Online Class: Life Coaching 101

Coaching has long been an accepted method of improving performance, specifically in sports.  The excellent results shown in the sports arena have been expanded to those in executive positions in business. 

For the last fifteen to twenty years, many more people have been exposed to the idea of coaching in all aspects of their lives.  Coaches must have the necessary life experiences and communication skills to be totally present to their clients, to really listen to them, and provide a safe arena to express ideas.

Can Anyone Be a Life Coach? 

Not really. We will discuss the qualifications for being a life coach; and by the time you complete this class, you will know if you are a good candidate for this career. In addition, you will learn a great deal about personal development.

Most people make their first foray into personal development when they are in their mid-30s. Prior to that time, they are very much involved with their lives and themselves. Quite frankly, they thought they were pretty darn good people. They were smart: Others seemed to like them; and, in the case of those who did not, people at a younger age usually decided that they simply did not need them.

Then they entered an occupation that required them to get to know a lot more about people than they did. They were introduced to the term "personal development," and that is when most people finally realize that they are not perfect and that they do, indeed, need some work.

Once people start listening to tapes, going to seminars and presentations, and reading books, they realize that there is a whole lot about themselves and the world that they do not know.

They are shocked! 

What Coaching Is and What Coaching Is Not

Coaching is often compared to psychotherapy or consulting. These assumptions are false. Let us explore the three occupations:

Before you begin to coach someone, you really must connect with yourself. In order to bridge the gap between a person and his or her goal, you must first do it with yourself. It is difficult, if not impossible, to ask someone to do work on herself or himself that you have not yet done on yourself.

The journey to a new future begins with you. The relationship you have with yourself is the most crucial relationship there is, and you must understand it before you coach someone else.  

Everything is a direct result of your relationship with yourself. When you know who you are, you send energy proclaiming yourself to the world. Your thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs of yourself become evident to those around you.

You will discover that your emotions, judgments, self worth, and your internal conversations will tell you more about yourself than anyone in the world can tell you. By getting in touch with yourself, you will learn to deal with all your feelings: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Life coaching goes far beyond learning about making choices. It encompasses every interaction you have, from your productivity, use of time, energy, finances, friends, and associates. You will learn to distinguish between your private self and your public self. You will understand with great clarity that you have choices; you can either speak up or remain silent.  

One of the most important things you will learn is that ignoring problems does not make them go away. Ignoring a problem will only widen the separation between the problem and a potential solution.

Integrity: As a coach, you must have full integrity. The word integrity comes from the Latin word meaning "undivided." An individual with integrity upholds principles and standards at all times, when things are going well and when they are not. In order to have this kind of integrity, you must be aware of your behavior at all times. Most people are not aware, and your job as a coach will be to enlighten them.

Most people tend to react only to the expectations of others. Their entire life is driven by the opinions of other people. We wait with bated breath to see whether we are met with approval or rejection. Most of us are so narrowly focused that we cannot see all possibilities that lie before us.

Embarking on the journey of personal development will open many doors, most of which have remained shut for you. This is a journey that is ongoing. You will learn to always be aware, and to always be growing.

 Where Is Your Passion?

In order to discover what you should be doing with your life, you first need to identify your passion. You will first ask these questions of yourself, and you will find that you will ask every one of your clients similar questions. This is the first step on our journey to self-discovery:

In order to lead a fulfilling life, you have to identify how you feel about your life and all aspects of it. Most of the time, when we discuss passion, we are talking about what you want to do with your life. Interestingly enough, passion can be found in every corner of our lives. 

We are passionate about certain people in our lives. We either really like spending time with them or we do not.

We can be passionate about certain occupations or activities.

We can be passionate about making a difference in the world. Whatever it is, working to discover your passion will help you assist your client in identifying what his or her passion is.

As you will discover throughout this course, much of this material will teach you how to coach another individual; but you must first apply this material to yourself. Without mastering yourself, you cannot possibly hope to help another person take command of his or her life.

What Are Your Talents?

Because you are interested in becoming a life coach, answer the following questions:

Being a life coach means you have to live and be your message. You cannot just look like a coach. You have to live it!  

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Meaningful life: This brings us to the discussion of what a meaningful life means. When a person lives a meaningful life, she or he is living with a sense of purpose. The person has evaluated personal abilities, identified strengths and talents, and put them to full use. Some people are especially determined, others are leaders, and still others express themselves through the arts: painting, drawing, dancing, and singing. What sets these people apart is that they are using these talents to improve the world in some way. 

You should be asking yourself the question, "What should I do with my life?" Most of you will answer that your life is too busy or too frenetic to be able to find or define a purpose. Your clients most certainly will answer in this manner. 

The answer to this problem is to take responsibility for your life. You must use your passion, your strengths, and your talents to their fullest capacity to find happiness in a meaningful and purposeful life. As a coach, you will be helping your clients to work toward that goal.