Before you to decide to become a personal coach, a few pertinent questions must be asked. Becoming a personal coach requires dedication, passion, and effort. Coaching is a great gig, but it is not an easy one. Coaching comes with great rewards, but you must work for them!

Some experts subscribe to the belief that coaches are born and not made, while others believe that coaches can be made, even if they are not born that way. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle – coaches are most likely born with some of the qualities that will make them good in this profession, but these qualities need to be nurtured. In addition to nurturing important personal attributes and qualities, coaching skills and knowledge can also be taught. When you decide to become a personal coach, it is important to ask yourself a few questions. Self-inquiry can help determine if you have the personality to become a coach.

 What Questions Should You Ask Before You Become a Personal Coach?

• Am I an authentic person? Do I live my values and value my life?
• Have I experienced success in my life? Have I achieved some of my goals and dreams?
• Do I have the ability to emphasize with others – can I feel their pain, their fears, their frustrations, and their joy?

If yo can honestly answer YES to those questions, there are additional questions about coaching that should be asked before you decide to become a personal coach.

• Do I have the capacity to work my own hours, design my own workday, and be responsible for my success (or failure)?
• Am I willing to work hard – is my work ethic strong enough to withstand adversity?
• Am I willing to continually pursue education? Do I completely understand that the pursuit of coaching knowledge and expertise is a never-ending journey?
• Am I willing to market and promote myself? Do I understand that no business succeeds without some level of marketing and promotion?
• Am I adaptable and flexible? Do I recognize that working with the emotions and hopes of individuals requires adaptability and flexibility?

If you have answered YES to these questions, then you can move on to the last set of questions – the final inquiries in your process to become a personal coach.

• Would I like to have the potential for unlimited earnings and salary?
• Would I like to work in a dynamic and exciting industry?
• Am I passionate about having a great life, doing something I enjoy, and helping others derive more pleasure and success from their lives?

If you can answer YES to most, or all of these questions, you just might make a good, or great coach. However, it is important to remember, whether you are just beginning in the business, or if you are experienced in the coaching field, a coach is a work in progress. If you have been coaching for one day – you are a work in progress. If you have been coaching for twenty years – you are a work in progress. Coaches are always striving to get better.

Last question before you become a personal coach: are you the type of person who continually pursues self-improvement? Yes? If so, welcome to the world of coaching!

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Fred Philips
Business Coach
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