Don't become a life coach unless you know exactly what you are getting into and why. If you want to be your own boss and help hundreds or thousands of people move forward with their lives, then being a life coach may be the job for you. However, there are a few questions you should answer. Sort out your thoughts and plans before you take the plunge. Here's how.
1.Write down WHY you are thinking of becoming a Life Coach.
2.List the key skills that you think are required to be an outstanding Life Coach. Not just a good coach, but an OUTSTANDING coach. Have you been coached yourself? Have you seen any great coaches in action? If so, what do they do?
3.Ask yourself "Without any formal training, could I help people who come to me with this problem? What life experience have I had in this field?" Go down each and give yourself a rating of 1-10, with a 10 being you are an expert and could help this person without any training or further help.
Now check if you have scored less than 7 on any of the skills. If you did then write these down in a column or mark them clearly. This is to remind you that these are the skills you have to work on and develop them well enough to succeed in the coaching profession.
You need a good reality check before jumping into the life coach pool. Be true to yourself. There's no point dilly-dallying here if you are not honest with yourself. Before you get going, ask yourself this:
"Can I build up on the skills where I scored less than 7"
"Am I committed enough to tackle my weak points and master them?"
You have to be practical at this juncture. The competition out there is cut-throat and scoring less than 7 and not being able to upgrade is not that good a sign.
Here are some of the key skills you need to be a life coach:
*Listening- There is more to listening than just hearing. Capturing the unsaid makes up the core of the listening skill.
*Feedback- Be ready to give some constructive feedback without sounding partisan or critical.
*Observing- Stay alert to the underlying factors so you can act on them.
*Analyzing- As a Life Coach you will come across some information which you will have to analyze and draw conclusions from.
*Communication- Be comfortable with communicating yourself, whatever be the medium.
*Timing- Be aware of when your client needs to move to the next stage. You should also know when to ask what type of questions.
*Assimilation- Be prepared by integrating all your information.
*Organizing- If you are not organized, you are bound to get confused. Keep your entire information and work load in an orderly fashion.
*Empathy- Be kind and compassionate to your client's needs and problems.
*Ethics- Maintain your client's information in confidentiality.
*Complimenting- Feel free to compliment your clients whenever necessary. It makes them happy.
*Motivating- Encourage your clients and make them feel happy about what they are doing.
*Empowering- Empower your clients to move ahead and succeed.
*Energetic- You have to be energetic because you need high levels of vigor to be able to motivate.
*Positivism- You as a Life Coach should be positive in your approach, attitude, tone and even writing. It is your positive outlook that spreads to your clients.
*Creative- You have to come up with a number of new ideas to help your clients. Idea formation plays a major role in the career of a Life Coach.
*Thirst for Knowledge- There are new things happening every minute and you, as a Life Coach, have to be familiar with the changes around you. Update yourself with research and get familiar with new areas that you may encounter. This is so you can help your client with what he prefers to work on.
Time to rate yourself again. This time do it with the skills listed above.
Now, put together all the skills you scored below 7 for. Remember, you have to work on these. As for those skills where you scored over 7, it's good news! That's half the job done. However, jot down these scores because you have to polish them up.
Surely you are a lot closer to understanding your potential as a Life Coach. On the other hand, let's get more certain on this and take a few more tests, just to be on the safer side.
The best way to assess whether you are ready is to get yourself your own coach. Not only will you gain tremendously from the improvement in the quality of your life, you can also pick up first-hand tips and tricks from your coach on Life Coaching. Over a period of time, you are sure to decide if coaching is meant for you or not.
Focusing on potential negative outcomes distracts you from the present and disempowers you. The anxiety you create prevents you from thinking clearly. Paying attention to the negative makes it difficult to remember or access your very real strengths and abilities.
Worry's saner cousins, carefulness and conscientiousness, serve the important purpose of ensuring you have done everything possible to create a safe and positive outcome. That is helpful. Worry is never helpful.
Worry is Energy
When you give energy to whatever it is you fear, it appears larger and more significant than it really is. Like those two-story balloons you see in the Thanksgiving Day parades, your fears take on enormous proportions. They seem to tower above you. The truth is that they are only filled with air! When you reclaim the energy of your attention, your fears collapse to the ground and lay in a crumpled heap at your feet.
Think of the times when you have been stuck in worry. You put all kinds of energy into imagining negative outcomes and the disastrous consequences those outcomes could create. The more anxious you became, the more energy was drawn into the vortex of worry, increasing its power and intensity.
Think of the times you've procrastinated. Look at the time and energy you put into unnecessary activities, like emptying the dishwasher or doing the crossword puzzle. Remember the growing feeling of apprehension as the deadline for completion approached.
The energy that fuels worry is entirely neutral. You can direct that same energy into positive channels once you commit yourself to do so. Doing this will help you achieve success.
Three Ways to Channel Energy in Positive Directions
It's easier to redirect your energy if you have something specific to focus on. Here are three ways you can channel your worry energy so you can use it to achieve your goals.
1. Plan
Often worry results from feeling overwhelmed. There are too many things to do and too little time to do them. The options spin around in your head so fast that any one item can feel like two or twelve.
Pause, step back, take stock, make a list and identify what needs to be done and when. Prioritize. You can take your planning further and identify others who could help you with one or another part of your project.
Gaining perspective in this way is incredibly empowering. It slows things down and provides direction. It clarifies just what steps you need to take, which ones you need to do first and when you can do them. You enable yourself to move ahead with clarity and focus.
2. Just Do It
Sometimes what is needed is simply to act. It may matter less what you do than that you simply do something to move you forward toward your goal.
Once your energy gets directed toward addressing the challenge, it will continue to flow in that direction. Accomplishing even a small step can encourage you to take the next step and then the next. Before you know it, a momentum will develop and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
Think of the times you procrastinated. Sooner or later you actually got going and accomplished the task. It may as well be sooner than later.
3. Visualize Success
You can create a positive expectation by visualizing success in the challenge you are facing. Consciously replace the disastrous outcomes you fear with images of success.
In a state of deep relaxation you can imagine a positive outcome for the situation you are dealing with. Pay careful attention to everything you do that contributes to your success. Notice how that success feels to you.
This is a technique that successful athletes use to achieve peak performance. It will help you to succeed, as well.
Your energy is vast. The more aligned it is, the easier it is to achieve your goals. Worry energy messes up that alignment. Redirect your energy in positive ways and you are sure to make your good life better.
Both Craig Miller & Jeannette Samanen Phd are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Craig Miller has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, self improvement and motivation and Web Development. Craig Miller is known as the Cake Coach, and he helps coaches learn how to have their cake and eat it too. If you want to accelerate your coaching business, then check out