Life Coaching - Life Coaching

Business Career, Executive, Life Coaching Article Mechanisms of the Mind (Achieving Success)

2007-12-28T05:21:00.007-08:00

Suppose that the human mind is nothing more than a bio-computer and that the function of this computer is to get its owner exactly what he says he wants.. The computer mind takes what you say very literally. So, if you say you cannot do something, the mind interprets that as a command and makes sure you cannot do it. If you say you are confused and don't know what you want, the mind makes sure you have that experience.

That is why the harder we try to change, the very things we want to change persist stronger than ever. Think about it. How many times in a day do we give our minds negative commands? We say things such as "this is hard for me," or we complain that we don't have something we want in our lives. When the mind hears us making these declarations, it hears it as a command, not as a wish it wasn't so. If this is the way our computer minds work then we have to find a way to give it commands that get us what we want. Positive affirmations are a way to do exactly that. There was a time in my life when I used to complain that I knew how to make lots of money, but I could not hold onto it - that I would manage to find a way to make it disappear and thus never seemed to have any reserves. Guess what kept happening? Finally this way of life and "my story" about it became untenable, not to mention scary. With the help of a coach, I began to use affirmations such as "I am a competent manager of my money and make good investments." Or, "I know how to educate myself and take actions that will result in building reserves." I would write these affirmations daily, look at myself in the mirror and repeat them every day until I started to really hear them and believe them.
Tip! © Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article.

I soon started to read books about money and shifted my beliefs about money. I joined DA (Debtor's Anonymous - a 12 step support program) where I learned how to create a Spending Plan and more importantly, how to follow it. By using affirmations I was able to create a life that I love to live and the financial reserves that allows me to take care of myself in the present and in the future. I now live in a state of abundance, not scarcity.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

"Be careful what you ask for, you may get it," simply means that you must be careful about your language when you are giving commands to your mind. To be perfectly clear, phrase your affirmations following the Top Ten Tips below. To those of you who are skeptical about the theory, I know it seems strange at first, I ask you to consider the possibility that this version of how things work may actually result in the outcomes you always wanted. Some of you may want to talk with a coach to help you clarify what it is you really want and how to phrase your affirmations. It does take some practice. After all, you will be changing a lifetime of functioning one way, what I call "hard wired programming," and behavioral patterns. Experiment! I would love to hear about your results.
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

Ruth Zanes has been a Business, Career and Personal Success Coach since 1985. Her broad range of experience prior to coaching includes consultant, business ownership and corporate executive for some of the world's largest corporations. Contact Ruth at: http://www.unlimitedresourcesinc.com

Life Coaching for Success and Fulfilment

2007-12-28T05:21:00.006-08:00

We live in a world of rapid change and uncertainty. Nothing is as it was even ten years ago. This means there is major pressure on all of us to change, everything is speeded up; we have to learn fast or risk being left behind. All areas of life are affected. Relationships lack commitment, health can no longer be taken for granted, financial security can disappear over night. Careers are insecure, global security is challenged and stress is at an all time high. We have more choices in life than ever before. So how do we find stability and manage choice in this fast changing world?

I believe each and every one of us is here for a Divine Purpose. The Creator has a divine plan for your life. A tiny drop of water may seem lost in the vastness of the ocean, but it still has an essential role. We can forget our Divine Purpose in the midst of the changes and challenges life presents, but we still have a divine role to play in the theatre of life. ‘The Creator has given you great potential what are you doing with yours?' this is a question I often ask myself and my clients.

Life Coaching is a powerful means of organising your life and reaching your potential. A rapidly growing world requires new solutions. Life Coaching can help you re-connect with your Divine Purpose and assist you in making choices that bring stability, success and fulfilment to your life. Often we say we have priorities yet we don't know what they are and therefore can't stick to them.

During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying. The stress of course came home with Paul, making him not a very nice person to be around. Paul often arrived home after his children were in bed and was so tired himself he simply ate his meal and fell asleep in the chair. I introduced Life Coaching strategies to help Paul turn his life around. It meant taking risks and asking Paul to trust in his Divine Purpose. We spend time working on a life plan and Paul developed the courage to leave his job and move forward with his life. Two weeks after leaving work, Paul landed a dream job closer to home. He recommitted to his family and spiritual life and is now much happier, more fulfilled and a better husband and father.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

Coaching recognises that success is different for each person and addresses the balance of career, family and friends, home, finance, spirituality and health, without health how we can we fully enjoy life.

Coaching was once the domain of athletes, sportspeople and high-powered executives. Coaching skills have always been used for getting people to the top. Now coaching has come off the field and out of the boardroom. It is available in the homes of all people wanting to win in life. Coaching is a relationship between two people, a Coach and Client; both are 100% committed to the clients' success. Sessions take place mostly by telephone and email, so no one has to leave home. Life Coaching offers a holistic approach to fulfilment and success in all areas of life. Coaching has been described as "A powerful relationship for people making important changes in their lives."
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

In my Coaching practise I work mostly with professionals who are undergoing difficult life changes and want solutions and results quickly. I work to Reduce Stress and Maximise Success.

Five steps for Reducing Stress and Maximising Success:

1. Alone Time - create time each day to connect with the sacred, even if it's only for a few minutes. Have quiet time in nature, meditation or prayer. This relaxes your mind, refuels your body and helps clarify and focus your thinking. Also schedule at least one retreat a year to re-charge and take charge of your life.

2. Purpose - have a vision for your life. Where do you see yourself in 10yrs, 5yrs, 1yr, from now? Begin to clarify your vision. How does your perfect life look? Dare to Dream. What steps can you take to make your dreams reality?

3. Planning - if you are not planning for success you are planning to fail. Plan with the precision of a child who knows exactly when to ask and how many times a request must be repeated in-order to achieve success. Don't let fear steal your dreams.
Tip! But for Life Coaching to remain viable in the left brained financial word, we as coaches must form some standard ourselves along with education materials and group marketing of what our profession is. For when most people hear of Life Coaching, they shrug their shoulders.

4. Action - Don't waste energy waiting until all your excuses dry up. Take action now and make the REST of your Life the BEST of your life.

5. Support - Identify what support you need. Get your team together and your dream will come together. Avoid unnecessary struggle by getting support from family, friends and expert help from a Professional Coach or Business Mentor.

Every day we wake and take breath is a Divine Blessing. Life is a precious gift and you are alive for a Divine Purpose. When you take time to connect with the unchanging essence of life, an inner stability develops. And when you live on purpose the decisions you make bring success, fulfilment peace and harmony.

Caroline Shola Arewa Motivational Speaker, Life Coach, Author. For information about Coaching Sessions and Retreats please email Shola Arewa shola@creatingease.com

Caroline Shola Arewa Creating EASE is an energy-based approach to work-life balance. We work with individuals and organisations on achieving more Success and less stress in our ‘I need it yesterday' world. Shola is a Health and Success Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author.

Visit our website http://www.creatingease.com and sign up for your free 7-day e-course on Creating EASE and excellence in your work and personal life. Working with you to achieve Success without Stress.

New Developments Make Christian Life Coaching "The" Career Choice for Work-At-Home Professionals

2007-12-28T05:21:00.005-08:00

I have watched for a couple years now, as my wife's career has really taken off and I must admit, I am impressed. At the age of 55, having had so many life experiences, it just made me sit up and take notice that something huge is happening. In addition to this, I have seen her income quadruple over the past year.

My wife, Leelo-Dianne Bush is a Christian Life Coach. She is also founder and president of PCCCA (Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy). Her work involves helping individuals reach their goals, improve their lives and relationships and overcome obstacles that held them back. She does her work 95% over the phone from her office in our home. Working by phone, she tells me is far more time-efficient and removes geographic barriers. And coaching is all about efficiency and action-driven results, right?

Life Coaching as a profession dates back a mere 30 or so years. While people have been mentoring and coaching others to success for thousands of years, in our fast paced, affluent world, people have stress and time-management problems. Some people just want more out of life. They are willing to invest in themselves to get their life and/or career on track.

Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends. And let's face it, about 80% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Enter Christian Coaching.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

Christian Coaching is Christ-centered, biblically sound and applies these as well as practical strategies to achieve balance in our lives, give back to our community and live in the abundance that the bible teaches us to live in. Poverty simply isn't biblical. How much can we bless others when we have nothing? And we are called to be a blessing and reach the world for Christ. In doing so, we need to give others a reason to want what we have. When we have peace, joy, financial security and great relationships, it is a great testimony to the world.

When people know we are Christians, they watch us more closely. They want to see whether we walk our talk. They want to know that we have integrity. It all works together to enhance the Christian community and our image. In my opinion, being a Christian is a whole lot more than just saying we are Christian. It defines a faith and a lifestyle.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

I have had a life-long passion for helping others. I am the kind of person who is always called on when something needs change or improvement. Seeing how my wife is able to help others, coach them to success, train new Christian Coaches and reap in countless blessings has opened my eyes to this new profession. So I made the decision to become a Certified Christian Life Coach myself. When I have my certification completed, my wife and I will form a joint practice where she will continue what she does and I will become a Christian Life Coach for men. My specialty will likely be helping men achieve balance in their lives so they don't go through mid-life crises and helping men transition to new careers or retirement.

If you have considered working from home or want to fulfill your calling by helping others either in a solo practice or within your church community, visit the website for Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy at www.pccca.org.

