Life Coaching by Kathy O'Connor
For over 20 years I have been helping people by providing life coaching across Letterkenny, County Donegal and Ireland.
For many people, a life coach is something of an "unknown". I've created this page to help you understand what a life coach is and it can help you achieve the things you want in life.
What is a Life Coach?
A life coach is someone who can help you identify your goals, and then create actionable steps to help you achieve success.
Many people use coaches to help them get results and get them where they want to be. For example, when you think about people involved in sports at any level, the majority of them have a coach in some capacity - someone who has "been there, done it" before and can provide the support, guidance and knowledge which is beneficial to those being coached.
But it's not just sportsmen - coaches can play a powerful role in nearly all aspects of life.
Why would someone look for a Life Coach?
The main reason that people look to a life coach is because they want to make a change in their life and could do with some help in making that change.
Once they recognise that they would like to make some changes, they may find the idea daunting. They may not know where to begin or not even know what the changes are.
Once they've made that decision however, there is something that's holding them back from succeeding.
It may be that they simply don't know where to begin with the changes they need to make. Perhaps they don't even know what those changes are.
They may also want to understand the underlying reason why they are making that change - whether for financial, emotional or physical reasons.
Change can bring up many challenges for people and a Life Coach can help create a pathway that is manageable.
What does a Life Coach do?
A life coach is someone who has undetaken professional training to help people be the best that they possibly can in their personal life, career, relationships or parenting. They will:
- Discuss with you what you're looking to achieve
- Review your current situation and help you understand the reasons why you're looking to make that change
- Help you see where on the journey to success you currently are
- Help identify and map out the steps on the journey with actionable points
- Help identify potential challenges you may face and how to overcome them
- Help identify issues which you have previously experienced on your journey and why these have caused you issues
- Help you set goals, manage expectations and create a sustainable plan
When would someone use a Life Coach?
When they have decided upon a new course of action that may need guidance or something they have no experience in... or no-one that they can discuss with that can relate to the challenges they may experience.
For example:
- They are looking to change career
- They are looking to get promotion in their current role
- They are looking to start a new business, or grow their existing business
- Create a better work / life balance
- They want to be able to communicate better with friends, family and work colleagues
- They want to improce on their relationships
- They may want to expand on their self awareness
- Learn how to build self esteem, assertiveness skills or parenting skills
A life coach can help clarify the individuals wants and then create a dedicated process to help them achieve success.
How can a Life Coach help me achieve my goals?
For many people, a life coach helps them by:
- Developing and maintaining a plan. Many people who want to make a change simply don't know where to begin. Having clear, concise and manageable actions on that plan is about giving them a strong foundation on which to build.
- Keep them focused. Even with the most clear plan, it's difficult sometimes to keep on track. Life can be distracting and it's easy to lose focus - sometimes through stress, anxiety, procrastination or even with just giving up. A life coach will be there with you every step of the journey, helping you realise the reason you set off on your journey in the first place, and what getting there would mean to you.
- Overcoming blocks. Sometimes, when we hit a roadblock, it's difficult to find a way around it. We therefore look for excuses, or simply give up. Sometimes, all it needs is a different perspective, a different point of view. A life coach can help by providing alternatives.
- Support you when others can't, don't or won't. For many, setting off on a new venture is setting off on uncharted territory. The people close to them may not understand what they are hoping to achieve, or simply don't want them to succeed for some reason, often believing them to be unable to. Your life coach will be the person you can turn to when others are not there for you.
- Maintain perspective. Having a new goal comes with it many challenges, some of which are detailed above. Maintaining your perspective is essential when you want to achieve your goals, ensuring that you don't feel overwhelmed by the journey in front of you, and breaking down the challenge into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Want to find out more about the Life Coaching services I provide?
Then why not give me a call on +353 (0)86 867 6565 or drop me an email from my contact page? At Positive Outcomes for Life, I try to reach every customer within 24 hours, and we can then discuss your requirements in more detail before agreeing on a plan of action to proceed.