Life coaching has become a serious profession in the last decade or so. Tony Robbins has pioneered the profession by making millions of dollars through his coaching programs. I tried to trace the history of life coaching, and my research found that the profession is as recent as 1980. Certain sources credit Thomas Leonard as the founder of life coaching as a profession. He was an American financial planner who founded the coach university and wrote the book, the Portable Coach, which contains useful information for coaches.There are a lot of institutes that now offer life coaching certification courses.
What do Life Coaches Do?
Unlike therapists who help you fix mental issues, life coaches help you manage your life better. Every person needs to learn to manage his emotions, finances, and relationships. Besides these, they help you with goal setting, personal strategic planning, scheduling, accountability, and organizing. So it’s a broad spectrum of services offered by life coaches. Not all life coaches are the same. So it’s important to find one that suits your needs.
How to choose a life coach?
In life coaching, certification is not as important as it is made out to be. Maybe, in other professions it matters, but not here. Here’s a simple process to help you make your job easier.
#1 Decide what areas of your life you need help
Do you need someone who can help you with goal setting? Or do you need someone to help you with relationships? What is your biggest challenge in life right now? Is it financial? Emotional?
#2 Read self-help articles and books
Many life coaches write articles, books, and even make videos. Read them to understand and resonate with them. Many people have read articles and books by a coach and figured out that they are a good fit for them. Never hire anyone without reading their articles, or a book was written by them. Many conduct seminars and training programs open to the public. Attend these workshops and see if it has made an impact in your life.
#3 Hire them for an introductory session
Sometimes, life coaches expect you to sign up for a year. Try convincing them to see if you can hire them for an introductory session. Good life coaches can bring you some result even in one session.
#4 Open up
One of the qualities of a good life coach is that they ask you questions and get you to open up about your life. At the same time, it is important that you are open to ideas and solutions. If you follow your old ways of doing things, you’ll end up getting the same results as you were getting in the past.
#5 Get feedback from their past clients
Search online and look for reviews. Ask past clients about their experiences. The life coach does not need to have 100% positive reviews; it’s almost impossible for that to happen. But speaking to past clients can give you insights. Be very careful when hiring a life coach. It’s an extremely important decision in life. A good one can make you happy, and help you achieve your goals. A bad one can set you back by many years. So do your due diligence and hire a professional to help you achieve your goals and manage your life.
