You might have heard the term life coach often now a days, perhaps in the news, through a friend, online or newspaper. But what exactly is that and how does it impact your life as a whole? Before I even considered becoming a life coach I hired one to support me during my transition from a J.O.B to the path of entrepreneurship. I hired someone that not only had extensive coaching experience but also had been an entrepreneur himself, built several successful businesses and had a passion to work with others.

Unlike traditional therapy where the consoler or therapist focuses most on the past, coaching focuses on where you are at this moment and what are your natural skills that can be applied towards achieving your desired outcomes.

Personal Life Coaching

Finding the right coach can be a challenge. Many times you may encounter a great coach however they may not be the coach that resonates best with you. Most coaches offer a complimentary discovery session where you can explore if it is a good fit for both.

You can visit life coaching training websites and search their databases of graduates that best fit the type of coaching you are looking for such as business coaching, career coaching, nlp coaching, spiritual coaching, life coaching, executive coaching and others. You may also look in social media sites such as facebook, myspace, plaxo, linked-in and other to find who is offering their services in the field of personal life coaching. You will find that via these social networking sites other people have also hired their services. Ask for recommendations and read reviews of other people about their experience.

Have they published any work? Or video seminars? Do they have a good informative website that you feel you can trust?

Once you have contacted the coach here are some guidelines to cover during your discover or strategy session:

• What coaching school did they graduate from.
• Do they have any prior experience in their field?
• Do they have a record of success and experience in the area you are seeking coaching?
• Do they offer free recorded sessions or personal assessment?
• How long have they been in practice and if they can provide references?

The coach will be qualifying you to determine if it’s a good fit so be sure to do the same.

Finding a coach that is the best fit for you will enable you achieve more in the area of your life you are determine to improve.

Getting Ready for Life Coaching

Some people who are seeking coaching may not be coachable at the time, identifying that upfront will save you time and money.

What does it mean to be coachable? Imagine two different people who desire to quit smoking. One takes daily action, is fully accountable for his actions, takes full responsibility for their mishaps and looks on way to improve on a daily basis. arrives on time for the meetings. Is fully present, and above all wishes to change certain behavior patter in their life for the overall well being of their life.

Now take the other who doesn’t really want to quit, is just going through the process so they can say they tried but it didn’t really work for them. Who’s always finding excuses to not show up or is quick to point to others for their actions. Who do you think will obtain the best results in their life?

The first thing to do before going through the coaching process is to fully understand why you are choosing it in the first place, and what things you are willing to do to obtain the results. Have a clear vision of your why and your level of commitment. Ask yourself to what level are you willing to play at?

Write down in your schedule the days of your coaching sessions. Block that space in time only for you! In a place where there are no interruptions, create a space for you to explorer, 5 minutes of meditation or just putting your mind in blank without thought before the call. Set an intention each time of what you wish the outcome of the call to be and share that with your coach.