Life isn’t always easy.
In fact, for one reason or another, it can be downright difficult.
Indeed, the United States now ranks as the 19th happiest country in the world. That’s the lowest it’s ever been, apparently!
One of the hardest aspects of life can be navigating its trials and tribulations all alone. Know the struggle? Want a helping hand?
Think about working with a life coach.
These professionals are charged with bettering your personal circumstances. They’re experts on personal growth and development and work to support you through hardship. Ultimately, they’re tasked with helping you make the most out of life.
Sound good? Want to know how to choose the best one for your needs?
Keep reading to discover the top qualities to look for in a life coach.
1. Empathic
Coaching is all about understanding where someone is coming from.
To succeed, they need to get into your shoes and feel your struggle.
How else can they truly help? They need to get to the core of the problem. For that, they must be able to understand your current internal experience.
The secret is to look for a life coach who seems inherently empathic. They should have a great capacity for truly grasping and relating to your issues.
Don’t mistake this for sympathy. It’s easy to commiserate with and console someone. It’s far harder to really get to grips with the problem and relate accordingly.
2. Authentic
Nobody wants to spend time with inauthentic people.
It doesn’t matter who they are. Friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances…It’s easy to tell when someone is pretending. It feels fake and forced.
Make sure you find a life coach who is truly authentic. They should be themselves and genuinely care for your wellbeing.
Indeed, authenticity is a recipe for trust. It’s far harder to trust anyone who doesn’t seem authentic. That’s anathema to positive change. After all, the power of coaching is in the relationship between coach and client; relationships can never reach maturity in the absence of trust.
3. Inspirational
You want to feel inspired by your life coach.
Remember, this isn’t therapy.
Sure, there may be some similarities. After all, you’re working closely and one on one with someone to improve your wellbeing. However, there are crucial distinctions in their roles and training.
Life coaches won’t necessarily delve back into your history to find answers to your neuroses. Instead, they’ll work to cultivate positive change in a forward-thinking way.
Working with an inspirational coach will inevitably facilitate motivation. Imagine working with an enigmatic, negative individual who’s telling you to feel better! It just wouldn’t work. You want to feel inspired to do and be better.
4. Positive
Your life coach should be a positive influence in your life.
That much goes without saying.
However, that often starts from working with someone with a buoyant, cheery personality. Spending time with a coach who emanates positivity will inevitably make a difference.
It seems to work through osmosis! Rubbing shoulders with inherently upbeat individuals can inspire similar feelings in you.
That doesn’t mean they can’t be serious as well, though. Constant positivity can be detrimental. It’s about balance: a general aura of positivity, counter-balanced by seriousness when it’s called for.
5. Passionate
Find a life coach who is passionate about what they do.
It’s almost impossible to do a good job when you don’t enjoy it.
And remember, their job is cultivating a better life for you! Do you really want to put that responsibility in the hands of someone who isn’t that interested in the task?
We’re guessing the answer’s a resounding ‘no’. Passion is contagious! Anyone in a slump can benefit from being around these kinds of coaches. Passionate people are automatically more positive and inspiring to spend time around.
You’re more likely to value their input and trust their recommendations. As a result, you can look forward to more positive effects sooner.
6. Compassionate
Passion is one thing.
Compassion is another altogether!
The true magic happens when you find a life coach with both qualities to their name. You want someone who cares about their job. But you want someone who cares about you as well.
Your wellbeing should be front and center of your coach’s priorities. They should be kind, helpful, thoughtful and client-centered. This is where empathy comes in handy. An empathic coach will know how you’re feeling and understand how to respond.
There’s a time and place for tough-love. More often than not, though, there’s greater room for kindness and consideration.
7. Experienced
All the passion and compassion in the world means nothing in the absence of experience.
Your coach may love what they do. They may be empathic and helpful and inspiring. But, unfortunately, if they have very little experience, then there’s no guarantee they can help you.
Imagine needing an operation. Would you rather have a veteran surgeon, or someone fresh from medical school, perform it? Chances are, the majority of people will opt for experience every time.
Take your emotional and spiritual wellbeing just as seriously as your physical health. It will always be beneficial to find a life coach who has been there and done it a thousand times before. Be sure to check their credentials. What do their past clients have to say about them?
Checking the coach’s website, testimonies, and life coach magazine can all help you find the best life coach for you.
Time to Find Your Life Coach
There you have it: the top qualities to look for when choosing a life coach.
Everyone goes through times in life where they could use a helping hand. Navigating hardships is always more difficult alone. Sometimes, it takes an outsider to come in and point us to a more positive place.
Life coaches can do exactly that. The real trick is finding the right coach for you. Hopefully, this post has provided all the key considerations to keep in mind when looking for one.
Want more articles like this? Be sure to check out the health and wellness section of the blog now!
