Are you thinking about pursuing a career as a life coach?
If you’re anything like me, you are probably asking yourself if becoming a life coach is worth it.
To make things easier for you, I have compiled a list of the 11 things I wish I knew before becoming a life coach, so you can decide for yourself!
1) Coaching others is a huge personal growth journey
When I first began coaching, I wasn’t sure if this was something I would be able to do without getting overwhelmed.
After all, how can you help other people with their lives when you’re still trying to figure out your own?
Little did I know that coaching would be one of the most challenging and rewarding journeys I’ve been on so far, both personally and professionally.
Not only do you get to help others, but you are also working on yourself.
The people you work with are a great tool to help you grow.
You will learn so much about yourself during the process, as well as about the coaching industry as a whole.
I don’t regret for one moment the decision to pursue coaching. The experience has been worth all the mistakes, tears, and frustrations.
However, it’s important to note that you should be prepared to undergo some huge triggers and growing pains along the way.
Be prepared for the challenges ahead!
What you think you know, you don’t know.
It wasn’t until I started working with clients that I realized how much more there is to learn!
There are so many different coaching models and techniques out there that it can be hard to choose one.
And with every new thing you learn, you realize that you are growing alongside your clients!
2) It will be a hustle for the first few years, don’t give up
When I was fresh out of my training and trying to build a client base, I was getting discouraged pretty quickly because I wasn’t getting any clients instantly.
I kept thinking to myself, “What if this never works out? What if I don’t get any clients at all?”
After I took a step back and looked at my situation, I realized that I needed to be more proactive about marketing myself.
I needed to hustle. I knew there were other coaches out there trying to get clients, just like me.
I knew there were people struggling to find a solution to their personal problems, people who needed help, just like me.
But I also knew that if I wanted to help these people, I needed to get out there and find them.
So, I did just that and I started getting clients. I don’t regret the months I spent trying to get clients since they taught me valuable lessons that I would never have learned without them.
Sure, it will be extremely difficult getting through those first months or even years of hustling without getting much in return, but once the ball starts rolling and you gain momentum, you will realize that it was all worth it.
Think about it: would you rather spend 2 years hustling to then have a profession you love or stay at a mediocre job you don’t like because you don’t feel like working hard for your dream to come true?
3) You need to be in control of your own life
What does it take to build a life filled with exciting opportunities and passion-fueled adventures?
Most of us hope for a life like that, but we feel stuck, unable to achieve the goals we wishfully set at the start of each year.
I felt the same way until I took part in Life Journal. Created by teacher and life coach Jeanette Brown, this was the ultimate wake-up call I needed to stop dreaming and start taking action.
Click here to find out more about Life Journal.
So what makes Jeanette’s guidance more effective than other self-development programs?
It’s simple:
Jeanette created a unique way of putting YOU in control of your life.
She’s not interested in telling you how to live your life. Instead, she’ll give you lifelong tools that’ll help you achieve all your goals, keeping the focus on what you’re passionate about.
And that’s what makes Life Journal so powerful.
If you’re ready to start living the life you’ve always dreamt of, you need to check out Jeanette’s advice. Who knows, today could be the first day of your new life.
4) It can be really draining and rewarding at the same time
When I first started coaching, I was really nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.
I didn’t know what to say, how to say it or how my client would react to my approach.
I didn’t know if I would be good at it or not.
Luckily, I found out that coaching is actually a really thrilling experience.
It is rewarding, yet draining at the same time.
You have to use your entire being to help your client. You have to use your heart, head, and hands.
You see, as a successful coach, you have to use your emotions, analytical thinking, and a whole lot of creativity.
You get to help someone change their life. You get to see them grow and be happier.
You get to be a part of their personal growth journey, which is very rewarding.
It is draining because you have to give your entire being to your client and often it can be hard not to take their problems home with you.
You have to pour your heart out for them. You have to be completely open and honest with them.
Now imagine doing all of that with multiple clients at once. It gets pretty exhausting. But it’s so worth it.
My biggest tip in that regard? Shield your own energy a bit and make sure that you don’t bring your client’s problems home with you.
You have to be strong and positive in order to help them. You have to put your own feelings aside and be there for your client 100% of the time.
I know that it’s hard, but you will get better at it with practice.
It is also very important to understand that you don’t need to be an expert in every area of life.
So, make sure to relax and don’t let your client’s energy get to you too much!
5) Take a coach yourself in order to know what methods you like and don’t like
When you first start coaching, you will be using various coaching methods.
During this period, take a coach yourself.
This will help you decide what methods you like and don’t like.
Now is the perfect time to do this because you are still new to the industry.
You are in the stage where you are trying different methods and seeing what works best for you.
Taking a coach yourself will allow you to decide which methods you like the most.
This will help you decide what coaching methods you want to use in your future coaching sessions.
While you are taking a coach yourself, you will notice what tools you like the most and what one you feel comfortable using the most.
You will see which method you prefer to use for your coaching sessions. This will make it a lot easier for you when you are looking for tools to use for your coaching sessions in the future.
And the best part?
It is also a great testimony – I mean why would people buy a service from you if you don’t even use that service yourself?
