If you've ever played organized sports, you know how valuable a coach can be. He can see the proverbial forest for the trees, understand how each player has to perform in order for the team to succeed, and even act as a confidant and cheerleader. As a player, you've probably also witnessed the ways in which even good players can undermine the team's success when they don't listen to the coach. As evidence, just look at the USA men's basketball team in at the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Olympics. Even though each player was an NBA star, it appeared as though they paid no heed to their coach. As a result, they finished sixth in the Worlds and captured only a bronze in Athens. The team's gold medal success of the Redeem Team in the 2008 Beijing Games is attributable both to the coaching skills of Mike Krzyzewski and to the individual commitment of each of the team members.

The value of coaching goes far beyond sports, and is increasingly being recognized as a great approach for getting and keeping your life on track. Increasingly, people are turning to a life coach when they need help with a relationship, a job change, or career difficulties. People may partner with a life coach to help them achieve success and reach goals that range from the financial to the spiritual - and everything in between. Often, people who have gone through the life coaching process continue to have periodic "check-ups," to ensure that they're actively engaged in the path they've chosen for themselves.

But just as some athletes don't heed their coach's advice, some people just aren't ready to benefit from a life coach. That doesn't make them wrong or bad; it simply means that they may need to wait until they're more open to the process.

How can you determine if you're ready for a life coach? First, you have to be open to coaching. This sounds simple, but sometimes people have psychological issues they need to handle before they're able to take action to create the life they want. Second, you have to be willing to do the work. Your life coach can help you identify your goals and the ways in which you'll work toward them, but you have to do the work. Third, you have to be willing to commit to the process, and follow through with the things you say you'll do. This doesn't mean perfection; rather, it means holding intentions and honoring your process. If you run into a problem fulfilling your commitments, you need to discuss it with your life coach, who will help you find a way to make it work.

Fourth, you need the proper mindset. A willingness to acknowledge that your success isn't diminished because you worked with a coach is one important component, as is the desire to stop self-defeating behaviors that can sabotage your success.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you need to be open to considering new ideas and ways of doing things. Your life coach brings fresh resources to the table, and you must be able to embrace the possibility that you'll need to look at life differently, as well as learn new skills and adopt new habits.