Who needs a Coach?

With a growing trend towards coaching, one is forced to wonder...What is it, and do I need it? Who needs a coach?

Here's a little exercise you can try, right now, to see if you would benefit from having a coach.
(1) Write down today's date.
(2) Write down the date 5 years ago.
(3) Think about that time 5 years ago. Where were you living? Who was in your life then?
(4) Write down the problems you had that you wanted to solve. Write down the hopes, dreams and goals you had.
(5) Now consider how you have done in these 5 years. Have you reached your goals? Have you solved the problems you had back then, or are they still with you?

If the answer is NO, then YES, you would benefit from having a coach.
If the answer is inconclusive, try the same exercise looking back 10 years, or even 20 years.

Are you making the progress you really wanted to make? If goals and dreams are not being achieved, it is a sign that you may benefit from working with a coach.

It is not that you are lazy. Maybe you have procrastinated to some degree. The main problem is trying to maintain focus in the face of the ongoing hurricane of distractions that life throws at us. Distractions! They are everywhere. It often seems that entire days are consumed with nothing but distractions.

SO WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is a co-operation between yourself and someone who is acting as your guide or mentor. It is not therapy or counselling, both of which look into reasons WHY you may be struggling or feeling bad about something.

Coaching is entirely goals focused and change focused. The idea is to get you moving as fast as possible towards your ideal self and ideal life.

Coaching happens in sessions, where the focus will be on how well you are progressing towards your goals and purposes, what barriers you are running into, and how those barriers might be overcome. If you are running into some personal barriers, such as internal conflicts, then a coach might explore with you how these conflicts are constructed, and how they might be de-constructed, whereas counsellors and therapists are looking for WHY inner conflicts and barriers might occur. The search for WHYs can ultimately be rewarding, but can take a long time. In coaching, people definitely often realize what their inner conflicts are, and what their psychological blocks are. In fact, the movement towards goals and ideal realities can often accelerate the process of inner mental and emotional changes.

ACHIEVERS WHO HAVE HAD COACHES
Many famous people, and achievers in life, have worked with coaches. Television present and business woman Oprah Winfrey has worked with a number of coaches, including Phil McGraw and Martha Beck (centre)







The former Microsoft leader Bill Gates, and Amazon leader Jeff Bezos, were coached for years by Bill Campbell (left). The corporations Apple and Google have both worked with the coach Joe Hudson (right) He has also coached Amazon leader Jeff Bezos.

US presidents including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have been coached. Every human being has the same needs, drives and ambitions, and every human being encounters problems along the way. In seeking an optimal path in life, many people turn to coaches for assistance.

TYPES OF COACHES
Some coaches are 'exemplars', meaning that they have had success in the field that they are coaching. They can be good, but many of them lack the communication skills, empathy and teaching skills to be able to consistently get their point across.

Trained coaches have the skills of communication and empathy that are needed, and they often bring with them a toolkit of techniques and approaches that can quickly help to resolve problems.

At Conscious Gain we use Rapid Unblocking Techniques, for example. In amongst the ranks of trained coaches are what I call 'counselling coaches', who have perfected their listening and relating skills to a level that this is all they need to get a result.

There are also various coaching models, such as the GROW model. There is also a model called FUEL and another one called STEPPA. I have developed my own comprehensive coaching model, which I call Conscious Life Creation. This can take some time to work through, but I have found that it puts people in charge of their life, and making their dreams manifest into reality.

WILL YOU BE TOLD WHAT TO DO?
No. Coaching is about bringing out the best in you. The potential that you know is there. You already know, or suspect, that you can find the answers to your own problems. Coaching will speed everything up for you.

All coaching approaches rely on the Socratic Method. This is based on the work of Greek philosopher Socrates, who would lead people to find their own truth, by asking insightful questions. This is a key concept of coaching: People have the answers within themselves, or can learn methods, ideas and techniques that they can tailor to suit themselves to aid their progress in life. So no, a coach will not tell you what to do. Coaching is like a very constructive conversation in which solutions and higher perspectives are discussed.

Coaches often specialize in key areas of life. So you will find Relationship Coaches, Business Establishment Coaches, Executive Coaches, Mindset Coaches, and so on. An interesting point to keep in mind here is that coaching models apply across all areas of life. Don't be put off if you meet a coach who is not focused on one single 'niche'. It can be the case that they have found workable techniques and approaches that get results across the board. It is for this reason that in my own career, I have successfully coached people on Executive Management, Relationship Rescue, Life Alignment, Handling Anti-Social People, Health Coaching and Overcoming Addiction. And yes, either the same or very similar tools and methods were applied in all those cases. (Handling Anti-Social People though, does require some special knowledge). Many of my clients have enjoyed the fact that I can work with them across various aspects of their life.

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

What to do about all of this? Get in touch with me via this website and we will organize a free coaching session. We could :-

Do a session of Rapid Unblocking Method, and see if you can handle a problem that has been bugging you.

We could look at five key goals in your life and begin the process of getting your goal achievement plans into alignment.

Would could begin a Life Orientation interview. Or we could just talk.

Use the contact form on the home page to get in touch.