Launching a coaching or consulting business could be just what you need to transition into a new career. Life coaching continues to rise in popularity as people seek out professional guidance to help them reach their goals.
If you enjoy working with people and have a special niche that you’re skilled at, you might wonder whether or not becoming a life coach would be a suitable career for you. So if the idea of helping others live their best lives sounds appealing and rewarding to you, keep reading to learn more about what it takes to be successful in this industry.
Life coach responsibilities
First, familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of a life coach. It requires a strong commitment to others and a desire to help others cope with major life transitions. You’re going to be leading them through challenges and helping them develop better habits and mindsets.
As a life coach, your focus will be on growth. You need to listen to your client’s goals and help them formulate a plan that will allow them to reach those goals. And along the way, you’re going to need to provide moral support, help them stay on track, and provide feedback. If a client is struggling to reach a goal, you’re going to be the one they turn to.
Skills needed to be successful
A good life coach will have a specialized niche and will practice what they preach. For example, if you’re passionate about wellness, your niche could be focused on helping others improve their eating habits. Or if you’re passionate about professional growth, you could become a career coach.
In addition to passion, you also need to have people skills. As a coach, you need to be able to connect to others, engage with them, empathize, build confidence, and provide feedback in meaningful ways. You should also have some knowledge of what it takes to run a business, such as budget management and networking. Networking and a healthy social media presence can help you land clients.
Life coach vs therapist
Many people find themselves wondering about the differences between a life coach and a therapist. After all, they both want to help people, right? Well, not quite. Therapists are more focused on why a person behaves in a specific way. For example, if someone is suffering from depression, a therapist will help them uncover past experiences and habits that have led to depressions, as well as help the person developing coping strategies.
Life coaches are more action-focused. Instead of thinking about the past, they help people achieve personal or professional goals. Someone struggling with mental health should seek out a therapist first, then move to a life coach once they have developed healthy coping mechanisms.
Reasons people hire life coaches
People hire life coaches for many reasons. One reason many people hire a life coach is that they’re ambitious but unsure of how to reach their goals. They need someone to sit down with them, help them identify their goals, and then develop a strategic plan to achieve the goals. They also need support along the way to keep them accountable.
Another reason a person might hire a life coach is that they’re undergoing an identity change and need to discover who they are. For example, someone going through a divorce might need help figuring out who they are outside of a relationship. A life coach can support them and help them feel empowered.
Getting started as a life coach
If all of this sounds exciting and intriguing, you might be wondering how you can get involved with life coaching. While you technically don’t need any sort of formal training, you’ll likely have an easier time getting clients if you complete some sort of training or certification program. You may also want to take classes in marketing or business development.
Places such as the iNLP Center offer online life coach training certification, allowing you to develop coaching techniques such as interpreting non-verbal communication and gain a better knowledge of motivation strategies. Many training centers have a system in place that allows you to practice your techniques with other students before you move on to coaching a client.
Final thoughts
If you’re passionate about helping others and believe you can successfully motivate others to change their lives for the better, life coaching could be for you! Since the industry continues to grow, you’re likely to find success if you take the time to develop the necessary skills and get the proper certification.