How a Life Coach Can Help You Step into Action
The day is bright and warm beckoning you outside to soak up sunshine and fresh air. Even if you are reading this on a cold, rainy, spring day, daydream with me about those days of warmth in the spring. How do they call to you?
For me, I put down my work and head outside to stretch my legs in an invigorating walk. Breathing in the fresh air and sunshine I feel alive and well and full of new possibilities. What is it about spring that evokes such positive energy?
For years my springs were spent running my sons to more soccer practices than I can recall. The time spent with the coach, and other teammates, helped prepare them for the season ahead. We all appreciated the guidance and framework the coach provided to encourage their development. The coach could often see skills and hidden talent within my children that they couldn’t see for themselves yet. Their coach was able to teach them new skills and perspectives that I, as a parent, could not.
Life Coaching is like having a personal trainer, or coach, for your life. A life coach is someone who partners with you to guide you in the direction of your ideal life. Coaches are experts in growth. What does that mean exactly? Sometimes we are so engrossed in the day-to-day activities of our lives that we lose perspective on what our overall goals are. We are living in a reactive mode and need to take some time to step out of the hectic pace of life and evaluate our circumstances.
Is my life fulfilling? Are the activities that take up my time in alignment with my values, and thus deeply satisfying to me? Have I gotten off track or overwhelmed keeping up with the pace of my life activities? It’s certainly easy to do.
In seeming contradiction, in the midst of busyness, we can experience a sense of being stuck. We’re active, we’re doing things, but we aren’t getting where we want to go. Goals and dreams that we’ve had for years can sit on the back burner of our lives, never getting the attention they need to become realities. There can be any number of reasons for this sense of stuck-ness ranging from simple time management, to limiting beliefs, assumptions, fears, or emotional blocks that need to be cleared.
When we partner with a coach, we develop the ability to “check-in” with ourselves and a trusted individual to see if we are showing up in our lives the way we want to be. We may ask, “Is the life I’m living a true reflection of the person I am?” You may wonder why this is important. The truth is that the more we know ourselves, the more we are able to make choices each day that reflect what’s important to us, and the happier we become. By working with a coach we raise our overall level of consciousness and this greater awareness gives us a stronger sense of individuality. We learn to honor our uniqueness and love the person we are. Then, in each day, it’s easier and easier to truly know that you are good enough. You are blessed. You are right where you need to be to grow into the person you are uniquely designed to be.
While life coaching offers personal and professional development based on concepts from sports, business, spirituality, psychology and organizational development, it’s grounded in a core principal that our greatness lies within each of us. It is by looking inward that we find our truth. We are surrounded by experts and it is wise to avail ourselves of their knowledge, however, it is only by looking within that we come to understand what is true for us. Our personal history, education, and life experience gives each of us a unique perspective on life.
Coaching helps achieve personal and professional growth when two factors are in place. First, you must be willing to grow, and second, there is a gap between where you are now and where you want to be.
While many of us can dream and envision what we want out of life, we often need help creating a plan of action to begin moving towards that dream and bridge the gap. Perhaps you want to start a business, change careers, write a book, travel, or serve the needy in some capacity. A coach will help you clearly define your vision and create a plan of action that is broken down into small steps that are achievable. Lastly, a coach will offer ongoing support and accountability while you are moving in the direction of your dreams. Having a weekly or bi-weekly check-in is often just what we need to keep us on track. Knowing that we will be asked for an update on our progress on these small steps encourages us to do what we say we’re going to do. Your coach is your helper as you hit hurdles and your cheerleader as you experience success.
Many ask how this is different from therapy and that is a good question. In simple terms, therapists focus on healing something from our past or present circumstances that is causing pain or trauma in our lives. In contrast, coaching promotes growth in our present or future circumstances and focuses on forward movement. People who are going through a life transition such as a relocation, empty nesting, retirement, employment changes, and much more, can benefit from working with a coach.
With a skilled coach, you too, may soon be saying “Put me in, coach” and enjoying a richer, more fulfilling life.