If you want more information on whether this is the right career choice for you, PCCCA has a new ebook entitled "How To Start A Christian Coaching Practice" offered at their website at http://pccca.org/My_Homepage_Files/Page10.html. This ebook at $3.00, shows you the ins and outs of this profession and how to get started so you know what you are getting into before you invest a considerable amount in your training.
Tip! The initial step into finding the appropriate life coach center or institute is to look into available life coaching programs and courses that are designed to meet your educational needs. Remember too, that you should always ask the school counselor or course provider questions regarding specific programs that are tailored to what you are seeking.

Evan Bush resides in Cape Coral, Florida with his wife and daughter. To contact Evan, email him at bushbenning@aol.com.

What's Wrong with Life Coaching?

2007-12-28T05:21:00.004-08:00

As a Life Coach I quickly identified most individuals wanted to achieve a particular goal or ambition and tried it themselves without success, and unfortunatley were still reluctant to get any help. So, I started 'A Life Coaching' a company which provides individuals with the tools, skills and processes to Life Coach themselves. (Free sample multi media below.)

All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed. I guess it's the best of both worlds!.

So how do we do it. We train individuals through CD based multimedia and some reading material, then the client completes a set of worksheets working through the goal from start through to successful completion. Not too difficult and individuals love the education they can use in their lives over and over again..

This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person. Best way to demonstrate is to check out this free PC multi media sample, please keep you speakers on and click here:

http://www.alifecoaching.com/servicesselfcoach.htm

Hope you enjoy the free lesson. Hope this information will help you achieve your goals and ambitions...

Cheers

Life Coach Leo

A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.com

The Value of Coaching to Support Your Business and Your Life

2007-12-28T05:21:00.003-08:00

In our daily lives as well as in our businesses, we typically operate from the perspective of doing the best we know how to do in dealing with life's challenges and opportunities. If we knew what it would take to be more effective in our relationships, more productive in our activities or more successful in reaching our goals, we would surely alter our behavior to correspond with these insights. The only access we ordinarily have to impact our lives comes from the areas of "what we know" and "what we don't know." In our efforts to achieve more, we usually resort to increasing what we do know by learning to do things a little better, a little different or we simply do more of a behavior that produced a certain result for us in the past. This behavior can predictably result in small, incremental increases in our ability to impact our business and our world. Likewise, by educating ourselves in the arena of "what we don't know," this knowledge then becomes part of what we now do know. As an example, if you are computer illiterate and you apply yourself to learn how to adeptly operate a computer, you will have successfully taken something that you do not know and converted it into what you now know. More than 95% of our efforts are spent in these two arenas - what we know and what we don't know. However, our most extraordinary growth comes from outside the arena of what we know or don't know. This composes the vast variety of ideas that we are blind to, not knowing that they even exist. It's in this arena of "what we don't know we don't know" that breakthrough or ah-ha experiences occur.

So how do you gain access to this fertile territory if you don't even know that it exists? The answer lies in recruiting the help of a coach who can support you to explore this rich domain that is outside of your customary way of viewing the world and acting upon its challenges. Your coaches should be individuals who themselves possess the key principles that make them powerful in the particular arena they offer coaching. A coach may be powerful in some arenas but not necessarily in others. The same person who is qualified to coach you in business matters may be totally unqualified to coach you in the area of relationships or spiritual matters. True coaches do not give advice or lend their opinions. They are value based, not ego based. They do not manipulate or exploit to carry out their own agenda. They are totally nonjudgmental. They are not the same as counselors or therapists. They do not try to protect, control or rescue those they are coaching. They instead listen for where one may be experiencing challenges or may be missing some key element that, if put into place, would impact a desired result. Coaches support us in seeing something that we may not be aware of by listening both to what we say and to what we leave out. They have empathy for the person being coached but are not emotionally attached to an outcome. They serve to champion people to have their lives work optimally. They do this by asking questions, exploring possibilities, making requests and, at times, confronting issues that may need to be examined. Skilled coaching is a fine art and a highly valuable service.
Tip! Depending on the school or individual training program, Coaching Certification for Natural Healing can be attained in a matter of a few hours or up to a year and a half. Employment possibilities for coaches include counseling business leaders, assisting in increasing personal career achievements, and personal life coaching.

For a coaching relationship to be possible, there must exist an open willingness on the part of the person being coached to undergo the process. Of course, total confidentiality must exist to allow for the freedom necessary to explore any and all areas that may need to be explored. The absence of judging and advice creates the opening needed to fully examine any possibility.

Coaching is typically undertaken in any of six major areas of life: business/career, health, wealth, relationships, spirituality/personal development or recreation/passions. A good coach will clarify if his or her coaching client is open to explore any or all of these areas or if the coaching relationship is agreed to be limited to any one or more areas. True coaches are value-based and interact with honor and respect while, at the same time, they are not reluctant to call someone on their "stuff" out of a solid commitment to champion the person's excellence and best interests.

Successful coaches:

· Listen for what may be missing to accomplish a result or honor a person's values.
Tip! Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

· Lead by example and champion others to step into leadership.

· Are committed to their client's excellence and, at the same time, not attached to his or her responses.

· Are grounded in value-based personal development principles.

· Hold those they coach as totally capable and competent while looking for what might be missing for them to fully experience their magnificence.

· Source the person coached to be their best and live with passion while playing full out to accomplish their goals.

· Never make the person coached small or dependent.

· Champion the person coached to be the best they can be with the goal of ultimate invisibility for themselves as a coach. The coach's ego must not be a factor in the relationship.

· Have permission to tell the truth and not step over uncomfortable topics or situations in order to avoid discomfort or look good.
Tip! There are two options to successful implement the entire process of reflection and change, one being to undertake the task alone. The most efficient way is to follow the process and steps in the ‘A Life Coaching' Self Life Coaching guide as per link details above.

· Create a safe atmosphere that allows for the client to be vulnerable and open to possibilities.

· Support their coaching clients in an accountability structure, ensuring that they follow through on what they say they will do.

· Support the free flow of ideas and conversations for possibilities through idea streaming.

It is helpful for any coaching relationship to begin by developing clarity with respect to the client's overall vision. This vision should include every aspect of the person's life and business. From this wide-ranging perspective, it is then possible to develop a plan to accomplish any goals. These goals would themselves comprise a component of the big picture by fulfilling or working toward one aspect of the vision's realization.

A productive coaching relationship can focus on either a life or business project. In the realm of business or network marketing, a coaching relationship is often best undertaken within the context of a project or action plan that is grounded in time. By focusing on producing specific and measurable results, a coach can support a client to best work through any business stops or life challenges en route to the accomplishment of one's goals. A coach can also assist in gaining clarity on all conditions of satisfaction that may be important to a project's fulfillment. Such conditions might include those non-measurable items that would need to take place for a project to be considered a success. These might include developing stronger relationships with family members, spending quality time with children, devoting a minimum amount of time daily to meeting one's own needs, taking a well deserved vacation, etc.
Tip! Because life coaching is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, with adequate training, students who join this expanding business industry will gain practical skills, knowledge and experience to help guide and empower themselves and their clients. The important framework of any life coaching educational program includes teaching students how to develop their own goals, how to formulate a successful business strategy and how to build reputations.

Many people mistakenly assume that they can be successful in business without being successful in other areas of their lives. Our businesses are an important component of our lives, but only one such component. If there is an imbalance in any of the six prominent areas of our lives, any business accomplishment will be somehow incomplete. For this reason, a good coach will support a client to adapt a whole-thinking perspective in which mastery of all areas of life is the ultimate goal. For this reason, personal development is an essential component of any business coaching relationship. As one undertakes the personal improvement process, increased business productivity will surely result.
Tip! © Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article.

Just as an Olympic athlete in pursuit of a gold medal would not think of undertaking such an accomplishment without the support of a coach, most people would likewise benefit from a coaching relationship. Coaching can add fun and excitement to every aspect of your life as you take on the challenge of reinventing yourself and your business, always in search of excellence. And of course, one of the major benefits of an ongoing coaching relationship is that you will develop the coaching skills yourself that will be necessary for you to impact the lives of others, who will likewise look to you for coaching. If you are in business and do not yet have a coach who is committed to championing your success, I strongly encourage you to look into how such a relationship might support your goals and move your business and life forward with velocity.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

10Dr. Joe Rubino is North America's Success Coach. He is an internationally acclaimed trainer, author, personal effectiveness coach and the co-founder of The Center For Personal Reinvention, http://www.CenterForPersonalReinvention.com. He has been published in more than 100 leading magazines and publications and is the author of 10 best selling books available in 19 languages worldwide. Joe is the cofounder of "Conversations For Success", a 3-day course in personal and productivity development. For infomation on his books, courses and coaching programs, email drjrubino@email.com or visit http://www.cprsuccess.com.

What is Life Coaching?

2007-12-28T05:21:00.001-08:00

An recent article in Money Magazine said that "A coach may be the guardian angel you need to rev up your career." In fact, if you pick up any major newspaper or magazine, you are bound to come across a glowing article on coaching. It is one of the fastest growing careers, with an estimated 20,000 coaches in the United States. Because coaching is a relatively new profession, there are many people calling themselves "coaches"---unfortunately not all of whom are fully qualified. You should know that there is no required professional certification process, although it is coming in the near future.

When hiring a coach, it is essential that you know and trust your coach, as they are helping you craft your most important project---your life! The wonderful thing about coaching is that most coaches offer a complimentary sample session. This gives you the opportunity to see their style and find out if there is a match. To choose the best coach for you, ask them questions about their background, training, and any certifications. Most people simply choose someone based on the chemistry they feel after the session, so feel free to trust your instincts. In the 21st century, coaching is no longer a luxury, but a necessity! All human beings have a natural instinct to grow and learn, and due to the increased interest in self-improvement, more people than ever want the extra support that a coach provides.

