The objective of the life coach is to help a client achieve their life goals. Here’s five useful life lessons they’ll pick up in the process.
Life coaching is on the rise. According to marketresearch.com, personal coaching is set to become a $1.34 billion industry by 2022, but how many people actually know what life coaching is about?
Many assume a life coach is similar to a counsellor, but the two professions differ in some fundamental ways. Life coaches are more goal-oriented, and will usually focus their attention on the client’s future, rather than on their past. Their objective is to help a client unlock their inner potential and accomplish their life goals, rather than to address mental health issues.
With this in mind, here are some important lessons you’ll learn about people if you pursue a career as a life coach:
People don’t want a life coach…
…they want a problem-solver. Marvin Marcano, a professional life coach, says “they may be a mess but people won’t admit that”. They won’t go to a life coaching asking for help with fixing their life, but “what clients do appreciate is your ability to solve a specific problem for them”. People are generally goal-oriented; they find it easier to seek help with a specific objective, such as getting a promotion or finding a fulfilling career.
Passion provides purpose
For many people, the greatest challenge is not getting what they want, but figuring out what they want. Once they have that clarity, it provides a sense of purpose that makes obstacles and challenges along the way easier to deal with. Tom Casano, CEO and founder of Life Coach Founder, says that part of a life coach’s job is to help clients identify the unnecessary wants and desires in their life, so they can zero in on what is really important.
Actions count more than words
As Tom Casano says: “life coaches understand this one sacred truth in life: That it’s action, not words, that makes things happen.” People get caught up in analysis paralysis, and spend too much thinking or talking about what they want to do, rather than taking concrete steps that will help them achieve their goals. As a life coach, you’ll learn about the tools and skills that help people accomplish their goals, so you can then pass those methods onto your clients.
People have more time than they think….
You ever wonder why time seems to go so fast when you’re busy? Many people feel like they never have enough time, but it’s largely a matter of perspective. A career in life coaching will show you how much impact your mindset has on the passage of time, as you’ll be helping clients manage their time more effectively. Effective time management not only helps them more done in a day, it helps them make more of the time they have to themselves.
You never stop learning…
Marvin Marcano talks about the time a client asked him a question he didn’t have the answer to: “I didn’t see not knowing as a flaw, but an opportunity for me to learn and for the client to see I was devoted to them by going to find out the information and bring it back to them.” It’s not so important to know all the answers, but rather to be willing to keep learning.
If you want to take your first step toward a career in professional coaching, you should consider studying a coaching course at SACAP. Options include part-time and full-time as well as online courses. For more information, enquire now.
