5 Signs It's Time to Hire a Life Coach
Who needs a coach for their life, right? Well, no one, actually, but the decision to hire one may just be the best move you make, in your personal and professional life. Without going into any technical stats (unless you want that), there are some sure telltale signs that we all experience, where partnering with a coach can have significant, beneficial impact.
What are the signs? Okay, not so quickly; here's a little bit about what is life coaching. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as, "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." It further adds that, "the process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership."
In other words, it can neatly fit into and bolster any set definitions of success that you may hold. So, with that being said, we get into the good stuff (the signs)
#1. You feel stuck
Confusion is a natural part of the journey to success. It happens because no one, absolutely no one, possess all of the answers, all of the time, and sometimes we may not possess any answers at all.
What’s the cause of this? Well, let’s just say that it’s possible to know your destination, hold the map in hand but still end up lost, and it’s perfectly ok to bring in help.
With a coach, who’s knowledgeable on the coaching process, you get to take a deeper dive into the many ways that you can become stuck and unstuck such as exploring what have been the things that have worked for you, up until this point; it will also be of value to look into what has not worked and isn’t working.
The latter, surprisingly, can be the key to getting your wheels turning again. Furthermore, feeling stuck or confused may not even mean that you actually are stuck or confused. Stuckness and confusion can also show up as fear, limiting thoughts or ideas, as well as depleted energy levels. All of which can signal that’s its time to invest in that additional support.
#2. You want to produce your best results
The stakes are high and you know it. Your success is no joke and your aim is to meet your targets, and you're committed to that. Yet, you are always under the impression that you are capable of greater results.
Your success is no joke and your aim is to meet your targets, and you're committed to that.
Actually, you are, and to quote Dr Miles Monroe here, "One of the greatest tragedies in life is to watch potential die untapped." Coaching support acts as the catalyst that connects you to your maximized potential, so that you do not have to watch your potential die.
Doubt, negative self talk, past results, ideal results, resources (available and required), wins, failures, takeaways, a-ha moments, etc., are all acknowledged in order to produce a well oiled, aware success-generating machine (you).
The reality is, that you won’t be able to do this on your own because you are too connected to your story. You lack the ability to be objectively unbiased and even if you tried, you will soon become distracted by the enabling voice in the head that is going to remind you of all of your connections to each of the aforementioned areas.
In other words, you’ll be punching above your weight class. This is where that coaching investment comes in. Do it now and be on the path to creating real and impactful, sustainable results; greater than you ever have before.
#3. You need greater accountability
Our mind can do a superb job at convincing us to put off the things we intend to do, and quite frankly, often times we do not do a good enough job at committing to holding ourselves accountable.
Contrary to what the term ‘being held accountable’ sounds like, it is more a process of creating numerous measures and outlooks that paint a significant enough picture of why it’s necessary to stay on course.
One such example comes when the coach asks, ‘what happens if you don’t achieve this desired outcome?’ For some, facing the reality of remaining stuck, unfulfilled or like a failure is enough to hold them accountable.
In another instance, the coach can go right in for the kill and ask, ‘what’s going to keep you accountable to the intended outcome?’ Whether it’s depriving yourself of leisure time, asking a friend or partner if it’s okay to report to them when you have completed tasks; or plastering sticky notes on the bathroom mirror, the accountability measures, or lack there of, applied may be the dealbreaker.
Your coach will help you to set these and will treat each session as needing separately tailored accountability measures, so that you aren’t gambling with your success.