You’ve made the decision to work with a life coach. Congratulations! We understand that it can be a big decision to make. The cost, the time, the work – all factors that make many people turn away from coaching and put off getting the help they need to reach their goals.
But now that you’ve made the commitment, it’s time to find the right life coach for you. As the field continues to grow, there are more and more life coaches entering the arena, making the task of choosing the right fit even more challenging for those seeking coaching. And the truth is, no matter how much experience a coach has, they won’t be effective if they aren’t the right coach for you.
To help make the process a little easier, we have some tried-and-true tips for choosing a life coach that you can use as you begin this new and exciting journey. A life coach can help you bust out of a rut, clarify and achieve your goals and move away of sticky patterns that hold you back.
Sounds amazing, right? Let’s get started.
4 Tips For Choosing the Right Life Coach
Get clear on why you are working with a life coach.
You might think you’ve got this covered. After all, you’ve made the decision to hire a life coach so you must be clear on why. This is not always the case. Sometimes, we know we need a jumpstart in our lives or feel supremely stuck, and a coach just seems to be the answer.
As you begin the hunt for the perfect coach, it’s a good idea to think in more specific terms about the results you want. Not super specific, but enough to tell you if you need to find a coach that specializes in a certain niche. For example, if you are struggling to get a business off the ground, you will probably want to find a coach with expertise and a demonstrated track record of results with other clients with similar needs.
While some coaches are generalists, others choose to focus on a niche where they have unique personal or professional experience.
Peruse their social media accounts and website.
Now that you know the kind of coach you are looking for, it’s time to do some internet searching. Google can pull up tons of results to get you started. The International Coach Federation website has an online coach directory available. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can also be great tools for compiling a list of coaches.
Once you have a list, take some time to get to know them through their website and social media accounts. You can learn a lot about the life coach and the types of clients they work with. You can also learn about their processes, training and their overall vibe. One of the biggest must-haves in a life coach is to make sure they have life coach certification. This certification guarantees that your coach has been trained and mentored. Reading blog and Instagram posts can give you great insight into how they would coach you.
Schedule consultations.
Most coaches offer a consultation or free session for potential clients. Take advantage of these offerings from all of the coaches still on your list before committing to a long-term coaching relationship. These sessions can give you a chance to ask questions about their background, methodology and processes. You can also get a firsthand glimpse into their communication style- one of the most critical requirements of a successful coaching relationship.
During the consultation, be sure to take note of how you feel during the call: do you feel heard, supported and at ease? Your perfect coach will be a combination of the experience, knowledge and synergy that works best for you.
Follow Your Gut.
As always, follow your gut! If you leave a consultation feeling positive about your future and comfortable sharing your biggest vulnerabilities, that person might be the right coach for you. Remember, the coach-client relationship may be up to a year or more in length, so you want to choose someone you can really trust.
Life coaching can open up brand new possibilities for people who are struggling to make gains in their personal and professional lives. From relationships and finances to health and spirituality, coaches can be valuable partners in helping you achieve your goals.
Now that you’ve made the decision to work with a life coach, we hope these tips set you on the right path to finding the perfect coach for you.