What is Life Coaching?

Hi,

My name is Larissa Tihhomirova and I am a Life Coach.

Recognising that life is not just about work and that people want to have a rounded, balanced and happy life, I am pleased to introduce 7C Alliance members to our new Life Coaching service. 

This blog is to give an idea of what life coaching is all about and I am happy to discuss it privately through a message or connecting with me on LinkedIn (click on the link to the left) or by an appointment being made through the 7C Alliance switchboard on phone 0844 844 2470. 

We have also opened a discussion on this in the 7C Alliance’s OPTN LinkedIn discussion group entitled “What do you do if you discover that your issue with getting a job is MORE THAN just professional ability to do the job?”

COACHING IS ABOUT GROWTH

Coaching is a very powerful tool that can bring about huge changes in your life and or your business. Coaching is not about me telling you what to do – rather it is about empowering you to find your own solutions and then motivating you and helping you do it.

It begins with you talking and me listening – I mean really listening to you. I will also ask you lots of thought provoking questions to make you think deeply about what you want to achieve. When it’s clear where you want to go, then we will put together a plan. During our time together, I will encourage you, motivate you, keep you focused, teach you new skills, be your champion and walk by your side until we reach your desired destination.

Coaching will challenge you to find out who the real ‘you’ is, because it’s at the heart of everything you do. In both business and life coaching, we will look at values, beliefs, standards and boundaries for when you get clear on these, all other decisions naturally slot into place.

Coaching involves learning new things and doing things differently, but a huge amount is based on common sense and getting back in touch with your inner wisdom. In today’s fast-paced, commercial world most of us have lost touch with what we instinctively know to be right for us. Part of my role is to help you see this again and experience the joy of knowing what is right for you and being able to do just that.

What coaching achieves

Amongst many outcomes, coaching aims to:

• Establish clear, motivating goals

• Identify blocks to achieving the goals

• Explore and resolve mental barriers

• Overcome particular emotional or practical challenges

• Enhance self-awareness and interpersonal interactions

• Develop greater skills to manage decisions and actions more effectively

• Increase ownership of feelings and self-responsibility

• Build confidence in existing achievements

• Identify next steps and clear plans

And much more!

Principles of coaching

The power of coaching lies in the principles that underpin it. These principles are held because they have been shown to work time and again.

• Action-oriented: coaching aims to create change and practical results outside of the coaching environment

• Empowering: coaching should ultimately leave the coachee with greater skills of self-management for future success

• Results-driven: coaching needs to be measurable by focusing on clearly defined goals and outcomes

• Non-advisory: coaching encourages the client/coachee to dig deeper for their own solutions recognizing that the coach does not necessarily have the right answers

• Non-judgemental: once the coach agrees to work with the coachee,

then the coach ceases to judge the decisions or actions of the coachee but instead creates a conversation that enables self-scrutiny

• Equal: the relationship between coach and coachee is one of mutual respect and trust with a shared ambition to generate the desired results from coaching

Why people hire coaches

In terms of why people hire coaches, there is a big split between corporate coaching and personal coaching.

Organisations know about coaching and will seek out coaches to develop

their staff. Their needs will vary but they understand that coaching is the right way forward.

In life-coaching, this is not so often the case – people want change and results but they will rarely know it’s a coach that could help. That’s why life-coaches need to be out meeting people and exploring their concerns, ambitions and desires rather than advertising as a life-coach in the Yellow Pages! People hire coaches for many reasons but ultimately it comes down to one thing: positive change.

What people want

• People want change in their life or their business.

• Perhaps they’ve struggled for years to lose weight or get fitter

• Maybe the time is right to focus on building a career that

really excites them

• Or perhaps they are fed up of being in debt or want

to become financially independent

• They might want to create and nurture a wonderful

relationship which makes them happy, satisfied and loved

• Or they want to develop a great social life, spiritual life or find purpose

There are so many other areas of life that can be coached

10 reasons why someone hires a coach

• To change a long standing stubborn behaviour

• To explore new ways of doing something

• To gain clarity on what they want

• To gain accountability around their goal

• To generate momentum behind their ambitions and dreams

• Because they feel stuck and want take a fresh look at their life

• To challenge themselves to new heights

• To gain focus and renewed energy

• To overcome emotional barriers to success

• To succeed

So I look forward to start working with you on new exciting, fulfilling and happy life.

Larissa Tihhomirova

Tags: Life Coaching, work/life balance