Yes, the question isn’t ‘Should I hire a life coach?’ anymore, but rather, “When should I hire a life coach?”
It’s simple. We may be strong, clear-headed, emotionally intelligent and equipped with all the qualities needed to smoothly traverse our life path ahead. But let’s face it. We all have our inhibitions—some things that come in the way of our pursuit of success, happiness, or any goal that we have set for ourselves. We all harbour beliefs that may be holding us back. We all may be content with where we are in life but may want more growth. We all need a guiding light or just a little nudge to push us out there.
You may be self-reliant, self-aware, and self-sufficient. However, you may still yearn for or could use a direction, a guide, or a roadmap of sorts. Enter your certified Life Coach, a qualified expert skilled to urge you to improve the quality of your life. Contrary to most beliefs, life coaching is not equivalent to psychotherapy. While the latter works with your past, trauma, and inhibitions that arise from deep-seated psychological issues, life coaching serves as your anchor that works with future-oriented goals and aspirations.
Here are some phases in life when you most need the guidance of a life coach.
WHEN YOU FEEL THE NEED TO CHANGE THE WHEELS
It’s a human tendency to perpetually crave change or have a purpose, a goal, or a direction, whether it is a professional one or a personal one. But, there are times when we lose the sense of a purpose or don’t have a goal at all, despite wanting one. When we need change but don’t know what and how to bring it about, we may end up describing that phase as ‘feeling stuck.’ These are the times when a life coach can step in, not to help you but rather, to help you help yourself, to push you to find your purpose again and change the wheels in the direction of a goal you set for yourself.
WHEN YOU HAVE A GOAL BUT NOT A PLAN
Oftentimes, you may be aware of what you want in life, or simply what you want ‘next’. You may have goals or a goal but may still feel directionless. “I know what I want, but what do I do to get there?” Your inner thought may sound something like that. You may have a goal but no roadmap to get there or you may have a goal but it may still need some colouring in. Either way, what you need during such times is to ask yourself the right questions, knowing that the answers are already there within you. A life coach helps you do that—dig in to first find the questions and then track the answers that can help you build that roadmap or clarity of goals. Moreover, they can help you find an easy and practical route to that goal.
WHEN YOU WANT TO BUILD A NEW SKILL OR IMPROVE AN EXISTING ONE
There is a common misconception that a life coach’s expertise can only be sought when a gap in your life needs to be filled or a goal needs to be attained. However, a life coach can still be a partner by your side who can help you grow in a particular area, whether it is professionally or on a personal level. Areas of your personality, behaviour, or skills such as confidence or emotional intelligence, that aren’t exactly lacking but could be better, can be worked on with a life coach too.
WHEN YOU HAVE LIMITING BELIEFS RESTRICTING YOUR GROWTH
Whether you want to expand your horizons at work or be a better parent, friend, or partner, or simply learn to be better to yourself on a personal spiritual level. In any of these cases, usually, some self-limiting/destructive beliefs may be one prominent hindrance in the way of your growth. You may either be aware of these blockages, thoughts, and emotions or may simply feel restricted mentally, in turn, self-sabotaging your own life. A life coach here will not simply come and tell you to think otherwise or change your thoughts. They will instead urge you to challenge your own inner critic, stand head-to-head with those limiting beliefs and counter them using logic, reasoning, and rationality. They will help you find the root cause that’s leading to self-destruction and help you eradicate that.
WHEN YOU NEED A NEW PERSPECTIVE
We are constantly consumed by our own thoughts, emotions, and perspectives which may also be subconsciously influenced by others. This conundrum or a mix of your and others’ opinions may end up clouding your own judgement, giving you smudged thought processes and perspective. This is where a life coach can come into the picture, where they offer you a fresh perspective—something that can draw up clarity for you and make you stop and ponder.
WHEN YOU’RE DOING GREAT BUT COULD DO BETTER AND BIGGER
You may be content with where you are right now. There may be a sense of fulfilment, satisfaction, and happiness, yet, you may want more growth, more achievements, and more success. As a successful business owner, you may want to scale it up. As a working professional, you may be happy with your job yet may want a promotion. The point? A life coach is someone who can help you sustain that contentment and grow through every phase of life.
Now, having a life coach by your side isn’t a sign of weakness. It is, rather, a catalyst to personal growth that naturally ends up expanding other areas of your life as well. By working towards your goals and growth with a life coach as a partner, a mentor, and a guide, you also learn more about yourself while becoming more and more self-reliant. Yes, contrary to many beliefs, having a life coach by your side does make you more resilient, self-aware, and self-sufficient. The reason is simple – the life coach doesn’t do the mental or emotional heavy lifting for you. They help you find and develop your own strength to lift yourself up, in every way possible, for effects that last a lifetime.