WHAT?

What is Life Coaching?

In a sentence,

 ‘Life Coaching is a catalyst for revealing and promoting the flowering of your true potential.’

In a less flowery nutshell,

 ‘ Imagine you had access to an extra brain. An extra brain that you could plug in alongside your own. This extra brain has some fantastic specs. This extra brain;

• Is not emotionally attached to your life
• Will hold you truly accountable for the things you say you want
• Can see clearly when you are letting yourself down
• Is excellent at asking those questions that cut to your core needs
• Has a foundation in the principles of coaching as outlined below
• Is excellent at extracting exciting vision from your life
• Is committed to excellence in everything it does
• Has a wealth of tools at its hand for overcoming life’s challenges

Just imagine having an extra brain to plug in that had these specs. Sound useful? That in a nutshell is what you are getting when you hire a Life Coach.’

What happens in a Life Coaching Programme?

The starting point of any life coaching programme is a Blueprinting Sesion. During this session we will create a clear vision for your future life and from it a draft Coaching Plan.

The second and third sessions of a New Client Coaching Package will involve us working together to lay the foundations of future coaching and development. This will include completing a Coaching Plan. This Coaching Plan will be the blueprint from which you will work for the remainder of the coaching programme.

In all future coaching sessions we will come together for what is usually a fun conversation during which we will first look at how you got on with completing any previously set goals. From there we will move to look at what challenges you may be facing and how you can overcome them. Finally we will look at what you decide you are going to be doing in the coming period.

What are the key principles behind excellent coaching?

At all stages of any coaching programme my coaching adheres to 6 main coaching principles the inspiration and general content of which come from Jenny Rogers.

1. You as the client are infinitely resourceful – You, as my client, are not here for me to fix, I do not believe you are broken in the first place and believe that you are perfectly capable of finding the solutions that you need in your life. Only you know the true and full picture of where you have come from, where you are now and where it is you truly deeply want to go. It is also true that only you can ultimately implement the necessary actions. Coaching is not about me doing things for you but about inspiring you to do them for your self. Only you can bring excellent change in your life and, whether you do or you don’t, it is only you that has to live with the consequences.

2. My role as a coach is that of catalyst – As your coach I will do just about anything to bring about the release of your personal resourcefulness in pursuit of your vision for your life. However, I am not here to give advice, nor to tell anyone how they should live their life. If I have any relevant leads or information that are connected to your pursuits I will of course pass them on. My role is to ask the probing and penetrating questions that will enable you to answer your own questions most effectively and take you from where you are now to where you want to be.

3. Life Coaching is Holistic by nature – In our lives we fulfil many distinct yet obviously linked and overlapping roles. I look at each person as having 8 main life roles, these being; Work/Career, Family/Partner, Friends/Social, Health/Fitness, Home/Living Space, Financial, Leisure/Fun, Spiritual. It is my belief that however much you may excel in one or other of these roles true happiness and success comes best from a state of dynamic balance. All coaching therefore, no matter what its original inspiration, will look at the whole of your life. Creating this balance is the most excellent route to success in any one of the individual roles that make up part of your life.

4. You set the agenda – I do not have any template for living into which I wish to squeeze your life. Once we have established an effective working alliance in the first session and laid down some essential foundations in the second and third session of a New Client Package it is you that will decide what the content of each session becomes. The Existing Client Package is available to those who have completed a New Client Package and provides the opportunity to review your Coaching Plan on an annual basis.

5. We work together as equals – I will pass no judgements regarding your life or what it is you wish it to be. This is your life and yours alone. I too am constantly working to pursue my vision for my life and in this we have shared purpose and direction that should enable us to get excited about what we are doing together. I will be honest and open at all times however and would encourage you to do the same if you are to get the most out of your coaching programme.

6. Coaching is about action and change! – To do is to be! Without action no change will ever come about. If you do not truly want change in your life or if you are unprepared to take action towards the change you want in your life coaching will not work for you no matter how excellent your coach. I am ready when you are!