This post is by Anthony Savage of Sparta Health
Navigating life… One of the most important and confusing aspects of being an adult. Trying to find balance and happiness. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Searching for your own path.
We’ve all been there before: trying to achieve an optimal level of wellbeing and looking for ways to a more fulfilling life. Sometimes we intuitively know what is good for us and what will make us happy in the long run, but most often we end up disappointed and need help in pointing us in the right direction.
That’s where a professional life coach comes in.
What is Life Coaching?
A very successful and effective form of talking therapy, life coaching can help to turn people’s lives around.
“A life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfilment. Life coaches aid their clients in improving their relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives.
Life coaches can help you clarify your goals, identify the obstacles holding you back, and then come up with strategies for overcoming each obstacle. In creating these strategies, life coaches target your unique skills and gifts. By helping you to make the most of your strengths, life coaches provide the support you need to achieve long-lasting change.” [1]
What to Expect?
Before you attend your first session with a professional life coach, it’s good to get prepared and know what you can expect. The life coach is here to help you reach your potential across all facets of life, however, the whole process requires a lot of work from your side as well.
The process of transforming your life cannot be done overnight so you shouldn’t expect any radical changes after the first session. One of the most important things to keep in mind when you attend your first session can be summed up in one sentence: be honest, patient, and open-minded. Your coach needs to get to know the real you — with all the bad habits and imperfections — so don’t try to present a better version of yourself just to make a good first impression. Be willing to listen and accept a different life perspective as well as the fact that you may have a lot of areas to work on.
In order to establish your weak points and start working on improving your habits and thought patterns, it’s necessary to expose and understand what stops you from reaching your full potential and leading a more balanced, fulfilling life.
“The first life coaching session will look to gain an overall perspective of someone's life, before identifying which area they seek to improve or are currently unhappy with. The life coach and client will agree goals that during sessions will be broken down into more achievable objectives. It is then down to the individual to go away with the techniques they have been taught and work on what has been agreed.” [2]
Top Benefits of Life Coaching
Depending on your needs and personal situation, a life coach can help you improve several aspects of your life and achieve an optimal level of wellbeing. By providing a fresh and often helpful perspective on things, a coach will guide you through several areas of life and will define action steps to achieve more balance, less stress, and a more effective way to reach your goals.
Some of the benefits of working with a life coach include:
- A Different Perspective
- Improved Self-confidence
- Better Self-awareness
- More Balanced Life
- Better Relationships
- Ability to Achieve Your Goals
- Finding Your Life Purpose
- Increasing Your Happiness
- Discovering Your Best Self
- Following Through on Commitments
- Unlocking Potential
- Improving Communication
- Eliminating Negative Thoughts
- Overcoming Your Fears
- Getting Rid of Bad Habits
- Providing a Different Outlook on Life
- Staying Focused & Motivated
- Better Decision Making
- Learning to Accept Criticism
- Reducing Stress
“Just as a professional sports player has a coach to work on the technical and psychological aspects of their performance, everyday people should take a structured and disciplined approach to personal development and betterment.” [3]
Is Life Coaching Right for Me?
Many people are sceptical about talking to a stranger, exposing their weaknesses, and sharing information about their personal life. Some find it hard to accept outside help and consider reaching out to someone as a sign of weakness and inability to deal with their own problems.
The truth is that we live in very challenging times and our reality just keeps getting more and more complicated. We are stressed, overworked, and worried about the future. We lost the simple ability to stop and reflect, put things into perspective, and keep a broader view of our circumstances. Many aspects of our daily lives could be improved by simply changing the negative habits, learning how to relax, and how to take proper care of our physical and mental wellbeing.
“We all have dreams in life, but very few people crystallise these aspirations into tangible goals to systematically accomplish. A major benefit of life coaching is being able to define your life goals and create a concrete, doable plan to achieve them.” [4]
A professional life coach provides necessary support, offers clarity and knowledge that will help you overcome your personal obstacles to a more fulfilling life. By identifying your weak points and pointing out areas that need improvement, a coach will get you moving in the right direction so you can reach your full potential and start leading a more relaxed, happy life.
And that for sure is worth the effort.
Contact us today to see how Sparta Health can help support your employees through our integrated mental health services
About Anthony Savage
Anthony Savage is the Medical Services Manager at Sparta Health, having joined the team in 2017 and is responsible for the overall operational delivery of our high-quality services to our clients. He has a solid background in workplace physiology, health, safety, wellbeing, and coaching, as well as over 12 years of delivering, and holding senior management positions, for leading rehabilitation and return to work support providers.
He is known for his innovative approach in his design and execution of services and his ability to forging strong relationships.
References
- Verywell Mind, What Is a Life Coach?, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-life-coach-4129726
- Skills You Need, What is Life Coaching?, https://www.skillsyouneed.com/rhubarb/life-coaching.html
- iNLP Center, 33 Time-Tested and Researched Benefits of Life Coaching, https://inlpcenter.org/benefits-of-life-coaching
- iNLP Center, 33 Time-Tested and Researched Benefits of Life Coaching, https://inlpcenter.org/benefits-of-life-coaching