Working with a coach & how to tell if you actually need one?
According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, the definition of a coach is as follows:
“a person who is employed by somebody to give them advice about how to achieve the things they want in their life and work”.
People usually hire coaches to achieve very specific objectives and to have external accountability. For example, CEOs and C-Level executives often pair up with a coach in order to maximize their levels of performance.
Over the last decade or so, the profession of a life coach or mindset coach has become more and more prominent. The reason? As a society, we live in an age where anything is possible. On the one hand it’s great because we have so much to choose from. On the other hand, there are so many competing priorities because there is so much to choose from. We want to have it all and experience it all — all in one lifetime. The ever-present notion of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) leads anxiety, stress and depression. And although coaches are NOT therapists (unless, of course, they have those credentials as well), they help clear the clutter and guide individuals to zero in on what’s truly important to them, which could alleviate anxiety, stress and depression and lead to a more fulfilling and wholesome life.
A coach certainly is not a magician. But what a coach can do for someone is help them get laser-focused on what they want in life and build a plan on how to get there. A plan alone, however, is not sufficient; what you also need is a system that will enable you to achieve those exciting goals and help you keep going when then going gets tough.
I personally love the phrase “common sense is not common practice”. People generally know what they need to do, but they don’t do it. Why? I believe there are three main reasons:
- They do not know where to start.
- They do not have the right tools.
- They lose motivation along the way, before seeing any results.
What are some benefits of working with a coach?
- I’m sure that you may have tried to solve the specific problem that’s bogging you down. The fact that you are reading this tells me that you’re not just sitting around, waiting for things to “figure themselves out”. However, having a coach who will meet with you on a regular basis and keep you focused on your goal will expedite results.
- External perspective. Ideally you are working with a coach who has already attained what you are seeking, whether it’s financial freedom, a successful full-time business or improved health. They should be in a position to provide you with the tools and perspectives to shift your thinking so that you can get there as well.
- Increased satisfaction in life & work. Once you achieve a set of goals, you feel good about yourself. You feel accomplished and empowered to do more. You now have the evidence to prove that you’ve got what it takes. So what then? You can set another set of goals and challenges for yourself and start working towards achieving them as well and keep growing and evolving. It’s really a never ending story but one that is full of rich experiences. One that you will enjoy looking back on.
What’s the point of living a life full of fears, regrets and unfulfilled dreams?
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done”
-Lucille Ball
Whether you decide to work with a coach or not, I sincerely hope that you have the courage to go after the craziest dreams.
xoxo,
MK