Getting ‘unstuck’: Does your life need a coach? By A. Pawlowski CNN
“Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?”
It’s one of those questions many job-seekers dread during an interview, but it can be daunting to answer on a personal level as well. Amid all your responsibilities, activities and projects, it’s sometimes hard to see the big picture and easy to become overwhelmed or feel like you’re lacking direction.
That’s where a life coach can come in.
“If you are frustrated with an aspect of your life, not sure how to stop making the same choices you keep making or just want to have more happiness, peace of mind and passion — life coaching can do that for you,” says Rhonda Britten, founder of the Fearless Living Institute.
Life coaches can specialize in areas like relationships, careers or personal growth. They promise to motivate, offer support when clients need a boost in confidence and help them decide which direction to take.
“In a perfect world, everyone could figure this out for him or herself, but we live in such a complicated time … that most of us need all the help we can get,” says life coach Libby Gill.
A big part of the process is figuring out where you are in life and where you want to be, but for many people, being asked to set personal goals is akin to being told to eat your broccoli.
Elizabeth Scott, life coach and a stress management expert for About.com, says she can help them get unstuck.
“Often, people need someone to help them take the dreams they have in their heads — the visions of what they want to do next with their lives — and do the work to make them a reality,” she explains.
Growing ranks
Life coaches are part of a growing profession. The International Coach Federation (ICF) says it has more than 12,000 members worldwide, or double the amount just five years ago. In a survey commissioned by the ICF last year, 16 percent said their coaching specialty is “life vision and enhancement,” the third most popular area behind executive and leadership coaching.
The survey also found that women make up more than half the clientele of professional coaches.
Britten, who’s been a life coach for 12 years and was featured on the reality TV series “Starting Over,” says a typical client is age 35 to 55, is “at a crossroads, must make a decision and is sick of choosing out of safety and fear.”
Don’t expect a therapy session when you meet with a life coach. While some have a background in counseling, the process is different.
Contact Right Choice coaching for your evaluation today!
http://articles.cnn.com/2007-08-01/living/wlb.life.coaches_1_life-coach-international-coach-federation-icf?_s=PM:LIVING