The benefits of life coaching

Increasing numbers of people are seeking the services of life coaches, both in their personal and professional lives. With the stresses of daily living becoming more intense for many people, as they attempt to juggle the demands of a near impossible work-life balance in addition to persistent financial pressures, it is perhaps unsurprising that more people than ever are seeking a new direction in their lives.

The role of a life coach is not dissimilar from that of a sports coach. While the life coach’s experience may not have been attained on the field of play, their skills in promoting individual achievement, mapping out a personal development plan and promoting self-confidence through encouragement and training is similar to the responsibilities of a sports coach. Whether you are seeking a new career path, an improvement in your personal life or simply feel you’re not getting everything you want from life, a life coach can help.

A life coach can instigate many improvements in your professional or personal life, the following being some of the most common:

• An improvement in self-esteem: research by the University of Sydney in Australia has demonstrated that people who receive life coaching benefit from an increase in self-confidence and a more positive outlook on life.
• Better communication skills: effective communication is of particular importance in the workplace, so improved communication skills mean conveying clear messages is easier and reduces time lost to misunderstandings as a result of poor communication.
• More varied career opportunities: clients who receive life coaching often report a more open mind to a host of careers that previously they may have disregarded or shied away from.
• An improved sense of control: not only is life coaching able to equip someone with more effective time management skills, but it also helps individuals to feel more in control of their professional and personal lives – particularly important in times of stress.
• Healthier relationships: one of the principle causes of failed relationships is a mismatch or miscommunication between partners about their personal needs and goals for the future. Life coaching can help to establish clarity in someone’s mind so that they can establish more positive, forward-thinking relationships.

Above all, the life coach helps the client to feel empowered to achieve previously impossible goals and to have a clearer, more confident view of their future, so that they can take complete control of their professional and personal lives.