If you are in business for yourself, a coach is an integral part of your "success team." Your coach is invested in your success and provides insight, structure, and encouragement for increased effectiveness and fast improvements. He serves as your partner, champion and cheerleader for your success and fulfillment. She works with you to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Coaching is based on learning, reflecting, and taking action. It is an interdependent relationship, with the coach playing many roles such as that of listener, questioner, challenger, resource provider, and idea generator.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

Top 7 Reasons to Hire a Coach

Are you tired of struggling? Are you working harder but not smarter? Then perhaps it is time for a change. Coaches are "change specialists." They bring a new and objective perspective to your challenges and stumbling blocks. They work with you to come up with creative solutions and exciting new directions.

A coach is professionally trained in human development and/or business processes, who forms powerful, insightful, and transformational relationships with his or her client. Through a process of discovery, life visioning, goal-setting, and strategizing, your coach partners with you to realize extraordinary results that could rarely be achieved alone.

1. You want to close the gap (more quickly and easily) between where you now and where you want to be in the future.

2. You have big dreams that scare you---and secretly would really like to live them out.

3. You want control over your own destiny.

4. You want assistance with staying on track---setting goals, managing your time/resources, and living in alignment with your values.

5. You've got great potential, but want help tapping into your intuition and personal power.

6. You want to be more successful---making more money or having more free time.

7. You want to explode your business and see amazing results fast!

Professional athletes and business executives stay at the top of their game with the help of a coach/mentor. For most of us, extra support can make all the difference in the world. Having a coach gives you the vehicle for accelerated accomplishment towards your goals. In this challenging world it is easy to get off track with what is most important to you. A coach keeps you focused, on purpose, and works with you to redefine goals and dreams. People dedicated to self-improvement work with different coaches throughout their lifetime and experience a higher level of living as a result. Depending on your need or challenge, you can find career coaches, relationship coaches, performance coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, prosperity coaches, communication coaches, etc.
Tip! During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying.

***Just ask yourself: what life area would I like to change, improve or transform?

Coaching is an enlightening and empowering experience, and working with a professional coach can transform your life. There are a number of online resources to help you find just the right person. Visit www.locateacoach.com, www.coachvillereferral.com www.247coaching.com and www.coachfederation.org.

Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed. is a whole life coach, speaker, and author. She has written three self-help books and a dozen workbooks on life empowerment topics. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching. She helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.

Michelle can personally work with you to build and brand your business.

Contact her for a complimentary coaching session: coach@brightlightcoach.com

Visit virtually: http://www.getsmartseries.com or http://www.brightlightcoach.com

Sign up for her free monthly ezine, Get Smart! Live Smart by sending an email to: Getsmarter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Mid Life Crisis, Life Transitions, & Ontological Coaching

2007-12-28T05:18:00.005-08:00

Recently I have been watching a TV show called Blowout. It is a reality show about a hair designer, Jonathan Antin who struggles to get his Beverly Hills salon up and running. Not only do the Hollywood stars visit his shop but also many other women come in for makeovers with the hope that they too will look like the rich and famous. In fact, when their makeovers are finished they really do look more glamorous than when they walked in. Actually, the TV is filled with shows like these including the famous Extreme Makeover and Dr. 90214, which depicts Beverly Hill's plastic surgeons reshaping and changing the appearances of women of all ages. In these shows the women, in particular, discuss how they feel stuck in a midlife crisis or are anxious about a life transition.

When I am at the fitness center I observe women and men of all ages and sizes feverishly working out. Personally, I think it is tremendous that women are working to create a new persona for themselves. It would be simple to conclude that these women are just focusing on their outward appearances. I do not know if this is the case or not. My hope would be that women are just as concerned with their mental and spiritual health as well as their physical appearance. I believe many are doing just that, but what about those who are not? What about those women who sense a lack of direction or purpose in life, which can be associated with a mid life crisis? What about those women who are dealing with a life transition and are anxious about their abilities to handle it or just feeling overwhelmed by life itself? Often there is a stigma attached to seeing a psychologist, entering into therapy or counseling or seeking guidance from a religious institution. Certainly if one is severely depressed, suffering from addictions or other mental and spiritual disorders then counseling or therapy is indeed appropriate. But what about a healthy person who does just feel stuck, lacking a direction in life, or overwhelmed, is there a place for them to turn? The answer to that may lie in being coached. Ontological Coaching, in particular, is not about transforming one's personality. It begins with the premise that the person is healthy and their self is intact. Ontological Coaching is about opening up new horizons of learning, which in turn expands how you observe future possibilities and opportunities. In essence, this is how you view your very being or soul.

How is Ontological Coaching different from other forms of coaching? The answer lies in its expanded view of language. The desire to alter outcomes or improve an individual's performance is a central goal in traditional as well as ontological coaching. The difference is found in the process. In traditional coaching one typically observes an action, the results of that action is assessed, a determination is made as to what is missing, the actions are then modified, the modified actions are taken, and then the cycle is repeated. This approach does tend to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the known actions. However, the assessment is only concerned with the known actions or possibilities that the client sees as reality. I believe when someone is suffering, perhaps in the throes of a mid life crisis or a life transition it is because their self or the ability of the self to observe future possibilities or opportunities is limited or narrow in scope. In Ontological Coaching a new element is added to the process. This critical piece is the language of the observer. Suffering is a linguistic or social phenomenon as opposed to pain, which is a biological phenomenon.
Tip! Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends.

It is well known that our results have a great deal to do with our actions or lack of actions. What is less clear is that our actions themselves have to do with the observer that we are or the way we "see things". We tend to think we observe reality as it is but what we really are observing is reality as we observe it. Each individual has his or her own way of observing and thus each has his or her own interpretation of reality. What this means is if we constrain ourselves to our own observations then we are limiting the sphere of future possibilities to what we deem as reality. We become caught in the drift of life. When we reach intersections, such as a mid life crisis or life transition, we are blocked by our own transparent actions or habits. We then become trapped or stuck in our own interpretations. What we deem capable of producing as future action becomes limited. As you can see there is nothing necessarily psychologically wrong, our self or being is intact, it is just limited by our language, which includes our power of observation and the development of future possibilities through speaking and listening.
Tip! Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas.

Why then does this make ontological coaching more effective than traditional coaching, especially in the long run? The answer lies in the ability to expand the coachee's interpretations and therefore their future possibilities and opportunities. Ontologically we claim that the observer or the self of each individual is comprised of three elements, our language, our emotions and moods, and our physical presence (both biological and postural). By working within the sphere of these three elements and, in particular, expanding the domain of our language the ontological coach can shift the observer and the self of his coachee. The result is not just goals that are more effective and efficient, but ones that are expanded to contain new possibilities and opportunities never thought possible by the individual.

Robert Wummer of http://IntersectionsCoaching.com is an ontological coach who specializes in life's transitional times and the intersection (or collision) of an individual's personal and professional goals. His work is extremely effective in the development of integral leadership practices.

Life On The Receiving End Of Coaching

2007-12-28T05:18:00.004-08:00

What is it like to be on the receiving end of mentoring to improve your performance in pocket billiards and at the same time, participate in life changing coaching?

You are the reason for all of the things you are going through. Once you accept that, you are then ready to make the changes that will take you to the next level and far beyond.

Many billiards players find themselves blocked from moving to the next level. They seem to stay in the same place year after year. Do you find yourself at one of these stagnation points? I recently took part in the Monk 101 Four Points To Power program and found it was

· Professionally personalized programs for success · Structure to keep me focused, on track, clear, accountable and successful · Support to sharpen skills, clarity and awareness · Direction on material and technology to support top quality growth · Opportunity to hone critical thinking skills, analyze situations and co-create strategies to effectively deal with them on the table and off.

It did not require face-to-face meetings, it did not rely upon judgment of my performance before beginning the program and it did not require an exorbitant investment of time and money. Working with The Monk I learned many things about myself and was able to make some positive changes. I now find I can:

· Accept Criticism--If given with respect, offered in private, critique could change your game.

· Submit To Correction--You know you did wrong and you are sorry, but until you are shown how to correct the problem, it is subject repetition.

· Learn By Following--Learning can be defined as the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skills. But you only gain understanding when you follow someone's example.

· Get Yourself Free--Learn to deal with the bad habits you keep dragging around. Be accountable to your master.

· Gain Consistency--Make Your game more reliable and uniform in a variety of circumstances and varying degrees of distraction.

· Increase Confidence--Learn the Four Strokes of Pool, how to shoot them and how to use them to win. · Win More Games--When you can get your attitude in line with your skills, you will find more often then not you will be in the winners' circle.

· Gain Recognition--"From our perceptions we turn in our performance. If with faulty perceptions we act, we think, and we perform, calamity comes upon us. If from right perceptions we act, we think, we perform, success is ours."

· Improve Your Life--The Enlightenment Stage is the goal of true champions. Those who reach this level are truly free from the ruling forces of the senses and can live life to the fullest. You won't know the true meaning of your life until you connect to that which gave you meaning.
Tip! The initial step into finding the appropriate life coach center or institute is to look into available life coaching programs and courses that are designed to meet your educational needs. Remember too, that you should always ask the school counselor or course provider questions regarding specific programs that are tailored to what you are seeking.

