what is life coaching
WHAT IS LIFE COACHING
Reaching Your Full Potential
My definition of coaching comes from what I have learnt on my own self-development journey and from my coaching training. In simple terms, life coaching for me is about helping others in reaching their full potential, whatever that may be. I foster self-awareness and reflection by mirroring, clarifying and challenging. For a more general overview of coaching, see either the International Coaching Federation site or Wikipedia.
"Life coaching for me is about helping others in reaching their full potential."
Life coaching is an assisted reflective practice which typically takes place over an extended period of time. There is no set recipe, rather each client defines how he/she will approach transformation. Sometimes it will feel frustrating, at others exhilarating. Over time it fosters self-awareness and gradual change, helping you reach your full potential by making more conscious decisions. Applying coaching to many areas of your life will help you reach a higher state of conscious living.
I find that the following elements often occur in this sequence during coaching:
Self-awareness
Many times, the coaching journey starts with helping people get to know themselves better. It is not unusual for someone to tell a coach something that he/she has never verbalized before.
Self-acceptance
Self-awareness of who you really are and how you impact others brings a degree of self-acceptance. You begin to show a little more compassion for yourself and gradually learn to love who you are.
Reflection
Reflecting on thoughts, ideas and experiences that have become part of your conscious awareness will help you make more informed decisions. Reflection will also gradually lead you to understanding beliefs that may be limiting you in some way, and deciding whether or not you want to keep them.
More Conscious Decisions
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When you can consciously decide to change certain aspects of your life, you can create your desired paradigm shift. No matter what point in life you are at or what you have already achieved, the stage is then set for you to realize your dormant potential… your life purpose. Coaching can help you work towards that purpose, leading to a more fulfilled life.
Importantly, I believe coaching should be holistic and gradually help you reach a higher state of conscious living.
I will help you self-assess your life in its entirety, and then work towards balancing all the elements. This may sometimes mean you will need to focus on areas you wouldn’t naturally prioritize or would even rather stay away from – the journey may sometimes be difficult.
By raising your level of consciousness, coaching will help you become the ‘new you’ spontaneously. I will aim to help you during a part of your life journey, not perpetuate our client-coaching relationship.