Life Coaching :
And The Unstoppable
Combination of
Values, Goals and Beliefs.
I got into life coaching in the year
2000, having experienced the way it
rebuilt my confidence and turned my life
around after a nightmare experience. I
was so impressed, I trained to become
a life coach. I qualified in May 2002 and
now run my own coaching practice. I am
also a mentor coach for The UK College
of Life Coaching and write articles and
features for popular magazines about
life coaching and related subjects.
A non-directive life coach recognises
you have all the wisdom and knowledge
inside you to start making more of your
life right now. Of course things get in the
way. We all have challenges. But if you
don’t start now, then when are you
going to start? If you’ve got a good
reason not to start, you don’t know
where to start, or it just sounds too plain
scary, then life coaching could help you.
As a non-directive coach I work using
“The unstoppable combination of
values, goals and beliefs,” as the
foundation to enable my clients to make
changes, and in many cases, transform
their lives.
VALUES
Values are the ‘personal rules’ or
qualities that are important to us, they
effectively define who we are. They are
one of the fundamental elements that
influence our emotions and desires, and
therefore the goals and the actions we
take to achieving them.
By hiring a coach to help us discover
our values, we gain the key that unlocks
the influences behind much of our
motivation and behaviour: Two
elements which are fundamental to
what we achieve in life.
Behaviour
By recognising the reasons behind why
we behave in certain ways, we can
become less stressed and more
influential over the situations we find
ourselves in.
Motivation
Our motivation, doesn’t just determine
whether we succeed, but whether the
success we achieve truly satisfies us.
Once we understand the influences
behind what satisfies us, it’s easier for
us to determine and achieve goals that
truly make us happy.
GOALS
A lot of people don’t like setting
goals, because they’re afraid they won’t
achieve them. However, goals aren’t
chiselled rock. They’re simply a target to
aim for. -Consider the analogy of an
archer firing his bow, if he hasn’t got a
target to aim for, why bother to draw his
arrow in the first place?
By anchoring our goals to our values,
we ensure that the goals we are headed
for are really what we want and also goals
we feel inspired to achieve.
BELIEFS
Beliefs are what we believe to be true
(even if it isn’t) and consequently beliefs
create the limits to the goals we set, and
sometimes prevent us setting goals.
Beliefs are built up as we experience
life. However, we often maintain old
beliefs once circumstances or we
ourselves have changed. Also the way in
which our brain processes information
and forms memories can lead to our
thinking causing barriers and obstacles to
achieving what we really want.
Recognising and working with our
beliefs, helps us to establish better goals
and allows us to clear the path to the life
we desire.
- Do you put off doing the things you
want to do?
- Do you put up with things you don’t
want in your life?
- Do you have ‘reasons’ your life isn’t
exactly the way you want it?
Life coaching helps us to see the wood
for the trees, so we can tap into the
wisdom and knowledge inside ourselves
to make more of our lives.
HOW ARE PEOPLE COACHED?
Coaching delivered on a one to one
basis is tailored to fit the unique
requirements of each individual. I coach
people to build confidence, reduce stress,
achieve goals, work on and discover their
life purpose, build small businesses in
creative areas and I also work with
writers to help them become more
successful.
Coaching can take place either face to
face or over the telephone (which may
sound strange, but actually aids focus
and is extremely effective and time
efficient.)
I also run a development workshop for
writers.
TEN HOT TIPS, FOR IF YOU DECIDE TO
HIRE A LIFE COACH
- Before you start to look for a coach ask
yourself if you’re ready to do the work and
make the changes. A coach will do there
utmost to help you. But you are the one
who has to work at it.
- Look for a coach with a qualification. -
Coaching is a fashionable term and there
are many people calling themselves
coaches who aren’t properly trained.
Some don’t even know what life coaching means.
- Ask your potential coach who their
qualification is with. -There are many
cheap correspondence qualifications
where no practical work is even
assessed. Look at their training provider
on the internet as though you wanted
training. Ask yourself, “Who would I
choose to train with?” Also ask, “Who
ensures that training body maintains its
standards?”
- The ICF are the American coaching
body. The internet can give the
impression their endorsement is the
standard to look for. Their coaches are
well trained, but are often much more
directive than British coaches.
- Ask your potential coach if they have
a code of ethics and what it is.
- A good coach can clearly articulate
the difference between coaching and
counselling.
- Any coach with integrity will be happy
to answer any questions you have about
their work or themselves. Don’t be
embarrassed to ask them.
- You’ll be talking about personal stuff
here. Find a coach who you feel
comfortable taking to.
- If your life coach tells you what they
think you should do, they’re not
coaching.
- It’s your life and it’s precious. A
good coach can help you make
changes, a bad coach could ruin it.
© Rebecca Hill 2004
You can contact her via e-mail at
bekki@thenextlevelcoaching.co.uk Or
by telephone 0118 9784 904
Return to main
Life Coaching page
