What Is Life Coaching?

Imagine what life could be like if you woke up each morning feeling inspired and motivated to pursue and achieve all that you have ever wanted. Coaching can provide you with the motivation you need to navigate the internal and external barriers between you and your desired success.

What Coaching Is

Coaching is the process of effecting meaningful change in one's personal and professional life through candidly exploring ideas with an unbiased and confidential thinker. In other words, coaching is personal training for the mind. It is about taking your life to the next level and creating an enriching, rich life full of joy, satisfaction, passion, and success.

What Coaching Is Not

Coaching is not counseling, consulting, or mentoring. Coaching differs from counseling, consulting, and mentoring in that coaching focuses on the present and outcome creation for the future while:

• Counseling focuses on the past as a way of resolving difficulties.
• Consulting is advice driven with a diagnosis and solution focus.
• Mentoring is the process of supporting and encouraging people to manage their learning

The Origin of Coaching

Coaching has its roots in sports coaching, a process that helps unleash the athletes' potential, launching them to the top of their game. It is within this context that coaching has moved from the field of sports into the executive suites in all walks of life and occupations, as individuals seek the support of a coach to help them unlock their full potential.

The coaching profession owes its development in the 1980s to Thomas Leonard, an American financial planner. Leonard observed that his emotionally stable clients (who had a limited need for therapy) desired of him more than just the usual tips on investment and money management. They wanted his help planning and organizing their lives to achieve their goals.

The coaching profession was born out of this context, as the coach and coachee worked together to develop strategies to bring out the coachees' best as they pursue and seek to realize their goals.

Who May Benefit From Coaching?

Whether you are an executive leading a Fortune 500 company, a manager in an organization trying to improve the performance of an employee, a team leader attempting to build the proficiency of your team, or a parent who wants to provide the best parental outcome for your child, or just an individual who wants to be more competent in what you do, coaching has the potential of giving you just the result you need.

What You Can Expect From Coaching

Evaluation: The coach will help you specify answers to the following questions.

• Where are you now? 
• What is your current level of performance? 
• What are your strengths and challenges? 
• What are your areas of skill and competence? 
• How can you identify your values, purpose, principles, and priorities? 

Setting Direction: The coach will help you clarify your vision, priorities, and goals. The coach will help you develop definite objectives, results, or outcomes that you desire. 

Implementing a Defined Plan of Action: After helping you define the goals and challenges, the coach will help you establish a plan of action, identify likely obstacles and remedies, and support your commitment to follow the timetable to achieve your goals. 

Following Through: The coach will help you evaluate your progress realistically, give feedback, and help you modify or enhance your action plan for greater effectiveness.