Should I Become a Life Coach: 5 Signs That You're Ready
Find out what qualities make for a good life coach, what it takes to succeed, and how you'll know when you’re ready to make the leap into a career in coaching.
Is your current career feeling flat?
Do you long for a greater sense of meaning in your work?
Are you inspired by personal growth and achieving big goals?
Do you enjoy helping other people?
If there’s a voice inside you exclaiming “YES!”, then it could be time to explore a career in life coaching.
Aspiring life coaches come into the coaching industry from a wide variety of backgrounds. In Lumia's coach training program, we've seen it all: therapists, personal trainers, business leaders, integrative health professionals, astrologers, stay-at-home parents, bartenders and much, much more.
Psst... wanna know a secret?
Many of these incredible people weren’t sure if they were ready either! But trust us - wherever you may be coming from, we'll bet you’ve got plenty of life experience to draw upon, and a unique story to tell.
Take Kevin Whitehead, for example.
Before becoming a coach, Kevin worked in several areas, including owning and operating a landscaping company. But no matter what job Kevin had or what position he held, people were always drawn to him, sharing their life experiences and the obstacles they were facing. He just had a natural ability to help someone find a perspective that freed them from being stuck.
So when Kevin decided it was time to shift into work that was truly nourishing to his soul, coaching felt like a natural fit.
In his pre-coaching life, Kevin had spent significant time in the music industry as a songwriter. Today, he attributes much of what he learned ghostwriting songs for other artists to what makes him an effective coach. Those experiences taught him how to deeply learn someone’s story, fall in love with where it could possibly go, and create a bond with the client as they partner together toward achieving that goal.
Sure, we've all got stories. But why do only a few of us become coaches?
Many people are afraid to say they are, or want to be, a life coach. This is partly due to the false belief that life coaching means you have to have a perfect life or be in a good place in your life.
That right there is one of the biggest misconceptions that keeps people from ever starting down this road, let alone launch a life coaching business!
The truth is that no one’s life is perfect. If you wait until you’re in the “perfect place,” odds are that day will never come.
5 Signs That You're Ready to Be A Life Coach
1. You’re a great listener
If you're reading this, we're willing to bet that you’re the one that all your friends come to when they really need to talk, or that person in the office everyone else seeks out for guidance. If so, you’re already on your way toward starting a coaching business!
Life coaching is first and foremost about creating an opening for people to explore what’s on their minds. If people are already comfortable doing this with you, that's a great sign. The ability to effectively hold space for others is perhaps the most important skill you’ll need in order to be an effective life coach.
Yes, active listening techniques can be taught. But a genuine interest in other people can only come from inside. If you’re curious about what makes humans tick and enjoy drawing out their stories, then you’ve got the fundamentals.
2. You’re a self-starter
Life coaching requires flexibility and initiative. There isn’t one “right” way to run a coaching business, which means you’ll need to be comfortable making independent decisions... without a rulebook.
Rest assured that in a good life coach training program, you’ll be taught ethical standards, along with a variety of frameworks, tools, and techniques to draw from. But from there, it’ll be up to you to determine when and how to make them work for your clients.
In a coaching session, it’s the life coach’s role to guide the conversation toward the client’s desired outcomes. That requires confidence, awareness, and the ability to chart a course in real time.
3. You’re a personal-growth junkie
You’ll know this work is right for you if you’re already fired up about the art and science of human possibilities. For both yourself, and others.
People who seek out a life coach want their life to be different than it is right now. They want change and growth. Hope and possibility. Meaning and purpose. In short, they want MORE... and they want a life coach to help them figure out how to get there!
When it comes to effective life coaching, there’s nothing more impactful than walking the talk. Clients want to know that you've been where they’re at, and that you’ve got the scars to prove it. Relating well with clients and growing a personal coaching brand will rest in part upon your story: the obstacles you've faced, how you've overcome them, and why you want to help others do the same.
4. You feel "called" to life coaching
What do we mean by that? When you land in alignment between what you're naturally good at, and what has personal meaning for you, that’s a calling. It’s also the rocket fuel that will propel you on your journey to creating a successful coaching business.
Here's why this is important.
As an aspiring life coach, you can expect to move through a period of uncertainty. When we answer our calling, the path may not always be smooth. Some people in your life might not “get it”. Along the way, you may even question whether becoming a life coach will pay off.
It takes grit and hard work to launch your own practice, and sometimes a leap of faith!
An inner knowing that you’re meant to do this is a powerful force. It drives you to overcome your doubts, take risks, put in the effort, and keep moving forward. No matter where you are, a sense of calling becomes your “true north”: an always-present landmark that you can faithfully navigate by as you do the work.
5. You’re willing to invest what it takes
Coaching is an unregulated industry, which means anyone can say they're a life coach. But that doesn’t mean just anybody can do it well, or will deliver the results that clients are looking for.
If you want to be your most effective as a life coach, then you'll need to get your life coach certification.
A strong coach training program will provide you with evidence-based frameworks, interventions, and methodologies to draw from. You’ll get an introduction to a variety of coaching techniques that will help you discover which tools feel right to you. You'll get to study with experienced practitioners, with ample peer coaching opportunities to put what you're learning into practice.
Still not sure you're ready? Take our 3-Minute Assessment and get an honest answer!
The biggest mistake many aspiring coaches make is taking half-hearted steps towards their goal. They read a book here, do a vague Google there, investigate coach programs, listen to a podcast or two... yet, they don't do the ONE THING that would make the biggest impact: COMMIT.
Deciding to be a life coach is sort of like deciding to have kids. There are going to be a million reasons why it’s not the right time, so at a certain point… if you want it, you just have to make that decision to go for it.
Want some perspective from a Lumia graduate?
Shay Haynie, 2018 alumni:
"Here's the truth: I found my own power while in this program. My biggest take away was a wealth of knowledge, which in turn gave me confidence. After completing Lumia Life Coach Training, I knew with absolute certainty that I could coach someone using the tools and techniques I was taught.
Taking the Lumia program catapulted my coaching career leaps and bounds, and I will be forever grateful for the experience. The success I have seen is a result of Lumia Coaching.
As a successful coach, if there’s any advice I could share with you, it’s to give yourself permission to go for it."
Ready to get started?
Launch your coaching practice right! Check out Lumia Life Coach Training - a program that's every bit as unique as you are. Grounded in science, our ICF accredited training features authentic instructors, a robust curriculum, business instruction to prepare you for liftoff as an entrepreneur, alongside fellow students dedicated to becoming a collective force for good.
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