Why Do I Need a Life Coach?

Have you heard the term "life coach" and wondered what in the world that means? I hear you. I thought the same thing about four years ago when a student told me he wanted to pursue it as a career. I was very skeptical, but tried to help him as best I could. Then my sister told me about her corporate coach at work. The more she described what happened in each session, the more I wanted to know.

Wondering turned into searching online and seeking the help of my own coaches. I realized I participated in a group coaching program when I was writing my dissertation. It just wasn't called coaching back then. I pursued my own life coach certification and the rest is history for me.

What about you? What if you're still learning about it and clicked on this page? Once you've experienced high quality life coaching, it all makes sense. Of COURSE you would hire a life coach to help you get unstuck on your problems. It's my go to solution now for my own problems. Let's walk through some questions.

Have you ever set a goal for yourself, like a New Year's Resolution, and then abandoned it by February or March?

A life coach could have helped you stay on track.

First, we help set goals. Many people set vague goals for themselves. Then they need help ironing them out to be specific and measurable. A life coach can help you identify what you actually want to achieve, not only what you "think" you want to achieve. Society has plenty of New Year's Resolutions for you, but do you actually want to achieve them?

Good coaches also help with accountability throughout the process.

We point out your thought patterns that lead to feelings and actions. Through that pattern, you can see why you're getting the results you're getting. We help you change your thought patterns to be intentional instead of unintentional. We remind you why you wanted to achieve that goal in the first place. We cheer you on, especially when you're feeling down about the entire process.

Do you find yourself procrastinating?

That's one of the most common reasons people seek me out as a life coach. They have work that needs to get done or an article that needs to be written, but they keep putting it off. You might have a dream you've been meaning to pursue and everything else keeps getting in the way. I help clients work on cutting through the procrastination. We talk about changing thoughts and awesome productivity tools to help along the way.

And do you have trouble sorting through the story and the facts?

When we talk to our friends, we tell them stories and they agree with us. They say, "Oh yeah, you are SO right," all the time. That's part of why they are our friends. They agree with us.

But life coaches don't do that.

We point out the times when you're telling a story compared to when you're telling the facts. Facts are clear and provable. Facts don't have emotion tied to them. For example, you might want to say, "She's trying to make me jealous." A friend would agree with you.

As a life coach, I would ask, "How you how know for sure that she is trying to make you jealous?." You wouldn't know for sure unless the person told you in a statement. Too often, we make judgements about what other people are thinking. Life coaches help you check in with reality.

As a coach, I have distance on the situation. I'm neutral.

I'm not tied up in your situation or stories. I can see them clearly. My job is to help you see those thoughts clearly too. And you just might find yourself reframing the entire situation. We all need reality checks!

How committed are you to change?

When you're 100% committed to change, you're ready for a life coach. You might be ready to stop overeating, stop overdrinking, or stop overworking. Sometimes I talk to people about a change they are considering, but they aren't sure yet. They aren't sure if they actually want to finish a project or write that paper. Someone else or society told them they should have that goal. But they themselves aren't actually committed.

Life coaching is an investment in yourself and your future.

If you're not ready for change, you're not ready. Keep exploring why. Maybe you actually need a therapist or counselor who can help you process the past. I never push people to life coaching if they aren't 100% committed to positive change.

Want to read more reasons about why you need a life coach?

• Check out 22 more reasons you should hire a life coach to help achieve your goals.

• Or the five reasons why you shouldn't hire a life coach.

• There's also the 12 signs that you really need a life coach.

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