This article is an introduction to life coaching—a profession that is often misunderstood to be the same as mentoring, counseling, advice, or therapy. To start, life coaching is a different approach because people who use this, want to regain their self-confidence so that they can use that to reach their maximum potential in reaching their goals and achieving their ambitions in life.
A life coach helps people who are often stuck in a rut to overcome obstacles that are holding them back in pursuing their goals. They reinstall a person’s self-confidence through empowering them and guiding them by broadening their outlook and thinking.
We, humans, subconsciously know what we want, need, and what is best in our lives, but sometimes we get confused, and that causes us to feel stuck and uncertain in who we are and our decisions in life.
What a life coach does is to help someone find answers to their questions and assist them on how they can make effective choices that will make their life balanced and more fulfilling.
There are different types of life coaching to help a person in almost all aspects of life. Here are some of the most popular categories:
Life coaching
They are general life coaches that help individuals with their specific issues in life and support them in making the right decision in their lives. They help someone be the best person that they can be to feel good about themselves.
Business coaching
This type of coaching can be used not only by individuals but by companies as well. This is suitable not only for inexperienced but for experienced business owners as well. They help business owners clarify their business goals and visions and help them align these with their personal goals. Business coaches help business owners learn how they can balance their own lives while making their businesses profitable.
Career coaching
This is for individuals who are planning for a career transition. They tailor career plans to meet your career goals. Career coaches give empowerment by supporting individuals who want to make a change in their career, help students from finding a job, or even help a person prepare for retirement.
Dating coaching
This type of coaching focuses on the improvement of an individual’s dating life. Dating coaches help their clients find someone who is a match for them. They also help their clients build their confidence in dating and train them on how they can attract their potential romantic partner. Dating coaching is different from matchmaking because, as the job title implies, they coach their clients on how to find a date, and it sometimes includes improving their interpersonal skills, how they dress, flirting, and how you can find a person that is compatible to you. A matchmaker, on the other hand, is arranging dates.
Relationship coaching
This can work for both couples and singles. Relationship coaches help their clients on how they can maintain harmony and love in their relationship. People who need a relationship coach deal with issues such as improving their romantic relationship, developing communication skills in the relationship, couples who want to ignite the passion back in their relationship, or even how to end a relationship that is not working.
Divorce coaching
Most divorce coaches do not offer legal advice and can’t be a substitute for an attorney, although there are now some divorce coaches who are lawyers and attorneys. For the most part, a lawyer can help you determine what your divorce may cost and fight for you in court, while a counselor can help you come to terms with the emotions this financial and psychological burden may cause. This type of coaching focuses on the emotions of the client on how they would cope with the emotional issues of the divorce so that they can make proper decisions for their future.
Financial coaching
Financial coaches help their clients on how they can manage their money or finances. They educate their clients on how to create a financial plan and develop healthy money habits to meet their financial goals.
Characteristics of an Effective Life coach
Although life coaching is somewhat similar to being a therapist or counselor, they do not deal with a person who is struggling with mental health issues or crisis, but they help a person who is stumbling in one area of their life and guide them to overcome their obstacles.
Training, education, and programs can help someone be successful in life coaching, but some qualities will help an individual be successful in this field since a certification is not required.
1. Optimistic and enthusiastic.
Life coaches should be optimistic and enthusiastic about helping inspire their clients. When you become a model to your clients by displaying these characteristics, most likely, your clients will be encouraged to be like you and feel that you believe in them so much.
2. Compassionate and empathy
This is an innate trait of a life coach. They understand someone’s feelings by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. Because of this, they have developed that charismatic personality and that feature helps them connect with people on a personal level, this quality helps influence those around you. As a result, clients will have more confidence in you that you can solve their dilemmas in life and overcome their challenges because they feel that they have someone that truly understands them at what they are going through.
3. Problem-solver.
Life coaches are a creative individual who thinks outside the box; although they do not have the answers to someone’s problems, they give unique solutions to different challenges in a person’s life. They love analyzing and figuring out how they can help to overcome a person’s obstacles in life and achieving their goals.
4. Active listener.
Part of a life coach’s every day duty is to listen to the client’s problems or challenges—and sometimes some clients tend to be redundant or unclear in putting their thoughts into words. That is why life coaches should actively listen and pay attention to their client’s concerns and stories. Part of being an active listener is to be conscious if there is something that is bothering their clients, and are having a hard time to express it in words or too embarrassed to tell. It is their job to help the client express and communicate this to know what is going on and draw a solution from it.
5. Can communicate clearly.
Life coaches should have excellent communication skills. This is because it is vital to be successful in this field. They know how to apply different communication styles and techniques with their clients as some people are sensitive to criticism and also people who are too confused that it is hard for them to understand explanations.
Effectively communicating with clients helps them find clarity when they are feeling uncertain. Part of effective communication skills is using the appropriate language to the client so that they can understand your feedback and know what they need to do to work toward their goals.
How to Become a Life Coach
Having professional training, education, and experience will make someone a credible life coach. Although there is no specific degree program to become a life coach, you can acquire training and enroll in programs and even online courses to get you started.
Here are the recommended online courses from Skill Success for aspiring life coaches and useful tips to start your own professional life coaching business:
Life Coaching: A Complete Guide
Start Your Own Life Coaching Business
Start Your Own Online Coaching Business
Professional Life Coaching Course
Becoming a life coach requires a lot of learning, training, and understanding of the business model. Do a thorough research online or enroll in the recommended courses for you to start your journey to becoming a successful professional life coach.
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