Truly, if you can become one with the nine precepts outlined above, we can change our world. The Monk 101 Four Points to Power program is your chance to change the mind set that holds you back in this great game. Our perceptions build our mindset. From our mindset we act, think and perform.

The true value of this program goes far beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge; you can do that with a book. The Monk 101 Four Points To Power is designed to help you reach the stage of true enlightenment, and real understanding.

Even in pocket billiards, you can't sink a shot with knowledge, you'll never gain good position if your shot is based on what you know -- understanding gives you great power, both on the table and off.
Tip! But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not governmental, but along some manner of guild system.

>---------------------------------<

Reg Hardy, The Monk's Apprentice, writes mostly on billiards topics, primarily for http://www.billiardscrossing.com Where Good Players Get Better .. His Billiards Crossing website features over 170 billiards resources. A 7-day Trial Membership is $4.95.

"Get a handle on your mental game at http://www,billiardsmindmender.com

Truth About Life Coaching School Accreditation

2007-12-28T05:18:00.003-08:00

With life coaching becoming "the" career choice in this millennium, many of you are seeking the right choice for training and certification. Hopefully this article will answer some of your questions.

There are many fine life coach schools, academies and institutes. Some are accredited and some not. Should the school's accreditation make a difference to you? In my opinion, no.

Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

What makes the issue of accreditation particularly confusing is marketing. Accreditation is being used as a marketing tool in some cases, not as a barometer of their success. Many coaching schools are accredited only because a group of colleagues got together and decided to form a group and accredit their associates' schools. How do you know whether this is the case for a school you are interested in? You really don't know and generally can't find out.

Many schools use accreditation as a marketing ploy to draw you in and charge exhorbitant rates. If you just want to spend more money, go ahead. Price really has little to do with the effectiveness of the materials. Mid-range schools generally work harder to please students and offer as good or better training in many cases, because students get more one-on-one time with instructors. How important is a school's accreditation? Let's put it into realistic perspective. What is most important to a prospective coaching client is, can this coach help me? Most clients look to see whether a coach has had formal coach training, but not into the background of the school. And the truth is, clients don't care whether the school you attended, is accredited. It just doesn't come up. Clients will decide to use your services if they like you, feel a connection, and experience benefits from their sample session with you. That's pretty much it.

Peer Resources (http://www.peer.ca/coachingschools.html), recognized world leader in coach training resources states "accreditation" in the coaching field at present has a number of troubling aspects, including its lack of wide-spread acceptance, conflicts of interests between reviewers and some rated schools, minimal reporting of results, and questionable or vague criteria. While accreditation typically means the school has been reviewed by an external source, it does not necessarily mean that "non-accredited schools" provide less value or poorer quality programs."

Since coaching is a distinct and relatively new profession, and no universal standards exist, many new schools have come into existence. To build a fence around the training opportunities and the income derived from it, some schools formed organizations to accredit only their schools of choice and make it nearly impossible for a newer school to become accredited. They will mandate applicant schools to show evidence of ten or more years of professional success, before they even consider them for accreditation. Then, they apply personal biases for accrediting schools, so unless a school fits within their philosophies, they aren't eligible or will not be approved.
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

So how does the potential coaching student make a sound choice? Here are some ways:

Read student testimonials

Verify the school's philosophies allign with yours

Contact the school and see if they are prompt with replies to your questions

Look for a school in your desired niche - Here is an example:

Let's say you are a Christian and prefer training that agrees with your faith. It will be important to select a Christian (bible-based) certification course. Admittedly this niche offers a few options for training. Some are accredited and some not. But this should not matter, because there is no governing body to decide whose course is best. The Christian schools who show accreditation from established secular accrediting bodies, are actually less likely to have substantive biblical content, because secular groups frequently subscribe to new age philosophies and may influence course content and materials.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

Through my research and contact with various institutions, there was only one Christian coaching school which impressed me. That is the Professional Christian Counseling and Coaching Academy. (www.pccca.org). PCCCA offers training and certification for Christian Life Coaches and Christian Counselors.

I found they stand on their principles of faith, maintain the integrity of their programs and consistently strive for excellence. What is more, they offer one-to-one training with practicing coaches, serving as coach training instructors. Any coaching school's success relies on what they bring to the table with their skills, integrity, response-time, reasonable fees and knowledge. Add that to superb training and you have an unbeatable combination. While PCCCA has Christian School Accreditation, they do not have secular coaching school accreditation.

I recommend that potential students not be persuaded by gimicky advertising, high fees and accreditation. Look for the best school for you. Period.

The author, Emery Hilton-Goode is a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurial strategies and career training. You may contact the author at diamonglo@aol.com

What in the World is Life Coaching?

2007-12-28T05:18:00.002-08:00

In my speaking engagements I have often compared coaching today to psychotherapy in the 1920s. The level of public understanding of coaching, outside of people in a certain socio-demographic category, is still in its infancy. We are all so saturated with the language of psychoanalysis - it's difficult to read a book or watch a movie that isn't premised on this shared language - that we probably don't consider there was once a time when practitioners were asked: "Now, you do what, exactly?"

"And I would tell you my dream because it would reveal what?"

"So there's this free association thing, which apparently still costs something, and I give you the first thing that comes to mind because there are these subconscious drives I have?"
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

To the not-yet-initiated, coaching can sound like this. What is it and why would I want to do it?

Coaching, whether for career or business, existential questions or relationships, begins with alignment. Coaches get you, your actions and thoughts, and your very lifestyle aligned with who you say you are, or want to be.

That is, we will get the way you live, think, act, and work integrated with the core values and goals you say you have. If you don't know what your ultimate values and goals are, then that's coachable too.

It's not by magic that coaches help clients achieve their goals. From the practical and action-oriented to the great questions, coaches draw from the best of management consulting, best business practices, motivational and cognitive psychology, sports performance, ethics and spirituality, the Socratic dialogue and philosophy.

Most fundamentally, coaches help clients get out of their own way.

COACHING BRIEFLY DEFINED

Here is one definition of coaching, per the International Coach Federation:

"Professional Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or team that supports the achievement of extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results."
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

"The individual or team chooses the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions as well as concepts and principles which can assist in generating possibilities and identifying actions. . . . Coaching accelerates the individual's or team's progress by providing greater focus and awareness of possibilities leading to more effective choices. . . . . [R]esults are a matter of the individual's or team's intentions, choices and actions, supported by the coach's efforts and application of coaching skills, approaches and methods."

If your definition of a coach is borrowed from high school or college athletics, where the athlete is beneath the coach and can even be dismissed by him, then the term "coaching" may be a bit misleading to you. A personal or executive coach is more like the coach of a pro track star or tennis player: in these professional relationships, the coach and the client are two co-equals and partners, and it's actually the client who decides how long the coach stays on the team.

THE PROCESS

A coach begins, from a place of generosity of will and spirit, by getting to know you as a person and formally identifying your goals and values, using a variety of in-house or standardized assessments. Then the coach looks at the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Tip! During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying.

A coach will then work with you to close that gap by eradicating your self-limiting thinking, reducing your stress and enhancing your efficiency, and getting you to stretch and try new things and ways of being. A coach will help you implement strategies to reach your goals, tactical steps to carry out your strategy, and day to day accountability to keep you focused on the tactics, the strategy, the goal -- all while explicitly remaining true to your values.

Coaching is at its root about expanding your awareness and making you accountable to yourself. Coaches expand clients' awareness about themselves and then help them to be accountable to what they have learned. It can be a sophisticated form of teaching, mentoring, and partnering in an enterprise with a single focus: your personal, professional, and even spiritual development. Coaches show you ways to find clarity, guide you to awareness of your true situations (including how you get in your own way), and show you how to take action based on what you know.

To be coached, then, is to get experienced, committed, and insightful help in (1) finding clarity about subjects big and small, (2) deepening your understanding about what holds you back, and, crucially, (3) being guided toward acting on your knowledge to make desired and lasting change in your life.
Tip! Perhaps the best endorsement of the effectiveness of life coaching comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. Successful writer and now life coach herself, Marlee Huber of Washington State remarks, 'I cannot adequately express the joy that I am feeling as I move forward in my mission.

WHO GETS COACHED?

Coaching clients are clear that they want something -- virtually anything -- sooner and with more certainty of getting it than they could manage alone. It could be learning, career advancement, satisfaction, higher performance, better relationships, or quality of life. Clients are not attempting, through coaching, to address emotional pain or psychological disorders. This is one of the key differences between coaching and counseling. See more at http://www.ferocecoaching.com/coaching-and-counseling.html.

Coachable clients are functioning well and able to take action in the direction of their goals. Coaches look to the present and the future; they discuss the past primarily in order to clarify where the client is today. Critically, coaching need not resolve issues of the past in order to move forward.

THE RELATIONSHIP, IN A NUTSHELL

The coaching relationship is the key to its success. Coach and client are partners. Mutual appreciation and respect are not just a by-product of the time they spend together but the engine of coaching's success. A rarity in relationships, coach and client are collaborators in a joint enterprise: the client. At my coaching firm, our philosophy is that clients already have many of the answers within them, and to the extent that's the case, it's the coach's job to draw them out.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

Coaches don't often hold themselves out as expert or authority on subject matter so much as on process. The client and her coach jointly choose the topics of their work together, the format, and the outcomes the client desires. Coaches are for the emotionally mature. Those who imagine that a coach can turn their lives around are not yet coachable under most coaches' ethics. A coach is someone you retain only when you are ready. To take with you that next, elusive step.
Tip! You can review more on Life Coaching options and other very useful information on the ‘A Life Coaching' website, visit www.alifecoaching.

