Being a Life Coach
So you have thought about becoming a life coach. It is a good idea. Also, it is important to understand a few aspects of being a life coach. Here, let us discuss what it takes to be a life coach, and what all you can do, and make a better life for yourself and many others.
What does being a Life Coach mean?
A life coach is one who helps his or her clients to achieve personal goals, moving ahead in life and making life altering decisions. This could be accomplished by helping clients master better coping mechanisms within themselves, better goal and time management, reducing stress levels, going deeper by directional questioning methods and much more.
A life coach inspires his clients to take charge of their lives, by working on mind, body and emotions. He / She helps them learn on how to take responsibility of self and develop self beyond the shackles of dependence. A major part of the work of life coach is about cultivating the driving force inside each client that propels them to succeed beyond expectations in each chosen field of their lives. This is accomplished by helping clients gain insight towards self development.
In a nutshell, being a life coach is about helping people transform their lives in the direction they want. In my personal opinion, being a life coach is a highly satisfying way to live life.
What is the right attitude to be a life coach?
Being a life coach, you must be a highly inspiring person, with an open mindset. An open mindset is about a way to look at life without any biases. A way that can look at life from the client’s perspective and then help the client find a way ahead from where the client stands. Humility, patience and a service mindset is highly recommended.
As a life coach, it is important to keep yourself updated with knowledge of your field. It is important to keep learning. Attend lectures, courses, seminars, experience workshops and know that each of these experiences can be very useful in yoru growth and success as a life coach.
Many a coaches lose themselves in arrogance and that, at best can be avoided. A loving, open and nurturing attitude will help you going a long way in being a successful life coach. Know that you are simply a medium who is entrusted by his clients to help them. This shall keep you grounded and yet fly high with success as a life coach.
What are the skills required to be a life coach?
Your biggest tool in your life coaching practice is the language you use. Therefore NLP ( Neuro Linguistic Programming) is highly recommended. This is will you learn how to program minds using language with ease and precision. Attending an NLP Coach Practitioner and a Master Practitioner Program is a part of being a life coach, and attending repeat courses is a good idea to keep knowledge updated.
Other skills that will help you being a successful coach include emotional intelligence, mindfulness and heart centric coaching. You may also attend specializations in relationship coaching, parenting, career coaching, wellness and many other niche relevant fields.
How much does a successful life coach earn?
The true earning of a life coach is his good will. Apart from earning a good name for yourself, you can earn a good living for yourself. Life coaches in India charge anywhere from a couple of thousands per session to several lakhs of Rupees per month per client depending on their skill, goodwill and results they produce. The options are limitless and mainly depend on your capability to produce meaningful results for your clients.
Where do I learn the skills to be a life coach?
There are multiple avenues to learn the skills. It is a good idea to learn from a practicing coach who trains regularly rather than just a trainer who does not practice life coaching. I would not suggest to run after certification as most of them do not hold much value in terms of real learning. You may find big international brand names who sell international certifications for a huge sum and annual subscriptions. I strongly suggest to focus on developing coaching skills and the right attitude for coaching.
You can learn the above mentioned skills attending multiple courses, or you may choose to sign-up for the NLP Authority Integrated NLP & Life Coaching programs.