There's more than one way to Coach
What a Life Coach is and why I became one. "Coach" is a title that means something different for every coach; for myself, being a coach means connecting with my clients. After my recent educational journey at Rhodes Wellness College completing my International Coach Federation (ICF) certification for Life Coaching, it was clear to me what I wanted my involvement in the wellness world to be. After thousands of hours coaching CrossFit at Islander Athletics, guiding the community we are growing, and in my career as a Firefighter, I've met tons of different people and have learned that the tiny connections we make are worth more than we think. These connections can be within yourself and how you perceive your life, or connections with the people and environment around you.
As a community group at Islander Athletics, we think we do pretty well at connecting with people. I would like to say we do, but as someone who can be/was detached from my own world, never truly living in the moment... I know there are people who could use deeper connections with themselves. So, what does that even mean?
What can I offer you?
Well, I'm a wellness professional (yeah, I know... so is everyone else) that can help you make progress in your life in order to attain greater fulfillment. And before you ask, no, this is not a guarantee. I'm a "no bull" type of person, and part of living in the present is realizing there is no future; only this moment. What you do now is what matters.
As a certified Life Coach, I can guide my clients in how to improving their relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives. That could be to help you clarify your goals, identify the obstacles holding you back, and come up with strategies for overcoming each obstacle to reach your goals. Or maybe it won't be about overcoming obstacles; it could be just connecting and giving yourself the guiltless time to actually step back, with me, as your outside perspective. I'm your coach to connect you with your own internal (and some externals) influences that you may not even notice, or are too busy to acknowledge. I challenge people daily, to pursue their physical fitness dreams. I'm passionate about this whole-heartedly, but my true power resides in my ability to really see people for who they are; to create a space in where we can be a team, set aside the time to work on who you really are, in a safe space. In creating these strategies, I target your unique skills and gifts (which unless you are connected with yourself, these will likely be a surprise), helping you channel your strengths, providing support you need to achieve long-lasting change, short time comfort, and connecting you with the pieces of yourself that have gotten lost in your day-to-day life.
There are a number of indications that working with a Life Coach could be beneficial to you. Some of these signs include:
Frequent irritability
Inability to break bad habits
Lack of fulfillment in your social life, relationship, and/or career
Persistent feeling of dissatisfaction with oneself
Sense of blocked creativity
In recent years, life coaches have acquired a considerable presence in the mainstream. Indeed, a growing number of creatives, executives, and entrepreneurs are now teaming up with Life Coaches to achieve success in their professional and personal lives.
Yes, the market is full of talkers with titles; in fact the industry is unregulated. Yes, it is appropriate to harmlessly mention I'm an overachiever (ha!), but before you do, one word to think about: experience. Experience with my colleagues over the last year and the education I have received gives me the confidence, knowledge, and expertise to do what others only say they can do. Anyone who knows me, knows what this responsibility means to me and the intent I have with the people who trust in me.
There are so many perks to working with a certified Life Coach. The main benefit is the chance to gain a fresh, informed perspective on problems that you face; we don't focus much on the past but the present; we all have scars - I will use my educational experience to set professional boundaries in order to help move forward from these matters. In addition to offering new insight into tackling challenges, a Life Coach can help you zero in on negative patterns that could be standing in the way of your success. Many people view working with a Life Coach as a means of bridging the gap between your current circumstances and the life you’d like to lead. Alternatively, maybe it is just an hour of your day where you get to make it all about you without someone trying to fix you, you are not broken. Somewhere along the way, we find a path you might like to look down through. Chase your curiosity in your patterns. Life is busy, chaotic and ever changing. We know of so many people in our lives that truly never stop to question much happening around them; working with a Life Coach could be the first step on the path to becoming a more curious and critical thinker.
Much like a gym environment, accountability is one of the prime advantages of working with a Life Coach. Along with providing the support and motivation essential for maintaining momentum, coaches can identify when a client is stuck or needs to recalibrate their goals. As a result, clients often achieve those goals more efficiently than they would if working on their own. By focusing on mindset, we can dive into these sticky areas using a combination of strategic questions and my skillset to engage you.
People crave connection so I'll be sharing my story throughout these blogs to connect, while keeping our sessions private and focused on you and your needs. This is for you, from me. If you made it down this far: you are worthy of your time to invest in yourself; the connections in your life will thank you.
I thank you for being a little more present in a world of chaos.
I cannot wait to connect with you.. until then.. stay Dee-cent.