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS, NOT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE

There is rarely such a thing as a "type" or "field" of coaching, wherein life coaches could be considered somehow different from relationship coaches.

The reason there is usually no difference between, say, life or personal coaching on the one hand and executive

coaching on the other, is that these titles describe only the client, not the coaching itself. That is, the words describe the buyer of the services and perhaps even how that client perceives himself.

But the techniques and methods of coaching are very similar, because all coaching comes down to the process of guiding human beings through the discovery of their full humanity, their insight, and greater accountability to themselves. Even if you are an executive who wants "executive" coaching, you know there is no such thing as skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are used in, and useful in, only the boardroom or office. You are on a mission to enhance your effective personhood, not your, shall we say, executiveness.
Tip! Traditional therapy and Life Coaching can complement each other. However, if a therapist is using coaching techniques, it is best if the client knows that a coaching technique is being applied.

What is the consequence of coaching being the same no matter who the client is? Well, it means that subject matter expertise is often irrelevant. To be a career coach, it may help to have some knowledge of career resources, of course. The same is true for specialty aspects of business coaching, entrepreneurship coaching, or leadership coaching. But in general, you should opt for a coach with superb coaching skills and chemistry over a coach with subject matter expertise.

Cameron Powell, a writer and coach, is also a professional ally and strategic partner who, as a life coach, when his clients most need it, will kick their butts into action now and then. To learn more about how he gets people unstuck and moving forward in their lives and careers as a Life Coach, visit his site.

Coaching: How to Have a Mentor for Your Life

2007-12-28T05:18:00.001-08:00

My business card says I'm a marriage and family therapist. That doesn't very adequately describe what I do.

For example, spend more than 30 seconds with a new person and the inevitable "what do you do for a living?" question arises. I usually get one of three reactions:

1) "Oh, that's nice", and then they walk away. (I'm really not that scary.)

2) "So are you analyzing me right now?" (As if that's all I do in my spare time.)

3) "Oh, let me tell you about my husband/wife/kids/etc." (Makes me want to tell people I'm a plumber!).

Many folks just don't really know what goes on in counseling. What notions they do have come from TV and movies with some boring at best and weird at worst shrink talking strange sounding psycho-babble.

Good therapy is really not at all like Woody Allen whining and complaining while laying on a couch week after week forever. In fact, the only person who ever lies on my couch is me, if I'm really tired between sessions.
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

In my humble opinion, the two best portrayals of therapists/counseling are Judd Hirsch in the 1980 Robert Redford movie "Ordinary People", and Robin Williams in the recent award winning "Good Will Hunting" (minus the choking scene, of course!).

What these two movies have in common is they show the counselor doing what I believe good therapy is really all about: coaching!

That's right, coaching.

All I really do is to meet a person where they are, ask them where they want to be, and design tools and solutions to get them there. Most of the time, when things go really well, we end up moving even further than they thought they could.

That's just one of the many valuable things that good counseling/coaching has to offer. Here's a few more that clients have shared with me:
Tip! In Life Coaching, the focus is on the present and the future. Coaching clients may have already experienced therapy and will therefore expect the same type of experience.

•Someone's undivided attention for at least an hour. That's a very rare thing in our fast paced instant culture.

•New perspectives other than your own.

•Tools and solutions designed for your particular struggle or challenge.

•A "coach" whose job it is to help you do well in life. Even Michael Jordan had a coach.

•Someone to actually listen to you. In his book "The Lost Art of Listening", Michael Nichols says "Few motives in human experience are as powerful as the yearning to be understood. Being listened to means that we are taken seriously, that our ideas and feelings are known and, ultimately, that what we have to say matters."

•Someone to help you get "unstuck." So many times, we get stuck in doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. A good counselor/coach can show you many other options for getting what you want in life. Remember, "if you keep doing what you have always done, you'll keep on getting what you have always gotten."

•Someone to "check-in with" as you face the various challenges of life. After we have solved the current crisis that brought then in, many of the folks that I counsel/coach don't do the traditional "same time next week" for the rest of their lives bit. We begin to taper off to every other week, every third week, and so on. Some people have monthly check-in appointments, others check-in 3-4 times a year.

•As Scott Peck says in the opening sentence of The Road Less Traveled: "Life is hard." There is nothing wrong with asking for some coaching along the way. Even if you have been "doing it wrong", there's really nothing wrong with being wrong. The only wrong thing is to keep on being wrong once you have realized you are wrong. Right?
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

So if even Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes we will ever see, needed a coach, why not you as well. Who's your coach? Will this be the year you give your self the present of a little "life coaching?"

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

Life Coaching Defined

2007-12-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

Five years ago I had never heard of the term ‘life coach', let alone think that I would one day be one. However, life coaching is spreading very quickly in the UK. Type ‘life coach' into any internet search engine and you will find an almost bewildering amount of directories and websites all offering coaching services.

So, what is it?

Imagine your life as a journey. Sometimes along the way there are places you want to get to, but the path seems complicated and there are many distractions and false turnings. You lose your map. You perhaps have tried to get to this place before, but you never made it - something got in the way or it was too difficult.

Perhaps you are stuck in one place, resigned to being where you don't really want to be, but the thought of trying again to get out of it is far too scary. Perhaps you have even forgotten that there was ever another place you wanted to reach, but you have a continual, sneaking feeling that there is something else out there beyond the boundary that could be so much better.

In life these metaphors stand for being in a dead-end or boring job, but feeling unable to move forwards to something else. Or it could be that a relationship has become stale. Or perhaps you just feel that you are not living the life that expresses you, or are unsure who that person is anyway.

Going back to our travel metaphor, you can think of the life coach as a kind of travel guide. This person knows there is a world beyond the boundary and can help you discover it for yourself. He or she knows the nature of the obstacles that are in your way but knows that it is possible to overcome them, and how. This travel guide can help the traveller to draw up a map, with landmarks and destinations along the way that will be part of the journey and assure the traveller that they are on the right track. The guide will stay with the traveller, keeping their focus on the way ahead and reminding them of their final destination when they get distracted or disheartened. The guide will encourage them when they get discouraged and urge them on when they lose heart.
Tip! Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas.

In other words, the life coach helps you get from where you are now to where you want to be - and often will help you to find out where it is you want to be! The life coach does not tell you what to do, but uses techniques to draw answers from you so that you can make the choices that are right for you. This makes it completely different to counselling (which works on the past) or advice (which is usually someone telling you what you ‘should' do).

I like to call it ‘getting in touch with your passion'. We are all passionate about something (though some of us may have forgotten what it is, or not found it yet) - and I believe that when people are doing or living the thing they are passionate about, they are truly living in their full self-expression of who they are and why they are here.
Tip! But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not governmental, but along some manner of guild system.

Ros is a career and confidence life coach in Northamptonshire. She is very passionate about helping people 'find themselves' and to live lives that are fulfilling and joyful. This includes finding the right career... after all, we spend a lot of time at our jobs, so we might as well be happy doing them! She works from the belief that anything is possible and that we all create our own lives, based on what we believe about ourselves. These beliefs can be changed to create something more positive.

The Hidden Effects of Childhood Maltreatment and How Life Coaching Can Help

2007-12-28T05:15:00.001-08:00

Violence against women is one of the primary health problems facing adults today. Many people are not aware that childhood maltreatment is a powerful risk factor for health problems in adulthood. Its victims can suffer lifelong health effects.

Maltreatment is best viewed as a risk factor for a wide range of subsequent health problems. Were you neglected, sexually abused, or physically abused as a child? An important step is to face the truth about how you suffered as a child. Health effects have to be assessed within a developmental perspective. There are several avenues by which abuse can affect health.

The first avenue is physiological. Traumatic events can alter the brain and body. The human system of self defense becomes disorganized and overwhelmed. Traumatic events produce profound changes in physiological arousal. The nervous system becomes sensitized and comes to anticipate trauma. There can be dental, vision or hearing problems. An adult can suffer from headaches, backaches, chest pain, pelvic pain, chronic pain and fatigue.

A second way that abuse that affect health is behavioral. Adult survivors may engage in harmful actions or behaviors and become very self destructive. Some behavioral examples are self-injury, shame, suicide attempts, eating disorders, high risk sexual activity, compulsive spending and gambling and substance misuse. These behaviors may be used to numb feelings so the pain can be coped with. These high risk behaviors can impact health.

A third avenue is cognitive - child abuse is associated with distorted beliefs and perceptions about one's self and one's behaviors. These negative beliefs can undermine health and lead to low self-esteem, self blame and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. It may be common for adults to have perceptions of helplessness, chronic danger and consequent hyper-vigilance. An adult may become shamed-based and feel they are worthless, unacceptable and bad. This vicious cycle can drive a victim inside a private world of suffering, loss of power, re-victimization and deep self doubt. Beliefs can certainly impact health. Interpersonal difficulties is another avenue. Adults survivors can have difficulties in their adult relationships. Examples include difficulties in trusting others, inability to set boundaries, avoidance of intimacy and close relationships and sexual difficulties. These difficulties can result in social isolation, marital disruptions and divorce. Past maltreatment or victimization can set up an adult victim for relationship failures. This can lead to poor health outcomes.

Finally, the fifth avenue can be in the area of emotional difficulties. An adult victim can have anxiety, fear, terror, and sadness. They may adopt a position of surrendering to life and feel they are abandoned to their fate. They may develop antisocial behaviors that isolate them in relating to others. An adult may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which can significantly impact daily life. Another result could be depression and that disorder can have a devastating affect on health.

