Maybe the idea of being coached is a little weird. You've never tried it before, and you don't know what to expect. Or maybe it seems like a bunch of hooey. You could just save your hard earned money and complain to your friends over drinks on the weekend. Well, you are mostly right! It might be a little weird to try something new or to talk with someone you don't know about personal issues, and I also agree that sharing with friends on the weekend is a fun way to blow off steam. BUT being afraid to try something new or blowing off steam isn't going to propel you forward towards your dreams, your goals, the relationships, or towards the next-best version of the person that you want to become. And Coaching can. If you still aren't convinced here are 6 compelling reasons to try it out!
If you aren't sure what a Life Coach is go ahead and start with this article first!
6 Reasons Why Being Coached is Awesome
1) It is a Fun Way to Learn about Yourself
Talking with a professional will bring up some really fun and interesting things that you don't know about yourself. Things that make sense once you hear them, but you just never thought about it that way before. Having an outside perspective can help uncover things like your personality type, your personal value system and priorities, your strengths and weaknesses, and your inner desires for yourself and the future. You might be surprised how much there is to uncover. Once you talk with someone who knows how to ask the right questions a lot of things that you haven't consciously thought about start coming to the surface. You can have a lot of "AHA!" moments. You are interesting (seriously!) - so why not find out more about yourself?
2) Increased Self-Esteem & Grounding
Learning more about yourself and also learning to accept yourself the way you are will lead to an increased self-esteem. You will feel more confident that you know who you are, what you are about, what you do and don't like, and most importantly what you value. This will help you to feel more grounded within yourself and help mitigate feelings of anxiety.
3) Identify Limiting Beliefs
Limiting beliefs are usually lessons that we learned as kids, or things that we have learned to think of as fact, but they are really just thoughts or opinions that we are subscribing to. They form the framework that our minds work within and affect our thoughts, and as a result our actions and results. It can be very difficult for us to see our own limiting beliefs, so having an outside perspective is really helpful. Limiting beliefs are often responsible for bad habits, mental roadblocks, or self-sabotage - so we want to challenge them to make positive changes. You will say "Oh my gosh, I had NO idea that I was thinking that, but I was!". Once you know you are thinking it you can decide whether or not you want to change it.
4) Confidence Boost
Having someone in your corner giving you support will help you feel more confident to try new or difficult things: to work towards big goals, to have a difficult conversation, to put yourself out there. You will have someone to turn to whether it turns out great or not so great. You also have someone to run your thoughts and ideas by and get honest feedback, which will help you feel more confident about your decisions.
5) Getting Motivated
Some people just need a little bit of extra momentum to get things moving or in finding their direction. Hiring a coach is not only an investment in making changes within yourself, but a way to motivate yourself to make those changes faster. Most people find that having a coach keeps them active and invested and more productive because they like discussing their progress and feel accountable for making progress during check-ins.
One thing that is important to know is that "progress" means different things to different coaches. What is important to me is that my clients make internal progress in the right direction towards their goals, so my coaching is more about learning and less about action items. I do provide optional homework if I think it would be beneficial, but I do not push my clients to perform or have any 'mandatory' homework like some coaches do. If my clients do things in-between sessions that's great, but if they don't I am more interested in discussing why and seeing if there is a root cause than in whether or not the item was accomplished. I think it is good to know that some coaches are more progress/task oriented than others, and I am not one of them. I focus more on internal motivation and factors that are affecting you than on being an external factor.
Some people need progress drivers and some need progress supporters - so I recommend you ask your perspective coach which type they are before picking one out.
6) New Perspectives
You can only work within the framework of what you already know. If you want to see a change in your thinking or in your life it will require you to learn new things. New ideas, new perspectives, new mindsets, and new ways to frame situations. Once you gain those you will have totally new ways of looking at things in your life. As a bonus those mindsets or skills you will learn in one area of your life can often translate to other areas too!
What have you got to lose?
I highly encourage you to give Life Coaching a try. The worst thing that can happen is that you discover that it isn't for you. And you never know... a few hours of coaching just might change your life.
Would you like to find out more about what life coaching is all about, and how it could potentially help you? You can Schedule a Free Consultation about coaching. I would love to talk with you.
I hope that you enjoyed my article - if so please give me a heart below! ❤ And make sure you follow me on Facebook to keep up with all of my latest articles and book reviews.
Amanda Aten
Happiness & Wellbeing Life Coach
I will help you to set goals, get motivated, and really hone in on the roadblocks that are preventing you from succeeding - whether it is for a personal, relationship, career, or health oriented goal I will be a friend in your corner rooting for you and guiding you along the way!