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What Is A Life Coach?
More and more individuals, executives, and managers are seeking
coaching for increased self-awareness, a more balanced life, better
goal setting, and less stress. Why? Because the coaching
relationship focuses on your needs for fulfillment, balance, and
process. Coaching can be conducted by phone or face-to-face on a
schedule that is mutually acceptable. The length of a session is
also flexible, usually 45-60 minutes every other week. Most
coaches offer free sample sessions as a way to introduce you to the
process. The focus is on you, on what you want in your life, and on
what will help you achieve it.
One of the most frequently asked questions is, “What is the difference
between coaching and therapy?” Coaching supports personal and
professional growth and development based on individual-initiated
change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes and is forward moving
and future focused. Therapy is often focused on resolving difficulties
arising from the past which hamper an individual’s emotional
functioning in the present, improving overall psychological function
and dealing with present life and work circumstances in emotionally
healthy ways.
Let’s get out of our everyday thinking and use our imagination for a bit.
Imagine someone who is totally focused on your needs and wants, and how
to work with you to come up with a plan to achieve them. The
primary principle of effective coaching is to focus on the client’s
agenda and not to tell the client how to live their life. This
relationship is like having your own personal navigator for the journey
of your life: someone who will help you find your way and stay on
course.
Imagine someone who is totally interested in your dreams and
aspirations, what makes you tick, what you value, what you are most
passionate about: someone who will help you clarify your goals and
provide the tools for action and learning that lead to the results you
want.
Imagine someone listening, not only to your words, but also to what’s
behind them - who even listens to the spaces between them:
someone who listens to the very best in you, even when you cannot hear
it in yourself.
Imagine someone who will hold you accountable and keep you moving
forward toward your dreams and goals: someone who will provide a
powerful structure to help you focus on specific outcomes and stay on
track.
Imagine someone who is sometimes even more committed to what you want
in your life than you are: someone who knows your values and life
purpose and will hold you true to them.
Imagine someone who will absolutely tell you the truth about where you are strong, where you sell yourself short.
Imagine someone who listens to you without judgment and allows you to show emotion, in fact, accepts you without analyzing you.
Imagine someone who works with you to finally break free of those
self-limiting conversations you’ve been having over the years - where
now the voices of defeat and sabotage are simply noticed for what they
are and the powerful part of you is always encouraged.
This is what a life coach is, in reality, not in your
imagination. Life coaching is about you. It is helping you
to break free of obstacles standing in the way of achieving your
dreams, following your passions, and living your life to its full
potential. You are given a life to live and unfortunately we
sometimes get in our own way while living it. A life coach is
someone who is able to help you clarify your values and determine your
path to a more fulfilling, balanced life.
John McCracken
Human Potential
Personal Life and
Business Coach
303-258-3010
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