6 tips to finding the best life coach for you
Choosing a good, reliable life coach is only as challenging as you allow it to be. Sometimes it’s more about knowing what you want to achieve and measuring your achievements against our objectives when working with the coach that can help. Other times it's applying these six key points to your search:
Know what you need
What area do you specifically need help with? What goals are you trying to achieve? Is it health, wealth, love or happiness that’s holding you back? Do you need help developing new skills or are you just looking for guidance? It’s easier to find a life coach to guide you when you’re clear on what you need.
Choose a specialist
The first step to choosing a good life coach is not only knowing they have the qualifications that can make them a life coach, but being assured that they have the experience and understanding in the topic area that you need help with. Ultimately you should look for someone who has a similar experience to you and can guide you to where they are today – this means you can follow their strategy to success. It can be worth asking the coach what makes them an expert or authority in the field before you sign up.
Be open
If you’re not open to receiving the coaching and doing the work needed to make changes, then it doesn’t matter how good the life coach is, it simply won’t work. You need to be open to the change and interested in exploring new possibilities that will help you move forward. You need to be completely open and honest with your coach or they won’t be able to guide you properly through your sessions. The more committed you are to the process, the more successful you will be in achieving the best results.
Ensure your coach is qualified
Many people think if they read a self-help book or two that they are automatically qualified to assist people with their life coaching needs, this simply isn’t the case. It’s important that the life coach you choose to work with is properly qualified and trained – you don’t want someone who isn’t getting in your head! Ask the question – did they complete an introductory weekend course? Or have they completed a program that takes up to a year or two to complete. The most reputable coaches are recognised through ICF – The International Coaching Federation.
Good rapport matters
Choose a life coach who you feel you can relate to, who has a genuine spirit and who can build a good rapport with you. You need someone who can relate to your situation, who genuinely cares that you get results, who understands your goals, who shares your values and who gives you the confidence you need to move forward from where you are today. If you can find someone with all these things, it may be worth an introductory session with them.
Location rarely matters
Making a coaching selection based on the above factors is more important than trying to find someone who lives locally to you. Many life coaches choose to work by phone or video chat, rather than meeting face-to-face. If the life coach lives locally but doesn’t fulfil your other needs, it’s time to reach out to someone new.