A history of childhood victimization and maltreatment can have a significant impact on adult health. It can be associated with a range of difficulties in adulthood.

Developing healthier coping skills is a major focus of personal coaching with an adult who has this history. Coaching can assist an adult in managing stress more effectively. Personal coaching can help an adult to learn to nurture and care for themselves. There is alot of power in self care. You deserve to live a most joyful and healthy life and personal coaching can assist you on your path to extreme self care and wellness.

Debra Tullis, MSW, LCSW, BCD is a life coach and a clinical therapist. She has a Master's Degree in Social Work and worked in the social service field for the last 24 years. She is Board Certified in Clinical Social Work and is working toward a certification in life coaching. She is the owner of Coaching for the Good Life and is a member of the International Coach Federation, Coachville, and the International Association of Coaches. To learn more about Debra's services email her at lifeisgood2@sbcglobal.net or visit her website at http://www.coachingforthegoodlife.com

Developing a Marketing Mindset in Life Coaching: Part Two

2007-12-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

In the first part of this article we discussed the distinction between an Influencing Paradigm, and a Service Paradigm, to marketing your coaching business. We discussed how marketing your business is both ethically valid and commercially crucial, and how marketing is a critical process in achieving your coaching objective of having a positive impact on the lives of others.

To quickly surmise, we explained that people with an Influencing Paradigm mindset perceive marketing to be ‘leading' and ‘salesy.' They come from the paradigm that by marketing you are proactively influencing someone in their decisions. Or specifically that you may make someone do something they would not otherwise do.

People from the Service Paradigm school of thought accept that prospects are people that have identified for themselves their need to invoke change. And they've identified that a coach will assist them make that change. They recognise that the prospect has made the intellectual link between their needs and how they want those needs to be fulfilled.

To be a successful coach, or in fact successful in any business, it's critical that you embrace a Service Paradigm mindset toward your marketing.

In this article we're going to further explore exactly how you can develop a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.

Before we can begin to discuss how you can develop your Service Paradigm mindset, let's look at some of the characteristics. Coaches with a Service Paradigm recognise that to assist clients meet their objectives, they need to:

- Recognise that everyone in business is in the business of marketing. Without clients they'll have no one to deliver their services too and hence no one to assist. - Actively promote their services through compelling advertising that clearly describes what they can offer clients.

- Ethically promote their services with vigilance.

- Recognise the cycle of life of their prospects and regularly promote their services for as long as prospects allow.

- Understand that hey are often in a superior position of knowledge to ascertain what their client needs to assist them attain their goals.

- Be empathic to the needs of clients and actively offer solutions to them through various products and services.

- Value their client's intellect and decision making ability.

- Not pre-empt their client's wants and hence limit the range and scope of products and services they offer them.

- Always acts as an ethical adviser.

As a coach, to outwit your competitors you must create a niche; and to build a successful business you must attain a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.

To develop your Service Paradigm marketing mindset:

1. Be determined to succeed. You need to be absolutely determined that you're going to succeed. If you just want to succeed, but you're not willing to go the extra mile, you'll get swept aside by those that are more determined. If you are truly determined, you'll be confident and this confidence will automatically show in your business and be transparent to prospective clients, peers and the general public. Prospective clients will want to be associated with you, and clients will want to continue their involvement.

2. Persevere. Coaches with a marketing mindset embrace challenges as part of life and part of business. If you perceive challenges as impassable barriers you'll never develop a marketing mindset. It's crucial you accept you're going to confront hurdles as part of business. How you perceive these hurdles, as opportunities or barriers, will drastically influence your level of success. Perseverance is a key ingredient in developing a marketing mindset.
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

3. Remain positive. Literally nothing destroys a marketing mindset more than a negative attitude. A marketing mindset is a ‘can do' attitude. Faced with the same challenge, the coach with a positive ‘can do' marketing mindset will find a way; the coach with a defeatist attitude will submit and fail.

4. Set Goals. As a coach this is something you should know a lot about. Set yourself specific, achievable, stretch goals.

5. Plan a strategy. Establish a specific plan of action to attain your goals. Identify what resources you'll need and the possible challenges you may confront.

6. Implement your plan. This is the most difficult part. Implementation of your plan. Modify it where required, change your goals as others are attained, modify your plan if flaws are perceived, but always continue implementing. Non-action is the precursor of business failure. If you continue to implement, your business will always sustain forward momentum. If you have momentum, your direction (goals and plans) can always be adjusted.

7. Keep marketing. Your success or failure hinges on your marketing. Always maintain your marketing mindset. Always be focussed on marketing. It's a common trap to get caught up in the day to day ‘operation' of your business and put marketing aside. This is a recipe for disaster. How effectively you market will be the most influential determinant on the success (or otherwise) of your business. Marketing is not difficult or confusing, but it does require significant ongoing diligence and attention. The moment you lose focus on marketing your business is the moment your business performance will suffer.
Tip! There are two options to successful implement the entire process of reflection and change, one being to undertake the task alone. The most efficient way is to follow the process and steps in the ‘A Life Coaching' Self Life Coaching guide as per link details above.

Life Coaching Institute is Australia's leading coach training organisation. Learn more about LCI coach training programs and receive a FREE GIFT at http://www.lcia.com.au/lz

What is Life Coaching Anyway?

2007-11-28T05:15:00.004-08:00

So you still may ask, what is a life coach? Which is one of the reasons why I am writing this article..To me a life coach is the return of that buddy in the village, town, tribe, or clan that studied the medicine, herbs, lore, history, art, psychology, politics, semantics, behavior, mythology, and religion of the world that is at his hands to heal you so the coach can benefit from your labors in your chosen trade as well. Either you call Them Priest, Rabbi, Shaman, Sufi, Pastor, Druid, High Priestess, Reverend Mother, or Life Coach; it is all the same. But the best part of a life coach to me is telling and listening to stories around the camp fire!

When Your car is broken, you see the Mechanic. When you need help straightening the stuff flying through your mind, you see a life coach. Each an equal trade with tradesmen who took the time to specialize something so you can do the same in your career. All equal, all one. Bring the marshmallows.

How Does a Life Coach Work?

A Life Coach is some one that pulls various teaching principles together from history and various cultures to help you grow in a healthy holistic manner. After accessing your past, your becoming, and your skuld, or should be. A humanistic market analysis, but the analysand is you How does this happen; very safe, serene, open, and nonjudgmental manner. Where do we meet; where we were suppose to meet all along. Which we did, or will. In your own personal comfort center, which is? Since we live on the surface of a globe, where the center is everywhere, your center is wherever you choose. I will travel to that point, no matter where it is.

Who shall we meet on our journey? You, yourself, the other you, and 3H, S.M.O.G., and Joe Smith. The person I usually meet within you first is 4H; Happy, Hear Anything, Honest, Hell of a Guy. When you are in this mood you will tell me anything without fear of shame, you trust me, you are fun, and truthful. In this mood your sins are true to its meaning; old Scythian archery term for missing your mark.

When we venture down the paths of your life and read the road maps of your future journeys; sometimes we hit potholes and road blocks. At these times we become like that guy who is arguing with his wife who needs not to ask for directions. Who has the kids in the back seat pulling pig tails and going through the "are we there yet routine!". This is S.M.O.G.; Sensitive, Moody, offensive, and Grumpy. The four dwarfs. We can listen to him for awhile, which this mood will appreciate; for it is the little bigger brother of Joe Smith who picks the fight and leaves the four dwarfs known as S.M.O.G to take care of his battles. He likes to air out all of Joe's dirty laundry, and some times he likes to trick you into believing its mine.
Tip! Depending on the school or individual training program, Coaching Certification for Natural Healing can be attained in a matter of a few hours or up to a year and a half. Employment possibilities for coaches include counseling business leaders, assisting in increasing personal career achievements, and personal life coaching.

Now Joe Smith is a man who likes hats and masquerades, but hates Halloween. Joe Smith can where the hard hat, fireman hat, Fedora, and policemen's hat. Which sometimes and sometimes not changes when he gets home; like Mr. Rogers changes his shoes and sweater. Joe Smith is your average mood that remains as long as you are calm. Even keel, paced (good or bad), content at the moment, and base line. Joe Smith should be an equal amount of King, hero, dreamer, and magician. The king coordinates and decides the actions to take. The magician creates the tools and gathers the information to accomplish those goals. The dreamer is the romantic that has the inspiration and love of life that influences the kings desires. The hero is the one who turns the dreamers desires into aspiration through the use of the magicians knowledge and tools to follow the King's orders. Ancient Jews believed God had four parts or positions made in the universe. He, God, was responsible for the idea, the Archangels the planning and diagrams, Angels the manufacturing and transportation, and Us the consumer and the end user. The President, Designers, craftsmen, and final consumer or the one who applies the idea. You are the one who gets to eat the ice cream cone. Also Joe Smith can either talk to others as a parent, a child, or another equal adult. But he will never talk to Mr. S.M.O.G. And the Dwarfs. When S.M.O.G. Comes out to play, Joe disappears and hides in some little corner in the brain and sits up from the floor covered in ju ju bees occasionally only to duck back down when Frankenstein is still on the screen. He disappears on regular frequency over a period of hours, days, weeks or month for S.M.O.G. To deal with all the stuff it does not want or can not face. Joe does not even admit S.M.O.G. exists in the unhealthy Smith. When this happens he at times is no better than Mr. Smith from the Matrix or the sleeper in the pod. Victim/aggressor or Aggressor/victim. "Who is the slayer, who is the victim, speak..." When the King, Hero, Magician, and Dreamer are balanced and happy we are (add your name here).
Tip! During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying.