Investing in a good coach is an investment in yourself.
6) It is ok to be scared
- Starting your own business is scary
- Growing a business from scratch is scary
- Meeting new and potential clients can be scary
- Dealing with rejection can be scary
- Having one-on-one sessions with someone you don’t know can be scary
The life of a coach is full of uncertainties, rejections, and setbacks.
There will be times when you will feel like you want to quit and there will be times when you will be scared that you won’t be able to make it.
Don’t let these things stop you from pursuing a career as a life coach.
Entrepreneurship is actually a roller coaster of emotions. You will experience extreme highs and extreme lows.
That’s just how it is.
But don’t let the scary feelings stop you from doing what you want to do. Instead, use the feelings to fuel your drive. Use the feelings to push you forward and upwards.
It’s okay to be scared. Just shift your focus and be more scared of never reaching your full potential than you are of failing.
7) Networking takes time. Don’t expect results right away
I get that you want to be successful, you want results, and you want to meet new people and have relationships with them. I get that you want to be rich and famous.
But, I also have to tell you that it doesn’t happen overnight.
It takes a lot of time to build relationships and it takes a lot of time to build your network.
If you expect to make connections and make money right away, then you are in for a big disappointment.
You have to put in your time and your effort. It doesn’t happen overnight.
The truth is, that your existing network will likely not want to be coached by you.
Your friends and family quite frankly just won’t see you as a coach! This is why you will need to build up a network of people who are interested in the business of coaching.
You need to become a leader in your niche, become an expert in your topic, and build a strong network around you.
As soon as you make that decision to start a business, the other people will begin to see you differently. They will see you as someone who is worth investing their time and money into.
They will want to be coached by you and they will want to invest in your life coaching business.
You can’t expect people to invest if you don’t give them an incentive to do so. You have to show them that it’s worth their time and investment for them not only personally, but for the future of their business as well!
Be patient with yourself – it takes time!
8) It’s all about confidence in yourself and your work
As a coach, you will be meeting new people, which can be a bit scary.
You will be sharing your knowledge and expertise with other people, which can be also scary.
You will be meeting people who are in need of your help and guidance, and you will be meeting people who may want to work with you and be coached by you, all of which is overwhelming and scary at first.
When you are first starting out, you will be worried and scared about everything.
You will worry about:
- meeting new people and what they will think of you
- sharing your knowledge and expertise with others
- meeting people who are in need of your help and guidance
- meeting people who want to work with you and be coached by you
- basically everything
It will consume your mind.
But, as time goes by, and as you do more and more, your fears will slowly go away.
You see, coaching is all about confidence.
You need to be confident in your own work and in the fact that you have something to offer to people.
Think about it: if you don’t believe that you have something to offer, why would other people?
You need to be confident in your work, confident that you can help people, and confident that you can create a life for people to live.
You need to stand up for yourself and your work. You need to believe in yourself and your ability.
9) You need to put yourself out there
I know, this can be scary, too, but in order to be a successful life coach, you need to put yourself out there!
Avoiding people and putting up walls is not going to help you.
You need to be open and you need to be willing to take the risk.
If you’re not willing to take risks, then you’re not going to succeed!
You will always have people who are going to doubt your work and your abilities.
You will always have people who are going to tell you that you can’t do it, that it’s too hard, or that it’s impossible.
But those are other people’s opinions – they don’t matter!
What matters is what YOU think! If YOU think that life coaching is worth doing, then do it!
It’s never too late for change and for a new beginning! You can create a new future for yourself – one where you live the life of your dreams!
10) Your work never ends
One thing about life coaching is that the work never ends.
You will never be able to do enough.
You will always want to help more people and create more opportunities for them.
You will always want to show people how they can live their best life and create the life of their dreams.
That’s the beauty of life coaching – it’s never going to end!
But that also means you will have to put your foot down and take a break when you need it!
You will need to make sure that you’re taking your time and taking care of yourself.
You’re not going to be able to give everything you have on every single project you work on.
But that’s all okay because it’s good to take time off and make sure that you’re doing the things that are most important to you.
Burning yourself out won’t do anyone any favors!
11) You are not there to give people answers, you help them find the answers themselves
One of the most important things you should know as a life coach is that you are not there to give people answers, you help them find the answers themselves!
It’s not your job to tell people what to do, it’s your job to help them figure out their own path.
You’re not there to make sure that they have all the answers from you.
You’re there to help them figure out what they want and how they can get it themselves.
You’re there to work with them and give them advice – but ultimately you’re not going to be able to tell them what they should do, because that’s something that is up for each person’s individual choice.
In order for you as a life coach, you need to let go of the idea that you have all the answers.
It’s more about working together and supporting each other in order for everyone involved in the process of change to succeed!
I like one sentence in particular: If you want to be a good coach, make sure your clients don’t need you anymore.
Follow your dream
Whatever you do, always follow your dreams.
Being a life coach is amazing, but only if you love what you do.
Don’t get into a field just because you feel like it sounds cool, make sure that it is actually your passion.
When you love what you do and feel passionate about it, everything will work out for you!
