Posted on April 12, 2011 by Nicole Burley

Here’s a little Q&A from the land of coaching. One of the questions I am asked quite a bit is, “Why do I need a life coach?”.

The answer is, “You don’t”.

Blasphemous, right? But it’s the truth! Nobody needs a Life Coach. Just like nobody needs a personal trainer, or nobody needs a financial advisor.

Hiring someone in a support profession is a CHOICE. It is a choice that you make in service of your very best interests. It’s as though you are saying to yourself, “I am really SERIOUS about what I want to achieve in my life, and I want to give myself every opportunity to follow through and finally DO it”.

For example: It’s one thing to know intellectually that you’re supposed to go to the gym and do a little cardio and do some strength training. And it’s another thing to actually show up for an exercise class. But it’s a whooole different animal to have a personal trainer waiting for you at an appointed time, who knows you and knows your body, who will push you, challenge you, encourage you and plow through your excuses. Hiring a personal trainer generally suggests that you mean business – and you usually see results much faster.

By the same token, it’s one thing to know that something needs to change in your life. It’s another thing to feel as though you’re making a little bit of progress here and there. But it’s a whooooole different animal to have a Life Coach waiting to talk to you 2-3 times a month, who knows you and knows your goals, who will push you, challenge you, encourage you, and help you question your excuses. Hiring a Life Coach is a way of saying that you are READY to see and feel some results in your life – and soon.

But do you need a Life Coach? Nope! Hiring a Life Coach has nothing to do with being needy. Having a coach is something that you WANT because you are ready to start achieving more in your life – and faster. It’s something that you CHOOSE, because, no matter what your goals or circumstances, you are ready for things to shift.