If you want to become a life coach congratulations on your decision! Life coaching is an amazing profession to work in. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all type of career. While life coaches can help people from all walks of life, people from all walks of life are not meant to become life coaches. I challenge you to examine yourself to see if this valuable profession really is, something that you are passionate about. Here are some reasons why it might not be a good idea to become a life coach:
Do not become a life coach if:
…you are perfect.
Do not become a life coach if:
…you’ll be able to figure out all of the right answers for your clients.
It’s not healthy for a client to become dependent upon a coach to define what’s right for them. Coaches help clients along their life journeys and help them to define the pathways that they would like to take. They encourage their clients to make choices and become proactive. They hold clients accountable and cheer them on toward victory.
Do not become a life coach if:
…you are the all-knowing sage.
When you become a coach, you’re making a commitment to embark on a lifelong journey. Expect to be continually developing your coaching methods and customizing them for the needs of each client. While coaches will grow in knowledge and wisdom through experience, they should not be rigid or forceful with the information that they know.
Do not become a life coach if:
…you only view coaching as a side hustle to make extra money.
Do not become a life coach if:
…you do not want to walk your talk:
Being a life coach means becoming accountable for the life that you live. As a life coach, it’s important for you to model a good life for your clients and lead by example. This will add value to the coach-and-client-relationship simply by the inspiration that a client can gain if they ever get a glimpse behind-the-scenes of your life.
These are some of the most important things to consider when you are planning to invest yourself into becoming a life coach. Be honest with yourself and don’t feel bad if this profession is not for you. It’s not a bad thing to want to make extra income on the side. It’s not a bad thing to designate tasks to people and have an answer ready for every conceivable situation when you are in a management position. It’s also not a bad thing to become an all-knowing expert in a cutting-edge field. Just realize that there’s a difference between those types of goals and the types of goals that a life coach has concerning their clients. If you want to dedicate a part of your career to become a life coach, all it takes is a sincere desire to help others and a willingness to learn how to coach effectively.
Give this strategy a try and see for yourself that it works. If you liked this coaching tip, leave a comment or use the handy bookmark buttons below to share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc. Thanks!
Cheryl McKinney
Life Coach
Writing Team, Coaches Training Blog Community
Very well said. I agree with all your points because Life coach plays a very important role for their clients.
I really liked reading this article because it shows us that becoming a life coach is a commitment that not everyone should take lightly.