When I began my journey as a coach, there were so many areas I was eager to explore. The excitement of Career Transition Coaching kept me on my toes, the passion of entrepreneurs made Business Coaching seem like a great path, and Professional Development Coaching was a natural fit as I loved helping clients thrive in their career paths. With so many possibilities in mind, I thought I knew just one thing for sure – I did not want to be a Life Coach.
Before I tell you what changed my mind, let’s back up a few years…
Starting My Career as a Coach
I found myself freshly enrolled in Coaching School, surrounded by 17 other aspiring coaches, gathered in a circle. We took turns introducing ourselves and sharing the specific coaching niches we were contemplating. As newcomers to both the program and each other, we were brimming with enthusiasm, eager to embark on our individual journeys to make a positive impact on the world.
“I aspire to be a Business and Career Coach,” I confidently declared. “I’m not here to pursue a path as a Life Coach; that thought just makes me want to roll my eyes.”
Diving Deeper
Over the following 72 hours, we delved deep into the art of coaching. We immersed ourselves in training sessions, honed our skills, and explored the essence of coaching itself. Through role-playing, we learned how to provide unwavering support to our future clients, meeting them wherever they stood in their life journeys. It became evident that creating a safe and non-judgmental space while adhering to a stringent code of ethics was crucial to maintaining our integrity and detachment from outcomes.
We took turns participating in “fishbowl” coaching sessions, refining our abilities as with every closed question, being guided to “reframe” our approach. We explored valuable tools like The Wheel of Life and the Pain Gain Model, distinguishing limiting beliefs from assumptions, and even delved into measuring our energy levels in relation to our leadership skills.
The three days we spent together in person seemed to fly by, and once again, we found ourselves seated in a circle, each sharing one key takeaway.
“I am, at my core, a Life Coach!” I exclaimed, tears of realization brimming in my eyes. “Even though my passion lies in coaching around careers, business, and professional development, I understand that we all must first work through our own personal challenges.” Our lead trainer nodded with a knowing smile.
Forming My Philosophy: You Can’t Take Life Out of Work
The undeniable truth revealed itself to me in those first three days of Coaching School — regardless of my specialty or my clients’ areas of focus, life remains an inseparable component of our work. It’s impossible to work through mindset blocks around business or advance in the workplace without taking a look inward first. When you’re a motivated professional, as all of my clients are, life and work exist in constant harmony. If I stood firm in my decision to be anything but a Life Coach, I’d never be able to fully understand my clients or help them unlock their potential at the highest level.
At the heart of it all, we are Life Coaches.
What is Life Coaching?
If you’re reading this, you might be considering coaching yourself. Maybe you’ve already realized the benefits of life coaching, or maybe you think of life coaching like I did: an endless sea of self-help books and cliché mugs. Ok, I’ll admit I love a good cliché mug, but back to the point…
Life Coaching is about more than your personal life. It’s a process of finding alignment between what fulfills you personally and what you aspire to achieve professionally. Then, a great coach will equip you with tools, perspective, and an accountability system to help you get there.
Are you ready to discover the world of coaching and unlock your full potential? Let’s talk!
