I’m learning that most people don’t even know what a life coach is. To be honest I wasn’t sure myself, even when I enrolled to become certified. I just knew it was a step on the path to becoming what I have always been meant to be and do.

Coaching isn’t regulated yet but those of us who become certified are covering our bases for when certification is required. Though it’s like anything, training doesn’t equal skill. Many uneducated individuals are better equipped at their trade or occupation than college or university graduates (and of course vice versa). Just like with therapy an individual needs to feel they mesh with their coach or else trust can’t be established and results won’t be forthcoming.

The coaching that any one individual will offer will differ based on their area of expertise. For the most part ‘experience’ will be the culmination of life and work experience. There are executive coaches, career coaches, relationship coaches, etc, etc, etc. Personally I want to tackle what I see as a common obstacle to success in all areas: poor self-esteem and confidence. I don’t just want to help people make and reach their goals I want to help show them they can tackle ANYTHING they ever put their mind to. I want to help build a solid foundation. I don’t want to give someone a fish – so that every time they get hungry they have to see me again – I want to teach them to fish. After a bit of time with me I want them to Never need my services again. I’d see that as the ultimate success! :-D Will that make me run out of business? Nah, there are billions of people on this planet.

I will spend the rest of my life researching the quickest and most effective way to permanently increase anyone’s confidence and self-esteem. I want to always leave happiness in my wake. And I want anyone who ever works with me to ‘pay it forward’. This can’t be about money, for this to be truly effective it has to be from the heart. The state of this world HAS TO CHANGE and that can happen simply by each of us making it our intention to leave every individual we encounter happier than before our encounter. That may not sound hard/like much but believe me that Will change the world. Because I care, and love to share knowledge, I admin 2 Facebook pages. One page is my solution to a problem at our college where ALL events were poorly advertised, if at all. The other page is about job search strategies. I run these purely for the enjoyment of sharing knowledge. Actions like that make me unique so I Know I’m going to be a great coach and change-maker, I operate from the heart. As I said motives have to be pure to be effective. I want to spread this uniqueness of mine like wildfire! :-D I want to stop being unique! Will you guys help me? J

Coaches get into this business because we feel the call to serve others. We realize that’s our life’s purpose. Now people may be asking ‘If this is all about serving others, then why not do it for free?’. Firstly no coach can live on no money. We have bills just like the rest of you.  If we Did work at another job we wouldn’t be able to help many people because we wouldn’t have much spare time or energy left. Secondly, and this is the BIG one: people associate value with things that Cost money. Anything that’s given freely is deemed to have little or no value. This is just how our brains work. Personally I’ve given out a lot of great advice. Was any of it followed? NO. As far as I know not a SINGLE thing I’ve said has been followed. Yet that doesn’t stop people from repeatedly asking for more advice…and not taking it. There’s actually a name for that ;-)

So there you have it, money is charged so that our help will be seen as valuable; an exchange of valuable money for valuable coaching.

Coaching skills I’ve personally developed include being able to put things into simple words. I’ve always been very literal and also visual. To truly understand something I need to break it down to its simplest explanation and also visualize it (outside of physics nothing in life needs to be complicated, nothing). That’s another benefit I’ll bring to the table and it’s purely my own mode of operation. Every coach is different because we’re different people and do and see things differently. As I mentioned there’s a therapy component to it, we don’t just dispense advice we tailor fit our assistance to the issue at hand. We have to understand our client or audience to best help.

I also want to change how people see the world. I changed how I see the world and I am So Much Happier for it!! This type of coaching is called Transformational Coaching. I want to help transform people. Though I may go with ‘Happiness Coach’.  J

The secret to all of this is that we, as coaches, don’t actually Do anything! If you see a coach YOU will be doing all the work, or not doing it, it’s purely up to you. We can give you the tools but if you don’t pick them up and use them then the tools are useless. No one can change anyone else. Change has to be an internal decision. Absolutely nothing will cause change except the individual’s decision to change. That is also a part of coaching, to notice when a client isn’t ready to be a client and to say so. Also, if the coach and client aren’t a good fit the coach will also share that, since good progress can’t be made in a bad pairing.

As a client you have all the power, if you’re not ready or are not meshing with the coach just tell them. That will be the end of it. They will respect you because they’re doing this to help people. If they can’t be of help then there’s no point.

Since the mid-90’s, when coaching first started, it’s now becoming quite common. Coaches have every background you can think of from psychiatrists and therapists to office workers to social workers to… The best training we’ve had to become a great coach is living life and personal reflection and growth. Formal education can never provide all that.