Are coaches only for the ones who have problems? Who have performance issues? Who are not successful? Is it even going to be worth my money and time? Do I need to lay down on a sofa and tell my life story to a coach also? These are good questions; coaching is still not understood by everyone, and that is entirely normal.
No, it is not a must to have a coach, and yes you can get yourself to a higher potential without a coach also, but with a coach, you will get there quicker, better and most importantly with more confidence and no you do not need to lay down and tell your whole life story.
The best athletes would be on another level if they did not have a coach/trainer, you train better with a personal trainer, someone holds you accountable and gets you faster out of your comfort zone than when you do it alone. You know what? Even a coach has a coach!
In coaching, we have uncountable areas people focus on. You can find a coach for everything. Make sure to find a coach that aligns precisely what you need and looking for. Have an intake call, usually, this is 15 to 30 minutes, free of charge and gives you an idea who the coach is and if he or she feels right for you.
So, what are the benefits? Well, there are many benefits. Here some of the bests for me:
1. Sees and believes in your potential
Lack of confidence or fear of failure is one of the most significant issues I see as a coach, and most of us see. With a lot of questions, your coach will understand and help you understand the source of the lack of confidence and fear of failure. When we have found the cause, a coach will give you resources and strategies to get you where you want to be. You will understand that you create potential, and your coach sees that you can reach it and sees no limitations. This means you will develop a plan of action together with your coach, which helps you see and understand how to do it.
2. Holds you accountable
Some like it and others find it annoying that a coach holds you accountable.
“I do not want a coach because I do not want anyone telling me what to do.” Does this sounds familiar to you? Many professionals do not want to be told what to do – but we do want someone to support and encourage us to reach our goals. A coach is this ‘accountability partner.’ This accountability could be in the form of assignments or motivation, inspiration, and encouragement. Every coaching session, the coach will ask you for an update on your progress towards your goals and plan. It can be easy to make excuses as to why you did not stick to the plan, but your coach will help you move from giving reasons to taking accountability for what was achieved and adjusts the plan to ensure success.
3. Gets you out of your comfort zone
Getting out of our comfort zone is something that takes effort, pain, and a lot of discipline. It is so easy to stay in our habits because it is something we are doing already for a long time. To change habits, it takes time. A coach will push you more than you will push yourself. Therefore, getting out of your cozy, familiar comfort-zone is with the help and support from a coach, much easier to achieve.
4. Expends your thinking
With the questions, your coach will ask you, you will start to think about more and more things and can see things differently. This means that your vision is getting bigger; your way of thinking gets expended. Also, your attitude will be reframed.
5. Helps you build personal awareness
A coach can help you become aware of your blind spots. These blind spots are areas in your work or personality that you do not see, but that does need improvement. Once you are aware of these areas, they can work with the coach to begin improving them.