that you life could do with a tweak.
This is where a life coach might come in handy. If there’s something you feel like you should have achieved by now, a life coach can help you bring clarity and focus to your goals.
What was once thought of as a folly of the rich and famous, is now more mainstream and accessible to many. You don’t need to be a celebrity to hire or benefit from a life coach. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a life coach?
One of the most common questions asked is “what is life coaching?” and it’s pretty valid. Unless you’ve looked into life-coaching yourself, it probably seems like a pretty abstract notion.
Coaching is a process that aims to help someone improve their performance in a certain area. This can be in the context of sport, business, relationship or any other area you’d like to work on. Life coaching is about using coaching skills in a broad context, looking at the areas you want to work on and what constitutes improvement.
What do life coaches do?
Life coaches work closely with their clients to improve specific areas of their lives. This could mean achieving goals, overcoming obstacles and make large or small changes to their lives. This in turn guides their clients towards the life they hope to achieve.
A friend of mine hired a life coach when she was at a career crossroads, her coach helped her clarify her goals and she now runs a successful business. My friend swears that she would be stuck in a job that was failing to challenge her, had she never used a life coach.
What can a life coach do for me?
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer here – it depends what your needs and goals are. If you need help clarifying those details, a more general life coach may be able to help you understand what you want better (and possibly refer you on to someone with specific skills if you goals require it).
Some life coaches work in more niche areas and can guide you on business, health, personal finance, relationships or any other area of your life that might need it.
A life coach can help guide you towards achieving specific goals, or even help you decide on those goals before you start your coaching journey. Even if you feel totally lost, your life coach should be able to help you establish exactly what it is that you’re looking for, be it retraining in your career, starting your own business or something as simple as making healthier choices.
There is a type of life coach out there for everyone, which means someone will be able to help you unlock your dreams and achieve your goals. They’ll even help you set goals if you’re feeling a little clueless.
*This is a collaborative post