What Does A Life Coach Do Explained
August 5, 2024
|
August 6, 2024
Have you ever felt like you have a knack for helping others?
Ever find yourself being the go-to person for advice in your circle?
If that sounds like you, you might just have the makings of a life coach. In this article, I will cover what a life coach does.
So, let’s dive in.
What a life coach does, summarized:
- 🛠️ Tackle Problems: Life coaches help clients address specific challenges and obstacles in their personal or professional lives, providing practical strategies to overcome them.
- 💪 Identify Strengths: Life coaches assist clients in recognizing their unique strengths and talents, boosting self-awareness and confidence.
- 🎯 Goal Setting: Life coaches work with clients to set clear, achievable goals, and create actionable plans to reach them.
- 📈 Motivation and Accountability: Life coaches keep clients motivated and accountable, ensuring they stay on track toward their goals.
- 🌱 Personal Development: Life coaches focus on personal growth, helping clients develop skills and habits for long-term success and fulfillment.
Who is a Life Coach?
A life coach is someone who helps people achieve their goals and improve their lives. They’re part mentor and part cheerleader. Unlike a consultant who gives specific advice, a life coach works with you on a more personal level to enhance various aspects of your life.
My client, Chris, is a life coach. Over the past 10 years, he has helped hundreds of people navigate through their personal and professional challenges.
This is what he has to say: “Being a life coach is all about guiding people to see the possibilities they didn’t realize were there. It’s really rewarding to help someone reach their goals and see them light up when they do.”
You can also be a solopreneur as a coach and launch your own business!
Life Coach vs Therapist
The line between a life coach and a therapist can seem blurry.
The key difference between a therapist and a life coach is that a therapist operates based on the medical model, focusing on healing past traumas and addressing mental health conditions.
In contrast, a life coach focuses on personal growth by emphasizing goal-setting and actionable steps.
In short:
| THERAPIST | LIFE COACH |
|---|---|
| Focuses on healing past traumas and mental health | Focuses on personal growth and goal achievement |
| Utilizes the medical model for diagnosis and treatment | Employs goal-setting and action-oriented strategies |
| Addresses specific mental health conditions | Helps individuals develop skills and strategies |
| Often requires formal education and licensure | No formal certification is required |
| Past-oriented, addresses traumas and issues from the past | Future-oriented, focuses on making changes for the future |
Watch this video for a more detailed explanation of the differences:
What Does a Life Coach Do?
“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.”
–Pete Carroll
A life coach works together with clients to help them meet their goals, tackle problems, and make big changes in their lives. They help clients spot their strengths and use them to make the changes they want.
Life coaches offer support and advice that’s tailored to each person’s needs, helping them not only succeed but also grow and understand themselves better. They provide the encouragement and tools needed for clients to keep moving forward and achieve their dreams.
Janette, a life coach and a fellow acquaintance of mine, specializes in helping women with PCOS. She collaborates with her clients to develop personalized nutritional plans and exercise routines tailored to their specific health needs.
But her job involves much more than just creating health plans. Janette also plays a crucial role in motivating her clients, providing emotional support, and empowering them to take charge of their health and wellness.
So, being a life coach means inspiring change and helping clients realize and reach their potential.
According to the 2009 ICF Global Coaching Study, coaching significantly enhances various aspects of clients’ lives: 73% report improvements in relationships, 72% in communication skills, 71% in interpersonal skills, 70% in work performance, 67% in work-life balance, and 63% in wellness.
Types Of Life Coaches
Life coaches specialize in various aspects of personal and professional development. They have a definite niche.
I firmly believe that coaches should cater to specific needs and goals. Doing so deepens your expertise and understanding of a specific area. Else, you know what they say—a jack of all trades is a master of none.
Here are some common types of life coaches:
- Career Coach: Helps you navigate your career path and make professional decisions.
- Health and Wellness Coach: Focuses on improving your physical health and lifestyle habits.
- Relationship Coach: Assists individuals or couples in fostering healthier relationships.
- Executive Coach: Works with professionals to enhance leadership skills and manage workplace challenges.
- Spiritual Coach: Guides you through spiritual growth and personal development.
- Leadership Coach: Focuses on developing leadership qualities and skills.
- Divorce Coach: Assists individuals going through divorce in navigating the emotional and practical challenges.
- Mental Health Coach: Provides support and strategies for managing mental health challenges and promoting well-being.
- Business Coach: Helps entrepreneurs and business professionals improve business strategies and performance.
- Fitness Coach: Focuses on physical fitness, exercise routines, and achieving health goals.
- Nutrition Coach: Provides guidance on healthy eating habits and nutrition goals.
- Parenting Coach: Assists parents in improving parenting skills and managing family dynamics.
- Financial Coach: Helps individuals manage finances, set financial goals, and improve financial literacy.
- Creativity Coach: Guides individuals in exploring and enhancing their creative abilities and pursuits.
- Stress Management Coach: Provides techniques and strategies to manage stress effectively.
Benefits of Life Coaching
The benefits of life coaching include gaining clarity and direction in setting goals, boosting confidence to make decisions, fostering personal growth through stepping out of comfort zones, achieving better work-life balance, and ensuring accountability for consistent progress towards goals.
- Clarity and Direction
It helps identify goals and the paths to reach them. A lot of people even know what they want to achieve but struggle with how to get there. A life coach helps bridge that gap through focused sessions. - Improved Confidence
Clients believe more in their abilities and make decisions more confidently. You can help them recognize their strengths and leverage them.
“What are three past achievements that you’re proud of?” This is something I ask my clients to do to help them recognize their strengths. - Enhanced Personal Growth
Pushes you out of your comfort zone to grow in all aspects of life. Consider a young man in his 20s who wants to improve his public speaking skills.
Through coaching sessions that challenge him to speak in front of larger audiences progressively, he can gain confidence.
As a life coach, you will push your clients to achieve their goals and give them the push they need. - Better Work-Life Balance
Setting boundaries, managing time more efficiently, and aligning your actions with your values and goals. This balance enhances overall well-being. Ensure that your personal and professional lives complement each other rather than compete. - Accountability
A life coach makes clients more accountable for pursuing and achieving their goals. Setting milestones, tracking progress, and holding you responsible for taking action.
This accountability fosters discipline and motivation, making it more likely that they’ll follow through on their intentions and achieve meaningful results.
Conclusion
Life coaches are not just advisors; they’re personal cheerleaders for their clients.
Do you think you have it in you to become a life coach?
Or are you someone who has already started and is now looking to expand?
We can help you start a business that changes lives and makes money.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much do life coaches make?
Earnings can vary widely depending on the niche and experience. On average, life coaches can make $67,800 per year, as per data from the ICF.
Do you need a certification to be a life coach?
While not legally required, getting certified by a recognized coaching program can add to your credibility and effectiveness as a coach.
How do you become a life coach?
You can become a life coach by:
1. Identifying your niche: Decide what type of coaching you want to provide.
2. Getting trained: Consider formal training and certification.
3. Setting up your practice: Build your business model, create a website, and start attracting clients.
ABOUT SAI C.N.G. BLACKBYRN
I’m Sai C.N.G. Blackbyrn, better known as “The Coach’s Mentor.” I help Coaches like you establish their business online. My system is simple: close more clients at higher fees. You can take advantage of technology, and use it as a catalyst to grow your coaching business in a matter of weeks; not months, not years. It’s easier than you think.
AS SEEN ON
0 Comment