Are you considering hiring a career or life coach? This may feel like a big investment of time and of course money. Perhaps you are questioning the value and impact this relationship would have for you? As a London based career and life coach, I may be biased, but let me tell you that hiring a coach was one of the best job, career, and life-changing decisions I personally ever made.
Let me explain why that was so. I say this since the coach whose services I used and in my own work today, career coaching is centred on bringing out the best in the client. A career coach might be just what you need, someone who only has your best interests, priorities, and goals in mind, someone who can cheerlead you and also challenge you, on your path to the career you truly deserve.
It’s time to clarify your vision and goals.
Maybe you have been feeling that what you are doing now is not truly what you really want for your life. However, you also don’t yet have a crystal clear vision of what you actually do want. This scenario is something a coach can help you get clearer on. This might be through assessments, tools, exercises, and encouraging support and maybe a little accountability also. It’s time to get clarity on your vision and career goals.
Navigate through difficult times.
Life isn’t always easy. Being authentic and present at work isn’t always a walk in the park on many days either. Sometimes we just need someone to talk to who isn’t too busy, too distracted, or too involved to objectively support us when times are challenging. A career or life coach is really also often just like a good therapist. They are above and beyond the role of that friend you confide in. Rather, they are a professional, there to give you expert advice and support on how to continue moving forward in your life without judgment. They help you navigate through the good and bad times.
Develop a feeling of momentum.
Does this resonate at all? How many times have you been excited to start something new, felt good about it, but somehow then lost motivation and interest, never to return to it again? The role of a good coach is to help you get past barriers and sustain that positive momentum. A coach will be skilled at keeping you focused on your true long-term goals and true to the vision of the life you really want to create for yourself. This is just like hiring a personal trainer to help your physical fitness. They help you sustain levels of energy of exercising, just when you feel unmotivated or simply get distracted or want to do something else.
Helping you stay on track and stay focused.
Have you ever let the little, unimportant day to day tasks take control of your thoughts and time? It can happen that without focus, time passes and by the time the day ends, you realize that you haven’t accomplished anything of value. You feel disappointed and down. Through weekly or monthly coaching sessions, your coach can help you focus and stay on track, sticking with those important tasks and goals, whilst also using strategies to enhance your productivity.
Live in line and through with your true values.
This is a game-changer and a significant part of my coaching philosophy. A well-matched coach will invite you to take a deep and sometimes painful look at what you say you want as compared to the things you are actually doing on a daily basis. The values by which we live our lives are significant to each of us. Often certain values which we hold can in fact be in conflict with other values. We may not always be consciously aware of the values that are important to us. For example, many of my clients enjoy filling in a values-based activity to help them get clearer on what their values are and in so doing infuse confidence into everything they do.
We all have unique abilities and a purpose. However some of us never discover these and many of those who have, are unfortunately too afraid to go for it! A coach can help and support you discover the real values on which basis you make decisions and find in so doing find more satisfaction and real happiness in your choices.
Final thoughts
Coaching is powerful and indeed, for some, it can be life changing. Having someone in your corner can empower you to do more than you would have imagined possible. Though it can take a few tries to find the right coach for you, without doubt investing the time, effort, and energy into your career and life goals will pay endless dividends.