You may be scoffing at the idea of needing help from a life coach, but consider this: would you try to use gym equipment on your first visit without the guidance of a personal trainer? “Having a coach is like having a PT,” says Arika Trimnell, spiritual and mindfulness expert (prismvibes.com). “Yes, you can tone up without one, but a trainer helps take the guesswork out of finding the right methods for you. Besides, who wants to spend hours researching and trying tactics that only leave you feeling frustrated or, worse yet, actually hinder your progress?” Here, we look at the reasons to get a coach and how they can help you in all areas of your life.
Why seek a coach?
“If you’ve never had a coach, it can be hard to understand why you would need one, but there are many benefits,” says Haulwen Nicholas, AKA the Magical Mojo Coach (magicalmojocoach.com). “We aren’t always that good at seeing our own life from a different perspective, so it can be hard to recognise reoccurring patterns of behaviour that results in us getting the same outcome over and over again. A coach, or being part of a coaching programme or group, can make you pause and change your perspective. It can help you see where learned behaviours are getting in the way of your new plan. It can help you recognise those habits that keep tripping you up. As the saying goes ‘we can’t see the wood for the trees’ but perhaps ‘you can’t see the trees for the wood’. Coaching can help you see the bigger picture or narrow down to the detail when you need to. Coaches are your guides on your journey through life and can help you see the light to continue on your path, when everything seems foggy around you.”
What are the benefits?
No matter why you’re seeking a coach, there are some simple ways that they can provide help to you, as life and business coach Helen Jane Campbell (coachingbyhelen.com) explains. “Clients seek my help to bring more joy, energy and abundance into their lives, to create space and reconnect with their selfworth and creative freedom. More broadly speaking, coaches are empowered to ask the questions that we may not want a friend or relative to ask, exploring uncomfortable themes with us in a compassionate and empathic way, without judgement. Coaching is all about moving us forward, and creating powerful change – which could be around work, relationships, wellbeing or a more specific topic such as money, mindset or even a particular project, like writing a book for example. Trained coaches will combine tools and techniques with powerful listening and professional curiosity, all geared towards discovering what’s truly important to you and how to align yourself with those desires.”
An outside eye
A major benefit of using a coach over talking to family or friends is that they are completely unbiased and have no opinion either way on your problems – they’re simply there to assist you. “A coach is an outside eye, a neutral person who is there to help you, and not to judge or give you orders,” says Stephanie Tumba, business coach and founder of Ste Tumba Capital. “The coach is not a shrink. He or she works with a definite goal in the future and doesn’t dwell in the past. Neither are they a magician who will bring you the solutions on a silver platter. It’s a support, a facilitator who will accompany you over a certain period and help you find your answers.”
Improve your chances of success
Are you feeling stuck in a rut – whether that’s in life, in your relationship or in your work life? Speaking to a coach could help you find a way out. “Having a coach is essential because they can help you manifest your personal and professional life through proven methods,” explains Arika. “Most coaches have gone through training on various ways to listen, communicate and inspire people to get results. A coach can provide you with the time, space and accountability you need to make the necessary adjustments in life to become successful. Nowadays, many of us are more dedicated to following through on commitments for others while neglecting our own needs. Having a coach can help ensure you meet the requirement of yourself so you can give more fully to others.”
However, unlike other professionals who are paid to give you the answers, you co-create the best path to move forward with a coach. “You will never end up where you didn’t choose to be with a coach,” says Arika. “They offer specialised tools, resources and strategies based on the path you’ve chosen.”
What challenges could you face?
As Arika explains, a coach can help you overcome your fears. “They can help you limit patterns, step into your power, build your confidence, get out of your own way and kick self-doubt to curb,” she says. That said, it can be a difficult experience to go through. “While a coach has your best interests at heart, coaching is all about embracing change,” says Helen. “This can feel uncomfortable and emotional. Remember though, that a coach is trained to support you through that discomfort without judgement.”
Something else to keep in mind is that the coach may sometimes have to push you gently to help you progress. “It’s the whole point of calling on a third party – sometimes the complete opposite of who you are – to open up the field of possibilities,” says Stephanie. “Sometimes, it’s enough just to shift your perception to help you suddenly realise what’s wrong!”