Now with some people I can access any of these people in you. With some when S.M.O.G. Appears, I can get 4H to show up by slapping ones nose lightly or tapping another's forehead. The dilation and brightness of the eye will show the switch along with the mood change. But Joe Smith is the hardest to bring out at times. For him the only person that can access him is a little child.
Tip! You know what, the only people I know who search for terms like 'coaching' or 'life coaching' are..

The last personality is one Joe Smith uses as a fair weather friend when it suites or prospers him; 3H. 3H is Hedonistic, Hellenistic, and hung over. He promises the instant fix, the cure of the symptoms, and the reprications 3H grabs the bottle to forget about your problems. He is the trust me guy. He is Willie E coyote who keeps following his stomach even after the 400th time he falls off the cliff. He is the one leads us into the drunk cell or screams when the sun creaks in the window in the morning. He is the one who keeps the sleeper in his pod tuned out on t.V. He keeps us at work so we do not have to face our fear of self decision and direction. He finds it easier for others tell him what to do, so he can secretly do something contrary.

A Life Coach is a person who can get all these moods or personalities inside you to come to the table and ratify a treaty for prosperity, health, and happiness of your true Self. To introduce you once again to that little child within you and let him fly and grow up finally. So you can truly save your parents and raise healthy children of your own so our society will never vote another Bush or his like in office again. Or vote any one in to do anything we should be doing ourselves.
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

Come read other articles like this one at TheGuide or learn about an old cantankerous old man in the 20's and the pond he created. Come join the lifestyle @ Docspond

Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin has been a life coach for twenty years counseling people and propietor of his own Artistic company Norgeforge.

Developing a Marketing Mindset in Life Coaching: Part One

2007-11-28T05:15:00.003-08:00

Most coaches get involved in coaching for one extremely compelling and valuable purpose - because they want to make a positive impact to the lives of others.

As a coach, the extent to which you are able to fulfil that objective is contingent upon two factors. Firstly, your skill and effectiveness as a coach; and secondly, on the number of clients you are able to affect through the application of your services. The purpose of this article is to focus on the second factor.

In the process of assisting people, it's also possible for coaches to develop a fruitful lifestyle for themselves along the way. In fact, these objectives are entirely complimentary.

Many business people, including coaches, fail to recognise the important ethical role that marketing plays in their business. In doing so they develop a mindset that is self defeating to themselves, their business, and their clients.

As a coach, you are in business. How effectively you operate your business is entirely contingent on you. There are enormously successful coaches (in terms of client numbers, income and coaching outcomes), and coaches that are barely able to etch out a living. The difference between these extremes is not their coaching competency, but rather their mindset. You may be an incredibly skilful coach, but unless you have people willing to use your services, your skills are of little to no value.

So what mindset does it take to be a successful coach?

A successful coaching mindset:

- Puts the needs of prospects and clients first;

- Actively seeks to assist clients attain their objectives;

- Is empathetic to the needs of clients and prospects;

- Doesn't limit the service offered to clients, and

- Acts as an ethical adviser.

It takes a Marketing Mindset to be a successful coach.

We regularly hear of coaches that feel as though marketing is ‘leading' and ‘unethical.' They feel as though it's too ‘salesy' and don't feel comfortable with it. For those coaches, we're going to explain why marketing is both ethically valid and commercially crucial.

Ethical Validity

There is an enormous (and growing) volume of people in society that would benefit from coaching services. Let's call these people prospective coaching clients, or prospects. These prospects have specific goals they'd like to achieve, or challenges they'd like to overcome, with a view to leading a better and more fulfilling life.

As a coach you have a certain duty of care to assist these people. You can only begin to assist them once they're utilising your services. Marketing is the link between the prospects desire and your ability to assist them fulfil their desire.
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

Marketing only becomes unethical in the circumstance that you are not able to fulfil your marketing promise to your client. In this instance you've misled your client, either knowingly or unknowingly, and have acted unethically.

On the premise that prospects will seek a coach to assist them attain their specific goals, it's the ethical obligation of coaches to help prospects select a coach that will best be able to assist them. To do this coaches should fully, comprehensively and transparently disclose to prospects what services they offer; where their specialties lie; what experience they have; how they've assisted people with similar desires in the past; and how using their services will benefit them. Or to state it more simply, to undertake marketing.

Commercially Crucial

Marketing is commercially crucial because it links prospects that desire a certain outcome with skilled professionals trained to assist them achieve that outcome. It identifies you as someone that may be able to assist prospects with their pre-qualified needs. By seeking out information on coaching services, prospects have already identified for themselves:

1. That there are certain things in their life they'd like to attain or challenges they'd like to overcome.
Tip! Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

2. That a coach is a person with the requisite skills and experience to assist them.

3. That they are willing to invest financially in the process.

The above is an extremely important point, and one that coaches need to accept.

As we explained earlier, coaches generally come from one of two schools of thought with respect to marketing.

The first school of thought perceives marketing to be ‘leading' and ‘salesy.' They come from the paradigm that by marketing you are proactively influencing someone in their decisions. Or specifically that you may make someone do something they would not otherwise do. We call this train of thought the Influencing Paradigm.

The second school of thought accepts that prospects are people that have identified for themselves their need to invoke change. And they've identified that a coach will assist them make that change. They recognise that the prospect has made the intellectual link between their needs and how they want those needs to be fulfilled. We call this train of thought the Service Paradigm.

The thought processes of these two perspectives are entirely dipolar. One positions the prospect as someone reluctantly influenced into utilising a service, and the other positions the prospect as a proactive individual capable of determining their needs that has actively sought out coaching services.
Tip! There are two options to successful implement the entire process of reflection and change, one being to undertake the task alone. The most efficient way is to follow the process and steps in the ‘A Life Coaching' Self Life Coaching guide as per link details above.

As a coach, it's critical that you put yourself in the second paradigm of thinking. Only then will you be able to ethically fulfil your objective of assisting your clients. And only then will you be able to fulfil your symbiotic goal of building a successful coaching business.
Tip! A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.

By putting yourself in the Service Paradigm of thought you will recognise that to assist clients meet their objectives, you should:

- Actively promote your services through compelling advertising that clearly describes what you can offer clients.

- Understand that as a coach and a trusted advisor you are often in a better position of knowledge to ascertain your client needs to assist them attain their goals.

- Be empathetic to the needs of your clients and actively offer solutions to them through various products and services.

- Value your client's intellect and decision making ability.

- Do not pre-empt your client's wants and hence limit the range and scope of products and services you offer them.

- Always acts as an ethical adviser.

Once you embrace the Service Paradigm to marketing, you'll realise that marketing provides you with a much greater opportunity to fulfil your primary objectives - to assist your clients, and to build a successful coaching business. These objectives become complimentary and you create a truly win-win situation between the desires of your clients and your own desires.

In the second part of this article we'll provide you with further information on how to develop your Marketing Mindset and a Service Paradigm.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

While an individual would like to improve an aspect or certain aspects of their life so they can achieve a specific goal, or set of goals.

Life Coaching Institute is Australia's leading coach training organisation. Learn more about LCI coach training programs and receive a FREE GIFT at http://www.lcia.com.au/lz

Life Coaching - How To Get More Clients

2007-11-28T05:15:00.002-08:00

Coaching is one of the most rewarding careers on the planet. The problem is though, is that you are an excellent coach not a marketer!

Here are some tips to get more clients.

1. Target a niche area and do not become a jack of all trades.

People love specialists - you should select an area of specialism and target that market. That way you are not spreading your advertising funds too thinly.

Examples of niches:

* Relationships
* Confidence
* Women aged between 20 and 30 returning to work
* Executives over 50 years old
* Massage Therapists
* Grocery Store Owners

2. Develop your marketing message

What makes you unique? Why should they come to you and use you? What products do you offer? What services do you offer?

3. Develop a website

This will be your shop window! Offer free reports, ecourses and ebooks. Tell the visitors about what you can do for them. Display testimonials, about us, contact us pages. Capture the emails of your visitors and follow up with a bi-weekly newsletter - prove your worth!

4. Promotion

Think about:

* Public speaking engagements
* Web marketing
* Press releases
* Magazine articles
* Direct mail
* Newspaper adverts
* Coaching directorys
* Public relations

5. Stationery

Keep the design consistent with your website for branding.

You will need:

* Business cards
* Letterheaded paper
* Compliment slips
* Invoices

6. Protection

If you work from home make sure you have insurance for materials, laptop etc.

Also I would recommend in taking out professional indemnity insurance. We live in a "sueing" age I'm afraid!

7. Get an accountant

They will save you money if they are good.

8. Make yourself into a company

Seperate your personal life with your business. Start a formal company and make sure that you keep things seperate for legal reasons.

Sean McPheat is one of the leading authorities in life coaching and executive coaching and has been featured on CNN, ITV, BBC and Arena magazine to name but a few.

Sean has authored "The Life Coach Marketing Bible" which is packed full of tips, techniques and strategies to help you build your business.
Tip! Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends.

