If I were to tell you that I am a Life Coach – What image does that conjure up in your mind? Do you say to yourself : What is a life Coach or what does a life coach do, or better yet “I don’t need a coach to live”
 
The truth is that the word coaching is probably one of the most ambiguous buzzwords of the 21st century. Take for instance the fact that synonyms for coaches include trainers, teachers, instructors and tutors. Add to this that there are so many different types of coaches: sports coaches, life coaches, spiritual coaches, career coaches, relationship coaches, speech coaches, business coaches, divorce recovery coaches, executive coaches and the list goes on and on. The result is CONFUSION.
 
Today I want to explain what I understand the term to mean and exactly what coaching can do for you. Very few people are able to express in a single succinct sentence what they understand coaching to be.  Many have had an experience or two with a sports coach and the overwhelming memory is one of exhaustion and sometimes pain. Now understandably that is not the image I want people to have about coaching. In order to establish what coaching is perhaps a good starting point would be to explain what coaches do not do.

• Coaches do not physically stand in your place. You will still have to do the job interview.
• Coaches do not give advice. Do you take other people's advice?
• Coaches do not bring their own agenda. The process is flexible and the coach will be looking to adapt in order to get results.
• Coaches are not interested in problems. Coaches are solutions focused and will try and lift you out of detail.
• Coaches do not ask why? That would only elicit a defensive response which would hamper progress and draw into the problem.
• Coaches do not criticize. It only serves to keep the coachee in events that have already taken place and cannot be changed.

There is no master plan that you can tap into, but we can help you to be the best you that you can be.

A coach basically has four 4 roles, namely mentor, manager, personal trainer, and sports coach. I sometimes roll mentor and sports coach into one and add cheerleader as a role.

• A mentor is someone who believes in you and helps you create a big vision for yourself and set big goals.
• A manager set strategies and deadlines and keeps you accountable for what you said you would do.
• After setting your big goals, the personal trainer keeps you on the court and focusing on those goals.
• A sports coach can see things to improve your game which you cannot. A small change in your perspective or thinking on the court or course can make a huge difference to your performance.
• Finally, a cheerleader cheers you on, is happy for your success, and keeps the process positive and light.

The coaching process runs over 12 weeks (roughly 3 months) starting with a complimentary session in which I set the stage and together we set some goals. The goal setting process is analogous to gold mining: digging up the ore, bringing it to the surface, purifying it and make it into something beautiful or useful like jewelry or coins.

During the 12 consecutive sessions I strive to improve the coachee’s thinking by employing the knowledge that I have about how the brain works.   I help turn complexity into simplicity as best I can so that the you walk out of each session with a clear sense of purpose, direction and motivation.

A funnel resting on top of another funnel gives a good indication of what will happen with your goals. The narrow parts are what you are doing by yourself and thinking by yourself. When the coach comes alongside you to facilitate new thinking, extend boundaries, explore possibilities and help you think through alternatives the funnel widens. The funnel will narrow again as you exercise your choices until you are able to execute the action.

I would like to emphasize that coaching has an excellent track record for enriching and transforming lives. I guess the question that remains is not whether you should hire a coach, but how willing you are to be transformed. Can you really afford to be complacent when there are hobbies to pursue, relationships to be found, careers that can be shifted, qualifications to collect, weight to be lost, better health to be gained and a whole new You to emerge. The rest of your life has so much promise. The choice is yours…………..