If you feel that you’re stuck in a career rut, a life coach may be able to help you. Life coaches not only help you build your self-esteem, but they can help you with many aspects of your career, from goal setting to improving your public speaking.

What’s more, you can see a life coach both in-person or online. The Life Coach Directory is useful for finding a life coach in your area, and sites like Blush and Growing Self let you speak to a qualified life coach from anywhere you need to.

What is a life coach?

First, it may help to understand the difference between a therapist, a counsellor, and a life coach. Some people use these terms interchangeably, but in reality, they help you with different areas of life:

Therapists – help you work through mental health issues like anxiety and depression. You’ll usually need a few months of in-depth sessions.

Counsellors – help you develop strategies to overcome issues like stress, relationships, anxiety, family conflict, grief and more.

Life coaches – help you set goals and achieve them. It’s all about guidance, empowerment and improvement. We face many challenges in life, and life coaching can help guide us through them.

Many people who choose life coaching lack confidence or self-esteem in one or many areas. A life coach helps them build the confidence in themselves that they need to live up to their potential. As well as this, they guide them through the process of building their own action plan to tackle their goals and build the skills they want to master.

Here are just some of the ways in which a life coach could help you with your career and beyond:

• Find your first job
• Get a promotion
• Change careers
• Decide what you want to do as a career
• Improve work/life balance
• Build interpersonal and communication skills
• Build confidence and self-esteem
• Improve wellness, both mental and physical
• Organisation, productivity and time management
• Build management skills
• Financial organisation and debt
• Public speaking
• Business coaching for entrepreneurs

What to expect from a life coaching session

A life coaching session will typically last between 45 minutes to an hour. During this time, your coach will ask searching questions to help you identify areas that require focus or attention. Other topics may be discussed, such as your relationships, career choices, personal goals, and lifestyle changes.

Your coach can offer guidance and support to help you create an actionable plan that addresses the challenges you are facing. You may also be offered advice on how to stay motivated over time, as well as ways of improving your communication or decision-making skills. Throughout the session, your coach will aim to offer a supportive environment in which you can work through any obstacles that may be preventing you from achieving the goals you have set for yourself.

At the end of each session, your coach can review any progress that was made and ensure that a plan is in place to keep you on track. By committing to regular coaching sessions, you can gain greater clarity and insight into the direction of your life and hopefully develop the skills needed to make meaningful changes. However, it’s important to remember that a life coach is not the final solution to the issues you’re facing – you have to put the work in too.

Tips for your first session

Going into your first life coaching session can be a bit daunting, but it’s a significant step towards personal growth and development. To get the most from it, here are some tips to consider.

• First, come prepared with a clear idea of what you hope to achieve from the coaching sessions. This could be a specific goal or simply an area of your life you’d like to improve.
• Second, maintain an open mind. Be ready to embrace new perspectives and ideas that could challenge your current way of thinking.
• Third, be honest about your feelings and thoughts. Your coach can only help you if they fully understand your situation.
• Fourth, don’t expect immediate solutions. Life coaching is a journey, not a quick fix.
• Lastly, remember that the coaching relationship is a partnership. Engage actively in discussions, ask questions, and take responsibility for your part in the process. The success of life coaching largely depends on your willingness to explore and implement changes.