Finding a Life Coach

Finding a life coach to support you on your health and wellness journey could spell the difference between success and failure, ease and struggle.

No athlete would ever expect to get to the top of their game and stay there without a coach. Top business people happily pay astronomical sums to mentors and coaches to help them pave the way to greater success. 

Yet, for some reason, the rest of us have rarely given ourselves the same advantage even though statistics prove that going it alone rarely proves successful. 

Thankfully, coaching is now accessible to everyone.

A growing trend is to hire a holistic life coach for everything from wellness to personal growth. Whether your goal is to transform your health, improve relationships, create work-life balance, or navigate life transitions, transformational life coaching offers you personalized support and challenge so you can achieve your goals with greater ease.

Finding a life coach who is right for you may seem daunting.

Here are three steps to make your search easier:

A good place to start is assessing what knowledge, specialization, personal qualities, experience, and credentials are important to you in a holistic life coach.

Here are some things to consider:

• Are certifications important to you? If so, finding a coach who is certified through the ICF, the IAC, and/or reputable coaching schools are good places to start. Certification through these organizations requires a lot of training and skill. Some training schools certify their own coaches. Levels of training vary widely, so you may want to do some research. Do keep an open mind about this, though, because some of the most sought after, experienced, and successful coaches are not certified.

• What qualities are you looking for in your coach? A good listener? Someone with some knowledge of your problem who has been through it and come out better for it? Someone who can give you a motivational push when you need one as well as support? Would you feel more comfortable with someone who is male, female, soft spoken, energetic, enthusiastic or calming? Do you want to be taken through a step-by-step system, or would you prefer personalized support? Would you prefer in person, video chat, or telephone? 

• If you have a very specific goal, such as becoming smoke-free, and you have no idea of how to do that, a coach specializing in smoking cessation might be your best bet. If you need guidance to improve your health, a coach who is also a wellness practitioner, may be your best bet. If you know what you need to do and where to find the information you need, but are struggling with actually doing it, finding a life coach skilled in inner freedom methods may be a better match for you. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to match topics with coaches unless you are looking for someone who will also mentor or teach you. A skilled coach can coach on just about anything. 

Now that you have an idea of what you are looking for, it's time to begin finding a life coach. 

• You might start by searching for a holistic life coach, transformational life coaching, personal development coach, wellness coach, cancer coach, and so on.

• Peruse the websites of coaches that appeal to you. Read their 'about' pages and get a flavor for who they are as a person, a coach, and what they stand for. Listen to their audios and videos. Read their blogs. If you do not resonate with them and their message, move on.  When you do like what you see so far, opt-in for their free info-products and ezines. Get to know them a bit more. Again, keep an open mind. If someone really seems to resonate with you, but doesn't match your entire wish list, take it to the next step.

• Take the leap and sign up for a complimentary consultation. Besides providing you with important insights and clarity about your situation, a complimentary consultation is a great way for you and the coach to experience each other. Be up-front. Tell them you are in the process of finding a life coach and will be interviewing several coaches (unless you already feel for sure this person right for you). Ask questions. You will both get a taste for what partnering together would be like and if you are a good match.

• When your quest for finding a life coach has led you to the perfect coach for you, it's time to...

...hire your life coach

This is the moment of truth. You found your coach. You are ready to go. Or, you're surprised by how, all of a sudden, you're feeling very scared and talking yourself out of it. Do not be surprised if this happens, it is perfectly normal.

There's a simple reason for this. Your brain does not like change. It does not see new situations as safe, and it is sending you fear messages. And that's okay.

Not only are you committing to a new relationship with this coach, but you are also really taking the step to play big and commit to your goals and dreams.

That commitment requires that you change, grow, invest time and financial resources in yourself, and take action on your own behalf. You will definitely stretch outside your comfort zone.

And whether we want to admit it to ourselves or not, we like our comfort zones. They feel safe. So, if the thought of finding a life coach and really committing to change in this big way, maybe for the first time in your life, feels a bit too scary, that's okay. Don't judge yourself for that.

Let me share this from my own experience. I've discovered that often what appears as pure fear - you know, the butterflies, sweaty palms and visual disturbances that precede a big decision-often turn into a feeling of great relief and excitement once I go for it and say, "yes!"

If you find yourself stuck in fear, ask yourself these questions: 

1. How has playing it safe, and doing the 'same old same old' been working for me so far? 
2. If your answer is, "Not so good," then ask yourself, "What would it take for me to be willing to step out of my comfort zone, and make ___ happen for myself?" 
3. How would finding a life coach and committing to the process give me the support and challenge I need to make it over the rough spots and celebrate my successes help me make it happen? 

Do write down your answers, so you can reread them and get down all your thoughts and concerns. Hopefully, these questions will help you make the best decision for you. They also just had a tiny taste of the type of questions you may be asked in transformational life coaching, and how a coach can help you move forward. 

Go for it. You are worth it. Once you hire a holistic life coach, commit to the process for at least three months. Give it your all. You are likely to be very pleased with your results.

Learn more about Wellness Coaching and if it is for you.

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