DIY Life Coaching
Posted on September 17, 2015 by Bevin Morgan, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
What is life coaching? It's probably not what you think. This article gives you the real scoop on what it means to be a life coach.
I’ve been coming out about my life coaching practice more frequently lately, which has led a lot of people to ask me what it actually means to be a life coach. It’s funny, because when I explain it, people immediately understand it and nod at is if to say, “Yes. I knew that. I was testing you to make sure that you knew that.” I suppose that means that while most people haven’t really considered what it means to be a life coach, the truth about coaching is intuitive, reasonable, and makes sense.
So, what is a life coach? A life coach is someone who helps you realize that you already know exactly what to do with your life. There’s a little bit of other stuff, but that’s pretty much it. The fact is each one of us knows exactly what we need from life. The life coach’s job is to help clear out the clutter of noise, advice, external values and fear that has been piled on top of what you already know and help you get back in tune with the things that you really want.
Being a life coach is one of the easiest jobs in the world because you, the client, do all of the work. Through active reflection, powerful questions and a handful of well-considered exercises, a good coach can take their client from “I’m stuck in my life and have no idea what to do next!” to, “Oh man – I completely forgot that I love sculpture and my family’s values around stability have been holding me back from spending my weekends in the studio.” This is just one example. Coaching can take you in many different directions. The point is that life coaching is all about creating amazing positive change in someone’s life.
“So Bevin, if coaching is just about the client doing all of the work to realize things that they already know about themselves deep down, couldn’t the client just read some books, do some meditations and coach themselves?” Absolutely! And that’s essentially what I did to get myself from the point of, “I feel so stuck in my career and I don’t know what to do!” to the point of, “I’m going to be a life coach!!” However, when it came time to go from “I’m going to be a life coach!!” to “I’m the most successful life coach ever and all of my clients have the best lives they could ever imagine!” I realized that I needed my own coach. Turning to someone else to help coach me to the next level helped me gain additional perspective. The additional perspective helps me gain clarity faster and more deeply than I ever could on my own. Yes, I could do it on my own, but it’s really a pain.
Just like Michael Jordan worked the game, studied tapes, took a million free throws a day and ran 500 wind sprints (I’m guessing. I don’t follow sports), he relied on his coach to watch him and tell him where he could spend time to improve. He used that outside perspective to help guide him to new exercises or interesting muscle relaxing massage techniques (again – I have no idea how basketball training works). That is how a life coach can help you find your life’s purpose, or become an expert manager, or live a healthier lifestyle, have a better relationship, etc.
Life coaching is awesome. If you are ready to make a change in your life, know that you’re capable of doing it, and just haven’t quite been able to make it happen, get a life coach. Getting a life coach will make all of your wildest dreams come true. Thank you.
