It is common sense: We hire a running coach when deciding to run a marathon. We hire a personal trainer to lose weight and get back in shape. We hire a voice coach to develop our vocal chords. We hire a riding coach to learn how to ride a horse. We hire a business coach when things get stuck at work. All of these coaches are there to help us develop our full potential toward a particular outcome chosen by us. So, why not hire a life coach to help you develop your full potential for a happy, successful and purposeful life?

What is a life coach?
A life coach is a trained individual who helps you identify and break through the roadblocks preventing you from creating and living a successful life filled with enthusiasm and joy. Life coaching seeks to empower clients to search for answers to life’s questions within themselves; to become present in the moment and from there actively create a balanced, meaningful and authentic existence.

What is the goal of life coaching and how does it work?
Clarity and balance! Clarity about your life’s purpose and mission; balance in the areas of work, relationships, family, playtime, spirituality, wellness, and personal growth. A good life coach –caringly and skillfully- uses the power of commitment to motivate the client toward active and intentional change. Coach and client make a team, holding each other accountable for full participation in the client’s journey. One of the main principles to be followed in this process is the TAO- being Transparent, Authentic and Open with self and each other.

What does personal life coaching focus on?

• Personal Growth and Development
• Unlocking Potential
• Self-Awareness and Self-Acceptance
• Developing Authenticity
• Life Transitions
• Work-Life Balance
• Living with Choice
• Burnout
• Career Development
• Defining Happiness –Defining Success
• Wellness and Weight loss

When does one seek out a life coach?
Wishing to make sense of one’s personal story is an essential human need. We all want to be heard and understood. Asking for support when life’s circumstances have thrown us out of balance is a heroic act, but is a leap of faith we often hesitate to make.  Typically, we are not even aware of what’s actually going on in our lives. We are simply bombarded continually by mixed emotions and uncomfortable physical symptoms which rob us of hope and our zest for life.

Consider the following statements:

• There are moments when I feel that I am living the wrong life; I am off course and can’t find my way back.
• I am outwardly successful but feel there is more to life than what I am experiencing.
• I just feel stuck; but I don’t know why and what it is that I want from life.
• I struggle with my body image, depression, low self esteem and can’t seem to break the cycle.
• There is so much I want to accomplish, but I just don’t have the time.

If any of these statements strike a chord in you, working with a coach can help you transform a life full of worry and doubt to a life full of joy, inner peace and conscious choice making.

Are life coaching and therapy the same?
No! Therapy or counseling attempts to heal mental illness. Life coaching deals with a general sense of dis-ease with one’s life –it deals with healthy people struggling with life’s circumstances. However, it is important to note that many life coaching tools are built on research done and knowledge gained from the behavioral health sciences.