What is a Life Coach?

We all need a little help sometimes. More and more people are getting that help from a life coach.  

Life coaching changed my life.  It changed my life so much that I became a coach so I could help people just like me.  You’re probably reading this because you’re looking for a little help and are curious about life coaching.  

You’re in the right place. 

The number one question I get asked is, ‘What is a life coach?’ The second most popular question I get asked is, ‘What does a life coach do?’

Below you’ll find the answers to these, and many more, questions about life coaching.   

#1 What is a life coach? 

A life coach is a professional who helps you reach a goal or make a change in your life.  

It’s someone who helps you maximize your full potential so you can get the results you want.  It’s a supportive friend and trusted advisor wrapped up into one. 

My goal as a life coach is for you to become aware of what's going on in your head so you can start taking actions in the areas of your life that you want to change.  

#2 What does a life coach do?

You know what a sports coach does, right? 

A soccer coach has a goal for the team … win games.  Then the coach develops a plan for the team to achieve that goal.  It usually involves highlighting players strengths and working on their weaknesses. 

The same is true for a life coach.  

A life coach wants to maximize your potential.  Get the best out of you so you can win at the game of life.   A life coach is for anyone who wants to improve their performance, grow and learn.  Just like a coach for athletics.  

A soccer coach doesn’t grab a ball and play in the game.  The coach is on the sidelines getting the best out of players.  

A life coach doesn’t do the heavy lifting for you, give you a ton of advice or things to do. You’re the one doing the heavy lifting, trying, failing, seeing what works and what doesn’t and your coach is helping you navigate it all along the way.  

Your coach will help you take a look at what’s going on in your mind and how those thoughts are impacting your life.   New research suggests you have over six-thousand thoughts on any given day but how many are you actually paying attention to?   By creating awareness of what’s going on in your mind, taking a look at your thoughts and challenging some beliefs, you gain a whole new level of understanding that allows you to go out and achieve your goals.  

As your coach, I’m walking right beside you on that journey, asking questions, identifying thought patterns, helping you find the answers within yourself,  strategizing along the way, while holding you accountable. 

You can view working with a life coach as a way of bridging the gap between where you are now and the life you’d like to live.  As a coach, I focus on what’s happening now.  Where are you now? What are the obstacles standing in your way?  And I try to pinpoint any resistance you may have to change.  

It’s about connecting to yourself.  What’s happening inside of you, how are you thinking that is creating your current results.  

A coach helps you grow by taking a look at your current situation, identifying those limiting beliefs and challenges, and then together we create a custom plan to help you achieve specific outcomes in your life. 

Coaching is very different from picking up the phone and venting to a friend.  

It’s about listening without judgment and bringing awareness to the problems you’re currently experiencing in life.  Because when you can do that … then you can see those issues in a whole new light.  That’s when real change occurs. 

#3 What Are the Benefits of Working With a Life Coach? 

We all have blind spots in life.  Those areas you just can’t see.  These are the places where we tend to get stuck.  These are the places a life coach looks to shine a light on. 

It’s really hard to change if you don’t have clarity on what changes will help you the most.   As a coach, I help you uncover those blindspots so you can create some awareness around them. 

Coaches also provide accountability.  By holding you responsible for the goals you have set, your coach will help you move forward, keep you focused and motivated when things get tough.   

Clients often achieve goals more quickly and efficiently than they would if working on their own. 

#4 What doesn’t a life coach do? 

A life coach won’t tell you what to do.  I help my clients find what feels right to them and guide them to help make their own decisions.  

If you’re looking for a step-by-step manual that tells you exactly what you need to do, then a life coach is not what you’re looking for.  

I am not the expert on you.  You know who is the expert on you?  YOU!  Not me! The answers you’re looking for are within you.  I help you uncover them by asking provocative questions and being curious about your answers and your life. 

You know what else a life coach doesn’t do?  Diagnose or treat mental illnesses.  That is beyond my area of expertise and I know it.  I know when I’m out of my depth and will gladly refer you to a licensed therapist.   

#5 What is the difference between life coaching and therapy? 

A life coach looks at your present and helps you create the future you want.  A therapist looks at your past to help you manage your present. 

In a nutshell, life coaches mostly look to your future rather than analyzing your past. 

Good rule of thumb, if your issues are disrupting your personal or professional life you should consider working with a therapist first. If you struggle with the day to day of life or have trauma from your past that you haven’t worked through yet, I would highly encourage you seek the help of a psychotherapist.

Many people seek coaching after working with a therapist.

#6 Who should consider working with a life coach? 

People who hire coaches want more.  They want to grow faster or easier.  Anyone who wants to do more tomorrow than they did today without getting burnt out and lost in the hustle mode of life.  

Maybe you want to make a big decision in your life?  Want to reach a goal?  Feeling stuck?  There are unlimited reasons why people work with a life coach. 

And it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, all kinds of people use life coaches, entrepreneurs, managers, actors, homemakers, small business owners, working moms. 

People going through a major life change or those who simply want help creating a happier more meaningful life.  

#7 What's it like to work with a coach?

It is a partnership with collaboration not an authority figure telling you what to do.   Every coach is different and has different techniques, concepts and methods they’ll teach you. I recommend you find one that works well with your personality and the way you like to communicate.

There will be a lot of questions, discussions and conversations about what you’re thinking.  Your power comes from within so becoming aware of what’s happening in your mind and managing it will bring you such clarity and peace.  

A coach will help you through each step in the process of achieving your goals from beginning to end but this is a process.  It takes time.  Don’t go into coaching expecting immediate results.  There’s no such thing as an instant transformation.  Change happens with consistency and commitment and just like all good things in life … It takes time and work.  

If you don’t do the work, you won’t get the results.

#8 What’s it like to work with me?

I coach people who are stuck. Those that want to make a change but don’t know how.  Those who don’t really know what they want but know this isn’t it.  Those who know there’s more to life than the one they’re living and need some help getting it.

I’m a soft place to land but I also hold you accountable.  My goal is to help you pinpoint the blocks and obstacles that are making you feel stuck so we can wiggle them loose.  I teach you methods and tactics that will help you make the right decisions for yourself and your future.  

Eventually you will start to develop that problem solving mindset on your own.   I will not tell you what you should do but ask you the right questions so that you tell yourself what to do.   At times, I may offer suggestions, new ideas or action steps. But I’m not an advice giver.  My role is to listen and ask the right question so you can find your path.

We tend to get stuck in certain places in our lives whether it’s due to comfort, fear or something else.  We all need a push and some guidance to get moving in the right direction.  That’s me. That’s what a life coach does.  

Like I said at the beginning, If you’ve asked yourself what does a life coach do and should I get one?  Chances are you’d benefit from one.  Some folks have been struggling with one issue their whole life.  Other’s don’t know what they want but they just know the life they’re living isn’t it.  

If you could feel better, happier, more confident, have clarity in where you’re at and where you’re going in life with a plan to actually get there … what would that be worth to you? 

If someone could help you make a very significant change in your life, how much would you pay for that? 

If you’ve tried doing it alone and have struggled to make the significant changes you want in life a life coach can be a great option.  

If you don’t have a coach and want one please consider me.  I offer a free, 45 minute mini session. You can schedule that by clicking right here. My sessions are done online via Zoom so there’s no traveling and it’s extremely convenient. We’ll take take a look at where you are, where you want to go and how to get there. 

And if you’re not ready for a coach just yet that’s okay too.  I put out a ton of free content on my podcast. You can find the Unstuck Your Life Podcast by clicking here and you can also read more on my blog.

Where ever you are on your journey is exactly where you’re supposed to be. If you want some help taking that next step, just let me know.