WHY LOOK FOR A LIFE COACH

Written by Amelia Zawangoni, May 2022

I decided to start with this article because it is one of the main questions coachees or clients ask me during sessions. Thus, you will find information about:

• What is life coaching and its relevance? • Who is the life coach? • What are the areas of work for a life coach? My area of focus. • When to consult a life coach? • What to expect in a life coaching session.

At the end of the article, you will find the "wheel of life" that will allow you to quickly assess the current stage of the different areas of your life. You will also find information on how to book a session and other services

What is life coaching, and what is its relevance?

Life coaching is a structured conversation to help people change their mindset (the way they think) and make changes in their personal, professional, or academic lives.

Life Coaching can also be defined as a partnership relationship between a life coach and a coachee, also known as a client. In this relationship, the life coach supports the coachee to raise their level of consciousness, gain more clarity about their challenges as well as their individual potential to overcome such challenges, and achieve their short, medium, and long-term goals.

It is scientifically proven that life coaching improves well-being and hope and increases motivation to pursue life goals (Journal of Positive Psycology e Neeman Dryden).

Who is the life coach?

A Life Coach is a trained professional who provides life coaching services. Life coaches work with the individual's mindset and emotional states, as it is a fact that the individual's mental or emotional state affects the way we perceive ourselves and interact with the outside world. Our emotional and mind state is affected by how we think, not just what we think, but mainly how we think. So changing the way we think about situations in our life will consequently change our mindset or emotional state. Read this article that delves more into this issue.

What are the areas of work of a life coach? And my area of focus.

• The life coach's work areas are as vast as our own lives. Below are some: • Relationship coaching • Business coaching • Executive coaching • Spiritual coaching • Coaching Christians • Weight loss coaching • Communication coaching • Time management coaching • Life purpose coaching • Financial coaching • Couples coaching • Health coaching • Career coaching • Child coaching • Life Balance Coach

Some life coaches specialize in just one area, while others opt to combine two or more areas. You can find this information from the coach himself or on his virtual platforms, such as websites, blogs, Instagram, among others.

My focus

What to expect in a life coaching session?

The life coaching session is guided by a contract initially agreed upon by the life coach and the coachee, which outlines the responsibility of each. In addition to the "provoking questions," the coach can use different techniques or tools to help you gain more clarity and achieve your goals. "Focus on the desired goal" is one of the main characteristics of life coaching. Goals may be:

• Specific results – Example: Starting a relationship

• Desired responses - Example: Being more patient with my colleague/partner

• Set a goal and pursue - Example. start a business •
  

So, during the session you can expect for:

• A conversation that will take an average of one (01) hour. It may take less or more time.

*Prepare for an open and frank conversation

• A deep and detailed conversation about the issue that concerns you.

*Come up with an idea of the topic you would like to address in the session. For example; I would like to talk about my relationship with my co-worker

• A partnership that can be resumed in a single session, or extend over several sessions

Note: As a coachee, you are primarily responsible for achieving your goals and objectives. For this, it is important that you comply with the agreement at the beginning, between, and after sessions.

When to consult a life coach?

You can consult a life coach when you encounter any issues in the areas mentioned above or others, or whenever you feel that: • Need to raise your level of awareness • Need to understand your emotions better • Need to gain more clarity on some subject • Need to explore other possibilities • Need to gain more objectivity • Need to change your emotional state for a better one

• Need to make a decision and don't know how • Need to establish and or achieve a goal or objective

• Does not know what to do in a given situation • Need to improve your interpersonal relationships • Need more motivation

• Would you like to change or rectify a "bad habit" or behavior of yours?

• Among several other specific objectives.

Still undecided? Use the Wheel of Life to get an idea of what area of your life might need a conversation with a life coach. :). AND, Book your session or sign up here. It will be a pleasure to be able to support and also learn from you Let's grow together!

If you want to know more about life coaching, you can consult the sources below: o iNLP–InternationalNeuro-linguistic-ProgramingCenterathttps://inlpcenter.org/articles/ o ICF–InternationalCoachFederationathttps://coachingfederation.org/ o Neenan,M.Dryden,W.2014.Lifecoach,aCognitivebehaviouralapproach.2ndEdition o The Journal of Positive Psychology, July 2006, Cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused life coaching: Enhancing goal striving, well-being, and hope at https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760600619849