It’s hard and overwhelming to find a Life Coach. You want someone who understands what you are going through, what you need, and who can help you reach your goals the quickest. There are tons of coaches out there, so finding the right one can feel like finding an earring stud in a swimming pool.
If you aren’t sure if you need a coach, consultant, or therapist, you read my article on the difference here.
Here are my top 5 things to look for in a Life Coach:
1. Education and Training:
Sadly, anyone can call themselves a “coach.” You want someone who has certification and training. I suggest they have a certification of either a BCC (Board Certified Coach) or PCC (Professional Certified Coach). These certifications tell you the coach has gone through master’s level training, taken board mandated testing, and collected hours through an internship. Along with these certifications, they may have also completed additional training for example I am an Executive Business Coach and went through additional training and testing to earn that certification after I obtained my BCC.
2. Field Experience:
The coach should have a background outside of coaching that is particular to their niche area. Using myself as an example again, I am a licensed therapist and have a Master’s degree in psychological counseling, so Life Coaching comes easy for me. For my Executive Coaching certification, I have a Post Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and have been a business owner for years. So if you are looking for a nutritional coach for example, and the only field experience your coach has is being a “foodie” that’s a sign to keep looking for someone with nutrition experience.
3. Goal Orientation:
Your coach should collaborate with you on outlining specific goals. I call this “Vision Planning” and complete this within the first session I have with a client. Coaching isn’t cheap and you want to make sure you are working towards something. Some coaches will simply chat with you and waste your time. You will know right away who those coaches are because they are usually under-qualified or not-trained. They do not know how to set up a goal-setting environment. Find one who is goal-focused to help support you in getting actual results.
4. Accountability:
This is the most important! You want a coach who is going to hold you accountable. This is the main reason people hire coaches to begin with…because they are having trouble getting where they want to be on their own. If you have a coach that is cheerleading you and not confronting you on the reasons your goals aren’t being reached, you probably have an unqualified coach. I like to say “uncomfortable is where change happens,” and I’m not afraid to address the things that are keeping you from your goals. That’s where the magic happens! Find a coach who is going to call you out when you need them to so you do not keep self-sabotaging yourself from what you want.
5. Celebrating the Wins:
Sure, reaching goals is hard work. So when you reach a goal or take a small step in a positive direction we are going to pop the freakin’ champagne to keep you going! Coaching should simply feel good. I want my clients to feel energized after each call and ready to take action in their lives. If you are with a coach who doesn’t know when to celebrate progress, you will know by the way you feel when the appointment ends because you will feel stuck and lost. You should NEVER feel that way working with a coach.
I want you to know the possibility to succeed is out there and waiting for you every time!
There you have it, the top 5 things to look for in a Life Coach. Do you have a coach already you love working with? If you do give them a shout-out here or on social!
If you are interested in working with a coach, I have some availability you can check out here. I work with anyone in the United States virtually and am happy to help you get where you want to be.
You got this!
