All About Life Coaching

So what is Life Coaching all about?

Everyone loves a definition!

So let’s start with one!

"Coaching is an on-going partnership that helps clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. Beginning with the clients' desires, coaching uses reporting, exploring, and a consistent commitment to move the client forward. Coaching accelerates the clients' progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are today and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be tomorrow." - International Coach Federation, ICF

Life Coaching is all about helping people get from where they are in their life to where they want to get to.

If everyone is being honest with themselves, I think we could all do with improving an area or two of our lives.

But why don’t people do anything about it?

Everyone knows what to do in life to become more successful but they don’t do what they know.

It is a Life Coach’s job to help people get what they want in life in by breaking down the barriers that people impose on themselves.

The best analogy you can ever use is that of a Personal Fitness Trainer.

When you go to a gym they will first ask you what your goals are:

Lose weight?
Lose fat?
Build muscle?
Build endurance?
Increase stamina?
Etc

They will then see where you are at with regards to your goal.

So for example, if you want to lose body fat they may ask you to take a body fat composition test that will measure your current levels of body fat, you may be asked to take a fitness test, asked what your current eating habits are etc

After establishing exactly how much you want to lose and over what period of time you want to lose it the trainer will then devise a plan of action of what you must do in order to achieve your fat reduction goals.

Along the way your personal fitness trainer will encourage and motivate you, ask you questions about your motivations and any barriers that you face and will help you.

The end goal of a trainer is to help you achieve your goals a lot quicker and more effectively than if you did it yourself.

A Life Coach does EXACTLY the same as a Personal Trainer but with areas of your life.

This could include:

· Confidence and self esteem
- Feel good about yourself
- Remove the self doubt
- Meet new people and feel confident
- Speak in front of groups

· Career
- Know what career is for you
- Get a better job
- Do your job better
- Get a promotion
- Start your own business and go it alone

· Relationships
- Develop listening skills
- Work through problems with your partner
- How to get through tough times
- Build stronger bonds

· Communication skills
- How to communicate with anyone
- How to make small talk with strangers
- How to get your point across effectively

· Losing weight/health
- Improve your health
- Reduce stress
- Sticking to a healthy eating plan
- Sticking to an exercise plan

· Dreams and achievements
- Set some compelling goals
- Work out what you want from life
- Provide direction and purpose
- Have more fun
- Have more energy

· Money/Finance
- Earn more money
- Save more money
- Work out and stick to budgets more effectively

· Getting what you want in life
- Becoming more organised
- Getting rid of barriers and negative thinking
- Manage your time more effectively
- Discover your values in life
- Remove the clutter that bogs you down
- How to stay focussed


The role of a life coach

Rather than actually TELLING someone the answers, a Life Coach is the catalyst for getting a client to find the answers themselves.

By asking challenging and thought provoking questions, a Life Coach can unlock the potential in a client.

Coaching is forward looking and focused on the action you are willing to take to get what you want out of life.

Sometimes you just can’t see the wood for the trees!

You so are wrapped up in everyday life that indeed life just passes you by!

Well, coaching enables you to see different alternatives and to take a step back and actually examine your life and all of it’s component parts.

This in turn leads to greater:

· Self-awareness
· Focus
· Accountability

A Coach Is . . .

· Your own personal trainer to enable you to achieve your goals
· Your champion during a turnaround.
· Your trainer in communication and life skills.
· Your sounding board when making choices.
· Your motivation when strong actions are called for.
· Your unconditional support when you take a hit.
· Your mentor in personal development.
· Your co-designer when creating an extraordinary project.
· Your beacon during stormy times.
· Your wake-up call if you don't hear your own.
· And most importantly, the professional coach is your partner in helping you have all of what matters most to you.
How does coaching work?

You now know what coaching actually is, so how does it work?

Well, coaching can be conducted through a number of mediums – here are the most popular:


- 121 sessions in person
- 121 sessions on the telephone
- 121 sessions using email
- Group coaching sessions in person
- Group coaching through the telephone (teleclass)

No matter what method is used the approach is the same.

During each coaching session the coach and the client will discuss and explore the clients’ journey including their goals, wins, challenges, and opportunities, as well as develop fieldwork for the coming week.

Fieldwork isn't like the homework you were assigned in school.

It consists of action steps to move you closer toward your goals and dreams.

The client brings the agenda and the coach brings the coaching skills to create a partnership that moves the client forward.

The client calls the coach at their scheduled time each week.

One-on-One Coaching:

The structure of coaching in the main is flexible.

You can design a coaching arrangement with the client that meets their individual needs and schedule. The basic design consists of:

· 30 minute complementary “is this for you” session?
· An initial one-hour session to create a coaching strategy (in-person or by phone)
· Initial assessment to evaluate work and life needs and establish goals.
· Regular on-going coaching sessions (typically by phone/email)
· Exercises to increase self-awareness, encourage creative thinking, and develop practical skills.
· Full confidentiality
· Quartlery evaluation and review, along with strategies for ongoing support.

Coaching sessions are usually scheduled weekly, lasting from a half-hour to an hour.

Together, you will define the length and frequency that best supports the client. Sessions may be focused on one specific goal or challenge that the client is facing, or on a much broader set of personal or professional issues.
Group Coaching / Team Coaching:

Any one-on-one coaching program can be tailored to a group or team coaching program. This is the most cost-effective model for providing coaching throughout an organisation.