What is a life coach?

A life (or results) coach can help you…

1. See something amazing in you that you don’t currently see

2. Identify what’s holding you back and causing you to get unwanted results

3. Grow into the results you want

The life coach/client relationship should be a creative partnership which seeks to:

• Guide and encourage client self-discovery

• Identify, clarify and create a vision for what the client wants

• Encourage the client to set worthwhile goals that align with his or her purpose and vision

• Nurture and evoke strategies and a plan of action that will move the client closer to his or her goals

• Foster client accountability to increase productivity

Every aspect of the coaching or mentoring process should be focused on one thing: the client’s growth.

There are many misconceptions about life coaching. People wonder if life coaches are trained, what they do and how they do it.

So, let’s walk through some of the most common questions/myths about life coaching to help you get a handle on this growing industry.

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5 of the Most Common Life Coaching Myths

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Myth #1: Life coaches are professionals.

Fact: First, you should know that coaching isn’t regulated. So, there are no formal requirements for becoming a life coach.

Although there are organizations that offer training and certification programs, some people hang a “coaching shingle” without getting any or sufficient training. The result, of course, is that they’re unable to help their clients move toward their goals.

That said, there are thousands of professional life coaches who have the right blend of knowledge, skills, and tools to lead, motivate and encourage clients to grow into the person and the results they most want. For this very reason it is important to do an initial consultation (interview)  to not only meet the coach, but to see if you the client and the  coach are a good fit.

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Myth #2: Coaching is only for people who have problems or who can’t succeed on their own.

Fact: Many people viewed coaching as a tool to help correct underperformance or to “fix” people. Things have shifted considerably since then.

Today, top producers and other successful people use coaching to help them achieve their greater goals and navigate toward a more compelling future.

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Myth #3: Life coaching takes too much time.

Fact: Unlike some types of coaching, such as personal training, clients working with life coaches can achieve remarkable progress on their goals in just one or two hours a month.

In most cases, clients don’t even have to travel to meet with their coach. Instead, they meet over the telephone—it’s easier, more efficient and there are minimal distractions.

Good coaching relationships generally require between two and four sessions per month, each lasting anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.

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Myth #4: Life coaches tell their clients what to do.

Fact: Parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers like to tell others what they should be doing. However, coaches don’t give advice or instructions; they focus on helping their clients change behavior. That is far more valuable than telling someone what to do.

Instead of listening to all the reasons their clients can’t do something, coaches help their clients dream, explore and stretch. Coaches encourage each client to come up with the best goals and choices for their vision of the future. And then they help the client adopt the behavior that will allow them to achieve their goals.

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Myth #5: Life coaching is expensive.

Fact: Coaching can cost a great deal of money. Most personal coaches charge a monthly retainer of $500 to $2,000 a month; however, some charge much more.

However, an ICF Global Coaching Client Study indicated that individual clients reported a median return of 3.44 times their investment in coaching.

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