"A life coach does for the rest of your life what a personal trainer does for your health and fitness". - Elaine MacDonald
In today's world, having just talent and skills are not enough. Even with growing number of people with access to higher education and high speed internet at the lowest costs, we are still far away from achieving nation's true potential. In India, due to lack of proper guidance and structure many students make their career choices after they have graduated. In contrast, developed nations focus on a child's future as early as 7-8 years old.
Coaching, in India, is quite common now. Finance coaches guide you to invest smartly and spend wisely. Health coaches guide you to a better, healthier body and lifestyle. Speech coaches counsel you to become better speakers. There are coaches to counsel you for almost everything, from how to dress, how to eat right, how to walk with style, how to drive, in fact there are coaches who teach you how to eat properly on a dining table. The truth of the matter is, we need a mentor, a teacher, a coach to guide us through the narrow lanes of life.
Life coaching has absolutely nothing to do with giving advice. A coach’s strength lies in allowing the clients to find the answers for themselves. An outstanding coach draws the answers from the clients as they guide them towards self-discovery.
The thought may arise then why can’t the clients overcome their problems on their own, well some lucky ones do it all by themselves. They know themselves and their situation the best.
An obstruction is anything that prevents the clients from achieving their potential for greatness. Here are some common types of obstructions that you may encounter.
No clear vision or mission
The clients don't have a vision, a clear picture of what they want, or who they are and what they stand for. Successful coaching helps the clients determining exactly what they want to achieve in their life or connect with who they are, what their strengths are, what they want to be. It also helps them realise their true identity and their true potential.
Outcomes obscured
Some clients may come up with several goals or outcomes. They want to do it all. With this constant juggling of their time, efforts and resources they don’t seem to be reaching anywhere. Despite their full efforts they are not happy or satisfied. Coaches help these clients identify what they really want and how they will personally gain once their own outcomes are achieved and not just blindly following what people in their lives are pursuing.
Self last, defined as "less for the self"
They will burn out fulfilling their loved ones needs and in the process do damage to their own health and personality. Their mask being precious time to develop and attain health and wealth goals to secure the future for the whole family and that is true selflessness.
Age barriers
Some clients say they would like to do something and then immediately dismiss the goal because of age. They feel too old (or too young) to start. You need to start by considering the more easily achieved objectives that they may attempt. The intention here is to get them hooked on to success and then continue to work on their original dream.
Financial problems
Clients may come for help in solving their financial problems. It must be absolutely clear that the coach is not a financial adviser and that any action agreed upon is done without obligation or liability. The clients need to spend time identifying their spending and income sincerely. The next step is for them to consult a qualified financial adviser. The coach will be there to help them once they have clear actions, set by their financial adviser.
Family commitments
Clients use it to opt out of their dreams. A coach helps to balance the needs and demands of their families with their guilty conscience and their true and ultimate destiny. The coach helps them understand that their dreams can be achieved without their families suffering, by guiding them to achieve their own dreams thus benefiting the whole family.
Hero syndrome
These clients always take on too much work. A coach helps them to uncover the reasons behind this action. Is it because they cannot say no? If this is the reason, the coach guides them through the art of saying no. The other reason for accepting too much work is that they want to be seen as a hero. If this is the underlying reason, then they are guided to explore alternative ways of experiencing the same feelings through achievement of outcomes and goals.
Miracle madness
"One day my dreams will come true, magically!" You need to to contemplate the true value of time and the here and now. A coach makes these clients see, What they could be doing towards their dreams right now is where the focus must be. Breaking the dream into smaller achievable tasks could start the clients on their journey to make them come true. You have to support the Universe to make your dreams come true, it works only if you do.
Stuck in routines
If the clients are in a rut and cannot see a way out. Coaches use the art of list making which helps them to discover their task priorities, until they decide which ideas they can adopt. Then the coach guides them towards achieving the change and creating a more fun-filled, balanced and valued lifestyle.
Being the barrier
They know they are meant for greater things in life but due to lack of self value or self confidence or even sheer laziness they become the obstacle in their own life path. A coach helps them connect to their uniqueness, accept their own value and see their whole capabilities and how they can impact not only their own lives but make a difference to so many people.
Time priorities
These clients come back time and time again without completing a task because they "did not have the time." This is not normally a genuine time issue: it is a commitment obstruction. If it is a commitment issue, the coach helps the clients to confront their behaviour and reminds them of the benefits that they said they would enjoy when they achieved their goal. Challenging them on why they consistently fail to deliver.
Adrenaline crisis
Several clients may be burning out because they work too hard and play too little. A coach will make these clients realise that the buzz of achieving their goals through their own efforts and in their own time is an equally strong but healthy and lasting euphoria. You do not need to unnecessarily create health hazards for your self and your family.
Lifestyle choices
The client wants to lead a simpler life but feels unable to live without the material things that their current lifestyle provides. Coaching helps these clients to achieve balance with all areas of life. For these clients, their fixation on materialism is tipping the balance. Understanding the difference between want and need is important here.
Dream snatchers
The client is made to consider the possibility that their associates may feel threatened by the planned changes and may need to be reassured, by the client, that change will be good for all parties. If this reassurance does not work, they may need to make some serious decisions about the value of these friendships. The coach supports and encourages the client to find new friendships in the areas of their goals. Certain clients will not want to surrender old friends for new ideas but a successful transition is to agree constantly to tasks that encourage forming new friendships that leave little time for activities with the old, unsupportive friends and that encourage the remaining small amount of time to be spent with only the old friends who are positive-minded.
Rebel Rebels!
Rebels have loads of things they want to do but, as soon as they commit to you, they feel the burning desire to kick back at you by not achieving. The client is made to choose his path himself by committing to only one or two tasks, or more if wanted, or even choose not to do any-thing. All the possible tasks are listed with the complete understanding that they might not do any of them. This creates the freedom to achieve without the feeling of being forced to do things.
There are so many more points which come to mind as I pen this down but let's keep them for another blog.
Life coaching is about removing the obstacles and encouraging your clients to go beyond their perceived barriers to the accomplishment of their dreams and aspirations.
The aim is for them to create a life that is full of balance and fulfillment. It is about being there for your clients when everyone else thinks they are mad, bad or sad. It is understanding that all your clients have immense potential that is just waiting to be released. It is about knowing that you, as a coach, can help.
If you believe, a Life Coach can help you in anyway whatsoever, you can connect with me at kavita@upgradelife.in or you can book an appointment directly from the website (look for Discovery under the Program page).
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Comments