Who comes
to mind when you hear the word “coach”? Newt Rockney in the locker room
urging the team to win this one for the gipper? Your high school basket ball
coach? Little league coach? Soccer coach?
Today, more
and more people are discovering the value of a coach in the broader playing
fields of life such as personal time management, career goals and development of
their full human potential.
We are called
a Life Coach, Personal Coach or Business Coach. And we do exactly what a
sports coach does. We help you succeed in the game of life however you define
success. I happen to integrate hypnosis into coaching which gives it an added
energy. But all coaches follow the same general principles.
Professional
Coaching is a brand new, rapidly growing profession that appeared on the scene
in the early 1990s. It is estimated that there are already 10,000 full or
part-time professional coaches in the US.
What does a personal or business coach do?
Personal and
business coaching typically consists of periodic face-to-face or phone-to-phone
meetings supplemented by “homework assignments” designed to move you toward your
goals.
Many people
never actually meet their personal or business coach but communicate only
through the phone and e-mail. I prefer to only take on coaching clients who can
visit the office because of the hypnosis component to my coaching.
If you don’t
already have clear cut goals and a personal vision for your life, a personal and
business coach will help you develop them. He or she will help assure your goals
are specific and reasonable enough to be achievable yet challenging enough to be
motivational. They will help you make absolutely sure that your “vision” for
your life reflects what you really want, not what you think you should want.
Then your personal or business coach keeps you on track and works to accelerate
your progress.
Sounds simple.
And, it is. But making major changes is far from easy. Once a person declares a
goal, they immediately become aware of the barriers to achieving that goal and
the gap between where the person is and where they want to be.
One of the
greatest benefits of a personal or business coaching relationship is simply
being held accountable for moving toward your goals. A coach is expected to keep
you pointed toward your objectives especially when you forget, get sidetracked,
discouraged or stopped. A personal or business coach keeps your vision alive
despite the erosive effect of the day-to-day demands of living. Your coach isn’t
a goal achievement cop. His or her job is to simply bring you back to your
vision. It is up to you to take it from there. Adding motivation and inspiration
is a part of the coach’s job. Your active cooperation is essential. But meet a
coach halfway and you can be pretty much assured they will take it from the
Who can benefit from hiring a personal or business coach?
The short
answer is anyone who wants more out of life. And you are the one who defines
exactly what you want to work toward. Satisfaction. Financial security.
Career accomplishment. A happy relationship. Health.Balance. Spirituality. All
are possible coaching areas. If you want to leave the corporate fast track and
get into a more balanced lifestyle, a coach will help you do this. If you want
to more ahead aggressively in your career, you will find a coach that is right
for those goals.
According to
Coach U (www.coachu.com), a prominent coach educational and referral
organization, you can expect a coaching relationship to deliver many benefits.
“You take yourself more seriously. You take more effective and focused actions
immediately. You stop putting up with what is dragging you down. You create
momentum so that it's easier to get results. You set better goals that are
more exactly what YOU want.”
Here are a few
examples of people whom I have coached in recent years. A physician who wanted
to maximize income from his practice so he could retire comfortably. A musician
who wanted to complete a recording and improve his productivity. A project
manager who decided to devote herself to public service instead of business. An
auto mechanic with an idea for a business
remanufacturing auto parts. A severely handicapped software engineer who wanted
to overcome shyness and develop a meaningful relationship with a woman. A small
business owner who wanted balance between his business and personal life.
What all of
these people have in common is a desire to live their life at a new, higher
level.
Are you coachable?
A successful
personal or business coaching relationship requires that the person being
coached bring a certain amount of humility and open-mindedness to the
relationship. You have to be willing to consider your coach’s point of view.
After all this is what you are paying him or her to provide. You have to be
willing to tell the truth even if it is unflattering. It does no one any good to
say that you accomplished your week’s homework when you didn’t. It is useless to
solemnly tell your coach that you want to save humanity when you would really
rather focus on doubling your net worth. You also should be prepared to commit
to a relationship of at least three months, long enough to see some tangible
results.
The coaching
relationship is fueled by trust. So personal chemistry is an essential
requirement. It is wise to interview several coaches before entering a coaching
agreement. You should feel comfortable with your coach personally
and confident in the coach’s competency to deal with your specific situation.
Each coach has
certain areas that he or she is better qualified to coach. Some have specific
business or career expertise. Others specialize in helping people with specific
challenges such as Attention Deficit Disorder, mothers reentering
the work force, or people in transition such as new retiree’s adjustment.
Typically, a coaching relationship has a specific time period. At the end of the
agreed upon time, the coach and the person being coached review the progress
made and determine whether the agreement should be renewed.
More
information on hypnocoaching at The Tree of Life at:
For specifics on my coaching background and training, click here
Scheduling Instructions
To schedule your first
hypnosis appointment or arrange a free 15 minute consultation to see whether
hypnocoaching is right for you, click below: New Hypnosis Client Intake Form
