In these complex times, we are bombarded by more stimulation than ever before in the history of the world. The stimulation comes in the form of visuals: billboards, advertising, newspapers, magazines, television, DVDs, video games, the Internet, e-mail, random ambient noise, music, radio, TV, cell phones, and so on. For the most part when stimuli bombard us, the messages tell us to buy, do, something, or to go somewhere. The messages indicate that we would be happier and our lives would improve if we did something different from what we are currently doing. This is the reality of the twenty-first century world in which we live, and it will only increase. In addition to the constant barrage of stimuli, we also must contend with task-saturated lives in which responses are expected in nanoseconds, and there is less and less time available to process information and data. In short, there is less time, higher expectations, and a plethora of visual and auditory stimulation that create stress. With stress comes confusion, doubt, uncertainty, and a certain amount of anxiety. If you are juggling multiple tasks, trying to get more done than seems possible, and are faced with decisions you don’t feel confident making, you are not alone. This is the condition that has given rise to the need for coaching.
There are many reasons to enlist the support of a professional Life Coach. Here are some of them…
Bridging the Gap
When the stretch between where you are presently and your desired future reality is more than you can imagine, a coach helps you bridge the gap between “here” and “there.” A coach helps you manage your “I can’t” side or the negaholism that can surfaces in the form of confusion, doubt, uncertainty, and fear that can sabotage your dreams.
Starting Each Year with Focus
Each January you can meet with your coach to help you determine your goals for the year. If you don’t have goals, you could easily become confused as to where to focus your energy. Once you have formulated your goals, both you and your coach can focus on what you want to achieve.
Acting as a Sounding Board
A coach can also help you externalize your thoughts and feelings regarding your goals. Your coach will encourage you to share your secret wishes, hopes, dreams, and goals. A coach helps you to track your progress and to recognize, reinforce, and reward the achievement of your desired outcomes.
Mirroring
Your coach will also act as a mirror, enabling you to see what is evading or obscuring your view. Your coach enables you to see that which you may have trouble seeing on your own.
Believing in You
Research has shown that people who believe in themselves are much more likely to make their dreams come true than those who don’t. If your dream requires you to stretch your self-image, then your coach can help you find the building blocks between your current perceptions of self to your desired identity.
Getting You Back on Your Feet
A coach can help when you encounter disappointment, disillusionment, or rejection. When your big goal seems to constantly be shut down, you’re told that “you’re crazy,” or everyone says, “I’m not interested,” your coach can either help you reframe these experiences or assist you in overcoming the objections and breaking through the blocks.
Facing a Crossroads
Sometimes it is difficult to sort out what direction you should take. Deciphering whether circumstances indicate that you should abandon a project or whether the indicators are simply tests to see how much you really want something can be challenging.
Holding You Accountable
You may be a very positive person who is surrounded by people who are negative or diminishing, have exceedingly high expectations, or are perfectionistic. If you are in such a situation, you probably take your accomplishments for granted, have difficulty being acknowledged for your achievements, and maybe even discount, discredit, or let yourself off the hook when you don’t do what you say you will do. A coach will support you in acknowledging yourself, in doing what you say you want to do, and in being resolute with the negative people around you.
Embarking on a New Chapter
Perhaps your company was acquired, merged, or went public, then what do you do? A coach will help you acknowledge yourself, sort out your new aspirations, capabilities, proclivities, choose what is in your best interest, and embark on your new venture.
Examining Unrealized Dreams
What becomes of unfulfilled goals? Your coach will help you discover the lessons that you can learn from those unrealized dreams so that you can gain insight and grow from everything that happens to you.
Giving Validation and Recognition
It is important to have at least one person who recognizes your accomplishments. Having a safe space to formulate and discuss your goals, to share your concerns, worries, considerations, and fears is extremely helpful. Every time you externalize your doubts, it reduces their power over you.
Overcoming Fears
A coach can help you overcome fears and make the seemingly impossible happen. There are times when you need to make an important medical choice about a procedure, an approach to healing, or to agree to surgery. These are tough choices and making them can feel lonely, confusing, and you may even be fearful of making the wrong decision. These are times when a Professional Life Coach will support you through indecision and uncertainty to an integrated choice that is truly yours.
These are some of the reasons to enlist the support of a Life Coach. If you feel you are in a transition, want more out of life, have difficult decisions to make, or could use a safe, non-judgmental, highly confidential professional to support you in the next phase of life, read pages 19-23 in Transformational Life Coaching to see how to choose the right Life Coach for you.
Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott is the original Life Coach who is the founder of the Coaching Industry. Lynn U. Stewart is the director of the MMS Worldwide Institute (MMSWI) based in The Netherlands. Lynn and Dr. Chérie are sisters, business partners, and Master coaches who train people to become life coaches through both MMS Institute, and MMSWI. To order their book, go to their websites: www.drcherie.com, www.themms.com, www.themms.eu, www.mmsvt.com, and www.negaholics.com. They can also be reached by phone (800) 321-6342 or contact [email protected] for more information about their MMS Coach Training.
