Life Coaching – What does it involve?

Life coaching is one of a number of careers that is rising in popularity, so if you are highly motivated and have got a natural affinity for helping people to improve their strengths and overcome their weaknesses, then this may be the career for you.

What is a Life Coach?

One of the key jobs of a Life Coach is to motivate others and inspire them to reach their goals. By helping them to solve problems and overcome any obstacles standing in their way, Life Coaches cannot only help their clients to tackle their issues head on, but can also act as a stepping stone to empowering their clients as they achieve their ambitions.

Providing this support can be done in a number of ways – over the phone, via skype and email, or in person.

NOTE: This should all be done objectively, without the Life Coach having to instruct them on this journey. Similarly, a Life Coach should never push their own agenda or beliefs onto a client, but should simply act as a second pair of eyes.

What does the role involve?

There are a number of reasons why a person may seek the help of a Life Coach. From needing help for getting a promotion, to wanting to reignite the passion in their relationship, to wanting help with attaining their fitness goals; Life Coaches can play an active role across various aspects of a person’s life.

Here are some examples of what a Life Coach can expect on a daily basis:

• Problem solving and offering a fresh perspective on a client’s situation
• Listening to their clients and offering objective advice and support
• Watching how clients interact and engage with others in order to see what is beneath the surface (what they are not saying out loud)
• Clearly communicating with clients so that they understand what their next steps should be
• Motivating and encouraging clients to make new and positive changes to their lives
• Being ethical and ensuring client information remains confidential
• Thinking outside the box and being creative when helping clients to solve their problems or stay motivated
• Confidently telling clients how to make changes
• Never pushing their own agenda, opinions or beliefs onto a client

Who may need a Life Coach?

Life Coaches are trained to help people from all walks of life. No matter your background or your needs, they can provide you with the guidance you desire.

In fact, Life Coaches are often used to provide the following:

1. Guidance – helping you to get to where you want to be without letting you get distracted by external issues e.g. helping you to stay focused as you try to get healthy or lose weight.
2. Clarity – Life Coaches can act as a fresh pair of eyes bringing clarity to any given situation. This is particularly helpful if you’ve got an important decision to make i.e. going for a new job/promotion, choosing to start a family, moving house etc.
3. Help you to overcome obstacles – Life Coaches can help you to use the tools at your disposal, so you can effectively and confidently put them into practice. They can make the whole process less daunting and enable you to tackle these obstacles head on.
4. Reach your goals – Life Coaches can lend you their tools and techniques to give you the confidence boost you need to create a plan of action and achieve your goals.
5. Build healthy relationships – both in the work place and at home.

What do you have to do to become a Life Coach?

Whilst in the UK Life Coaching is not regulated, clients prefer to use qualified Life Coaches who have got membership with a professional organisation. For this reason, if you are genuinely interested in becoming a Life Coach it is recommended that you get at least a Level 3 Diploma in Life Coaching.

This can easily be achieved by enrolling into college or alternatively registering onto a distance learning/online Life Coaching course. Online courses are especially useful as you can complete this from the comfort of your own home whilst still maintaining a healthy work/study balance. At the same time you can learn over the course of 12 months what life coaching involves and how to coach others as well as yourself.

So if you are interested in helping others to find the motivation, drive and inspiration to achieve their goals, then why not consider enrolling onto an online course and witnessing the difference your support and guidance can make to others.