You can download a FREE chapter of the book today at http://www.lifecoachmarketingbible.com

Challenges that Face Life Coaching as a Profession

2007-11-28T05:15:00.001-08:00

With the Labor Movement growth in the 1800's, the eight hour work day was created. These union strikes, such as the Haymarket and Pullman , ended in much bloodshed as workers united against business and the government. Some might ask what need do we have for Life Coaches? Starting in 1996, many corporations discovered the high threshold for workers to double their productivity at the cost of hiring fewer employees. With the initial cost savings in Medicare, social security, and Unemployment insurance; employers seen the benefits of reversing the popular stopgap on overtime. Unlimited overtime and unemployment was on the rise. For those still employed love the conditions when others found new trades. Along with this fact and withdrawal of society into work since 911, Life Coaches are needed more than ever.

But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not governmental, but along some manner of guild system. Granted we have some schools that accredit coaches, but the real problem lay in the fact that no real state or federal body accredits these organizations. The other fact that remains with these schools is that no one knows if they stick or follow to any form of standards in pricing, codes, or activities. Some may say that there is more Life Coaching schools than Life Coaches.

But for Life Coaching to remain viable in the left brained financial word, we as coaches must form some standard ourselves along with education materials and group marketing of what our profession is. For when most people hear of Life Coaching, they shrug their shoulders. Or for the others they get the impression of Tony Robbins or the Nip and Tuck Character, Ava. Some may say that any press is good press, but is it really? So in coordination, either privately or group orientated, we must push forward the marketing and education of the public to this field. But we need some standards first.

Take pricing. I tried initiating a sliding scale based on income level checked against pay stubs or W-2's. But I felt like I lost clients due to presumed value. If everyone else in the field was charging a higher premium than I, without garnering trust, my services was held as unscrupulous . For the average of pricing per month, not hour which I was going by, was between $250 to $500 a month for 4 45 minute calls. The price per hour was between $25 and $500 dollars at the most. Now I was coaching clients up to 3 times a week at hourly rates, but I find out this was not the norm. A guild would set up guidelines for such issues.
Tip! Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends.

Then what is the standard, Phone, email, or in person. What do we as coaches do we want the public to think about first thing. For many when you think of auction, they think online. When others think education they think brick and mortar ivy league. What do we want our customers to think of us first. In person gives us the luxury to meat, joke, and share with a real living person. But online gives us far more potential to reach people around the world through email or on phone. Especially with the advent of broadband VOIP services giving worldwide coverage for minimum costs, we can bring our occupation to most barren location of Alaska and still be viable entity on a fiscal map. But we need to market and inform the public on validity of what ever we choose.
Tip! Life Coach Leo A Life Coaching www.alifecoaching.

Frequency, I did touch on this a little above, but let me give this topic its full measure. How many times a month and for what duration should be suggested? Should impromptu home calls throughout the week be allowed, or just strict scheduling? How far in advance should schedules be kept or fulfilled? With a new field emerging and an uninformed public, we need to answer questions like this collectively.

Marketing practices! Well so far we are all SEO experts fighting a war with each other. With over 36,000,000 listings showing up in SERPs for the keyword Life Coach, we are strangling each other for a word few even ever heard of. My friends laughed at me when I started, even though I had been advising them for twelve years before I went professional. With only 1,000 searches on average a month, we are failing here! We need real live marketing strategies with real people. But who? Trader Joes and other whole food stores, tends to have mini seminars promoting alternative health professions. Panera Bread cafes have back rooms that have been used for Buddhist meetings and other new age events for free or limited cost. Organized health fairs. Possible meetings with the DA's office and the probation department along with prevention centers. How about human resources of major local companies. On the Brain Brew there was one coach who specialized in getting the lawyer who does not play well with others to straighten up instead of firing him. But How do we keep our internet presence strong and grow real living connections at the same time?

One last note on the internet. Maybe we need a guild directory that lists our profession by location and specialiality. A natural linking directory for Goggle points, but also something entertaining aesthetically and functional for the public. Niches are always stronger than obtuse markets. This directory must be promoted as the standard, for now we have too many that no one can get through more than five listing before they give up. Very few click throughs ever show up in my site reports.
Tip! Because life coaching is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, with adequate training, students who join this expanding business industry will gain practical skills, knowledge and experience to help guide and empower themselves and their clients. The important framework of any life coaching educational program includes teaching students how to develop their own goals, how to formulate a successful business strategy and how to build reputations.

Education, education, education, and education. For us is more important than location. I suggest writing free content for syndication through sites like Go-Article, Ezine, Article Hut, Article Marketers, Article City, and Self growth. Also writing free content to your local news papers and creating flyers to be hung at food stores and town bulletin boards. Even Local or State government offices. They are always trying to get brownie points for informing the public on services. Get a State or county Rep to back you in a community project, or at least inform them of your existence. Maybe befriend your local high school guidance counselors. For clients or career options for the youth. But education, education, education, education is a must at this time!

So I presented many challenges to our growing profession that need to be looked at and addressed collectively in some fashion. I hope we do so. For Colonel Sanders had a more daunting task traveling with a pressure cooker in his truck around the nation, or Edison powering a Manhattan neighborhood with the first light bulbs, or the Wright brothers receiving any money to build flying machines when they only built bicycles for children. We can get through these birthing pangs, but we need some collective effort to do so.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

If Any be of interest, I can be reached at docspond@yahoo.com if anyone would be of like mind.

Cheers, Chris

Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin is propietor of Docspond Life Coach Services providing Individual Counseling, Group facilitation, and key note addresses that speak to the heart of the mission while delivering the bottom line finacial growth. Helping millions find their bliss and return meaning to success! Guaranteed 20% improvement in your quality of life after the first meeting!
Tip! A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.

Also is the propietor and designer at Norgeforge Illumination Studios that will SEO illuminated design giving Aesthetics to traffic driven sales. So get out of the cold and get Norgeforged!

Coaching: Taking Personal Responsibility For Your Life

2007-11-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself complaining to others, to the universe, or to God about the course of events in your life? If so do you ever ask yourself what purpose such complaining is supposed to fulfill for you?

Strange question isn't it? That is because you probably never thought it even had a purpose until now did you? Rather it probably just feels like an automatic behavior that is out of your control.

Well if you think about it for a moment I think you'll recognize that the underlying purpose might include some of the following:

1. To get sympathy for your situation so you'll feel better.

2. To get right into justifying your victim hood so that you can solicit pity from yourself or others so that you can feel better.

3. To solicit some form of rescue or help from others so that you won't have to address the situation yourself.

4. So that you can get yourself off the hook from being responsible and accountable for your current situation.

5. So that you won't have to face your fears of making mistakes in attempting to fix whatever is not right in your life.
Tip! © Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article.

6. To portray yourself as a victim because victims get attention and respect here on planet earth from others.

Do I have to go on or are you becoming more conscious of what I'm talking about.

Does any of this feel good to you? If you feel how it feels to become aware of any of this I think you will see that none of it feels good.

You might be feeling embarrassed or ashamed.
Tip! You know what, the only people I know who search for terms like 'coaching' or 'life coaching' are..

Well what does that tell you? It tells you that holding onto such needs reduces both the quality of your life and your sense of personal integrity.

Is that what you want? I doubt it.

Such patterns of behavior have likely been so ingrained in your way of relating to the world that you may feel hard pressed to change any of them.

A place to begin is to recognize that no one other than yourself is responsible for your life situation.

Hard pill to swallow? Well what's the alternative?
Tip! You can review more on Life Coaching options and other very useful information on the ‘A Life Coaching' website, visit www.alifecoaching.

It's to believe that you have little or no control over your life. Does that make you feel better?

If you notice how that feels I think you will start to find in those feelings the motivation you will need to shift your entire perspective on yourself.

This easier said than done however especially if you choose to go on entertaining the many lies about who you are not and what you are not capable of.

If you would like to be coached into an awareness of how you are creating your own limitations thereby freeing yourself completely then kindly visit the web link below.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.
Tip! Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

What is Life and Motivational Coaching

2007-11-28T05:08:00.001-08:00

What is life-coaching?

Life-coaching is a means of bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. It will often involve clarifying those two first. Life-coaching works through a dynamic partnership focussed entirely on the client and the client's agenda. Our lives have become so complex, opportunities so plentiful, that exploring what's important to us as individuals and our own unique situation is the quickest and often the only way to know exactly what to change and how to change it. And to identify and move beyond those things that are holding us back from the lives we really want.

In life-coaching, people experience significant shifts in their lives. They become clearer on who they are and what they need in their lives to be fulfilled. Living the live that's truly right for them, it all becomes easier, more joyful. They also get to do, be or have more of what they want or need in every conceivable area. Better than this, they do so more quickly and easily, with more enjoyment and far less stress. They go from being driven by their needs to being inspired by their goals for life, and they create the conditions to easily sustain this easier, happier way of living.

Clarity

Coaching commences by exploring what the person really wants. Even when people believe they know this, greater clarity and self-awareness emerge through coaching. And sometimes, people discover different aspirations, ones that make them feel very positive, so positive they want to leap out of bed each morning.

The focus of coaching and the skills and objectivity of our coach enable us to know ourselves more fully than ever before. And, rather like a sports coach watching an athlete, a trained listener hears and reflects back to us subtle and fleeting clues to our unique motivations, like a change in voice tone or energy level.

Growth

What we learn about ourselves through coaching will include our potential and gifts, but also anything we may have previously avoided. A priceless benefit of having a coach is that an independent professional with your best interests at heart will tell you necessary truths when others won't - and tell it within a context of genuine praise and belief in you and your ability to change that makes it easier to hear.

As coaching proceeds clients come to feel more and more comfortable in their lives. However, like anything that stretches you, coaching won't always feel comfortable. Your coach will challenge you and ask more of you than you would of yourself. You needn't accept all your coach's requests but once you choose to commit to something, your coach will hold you to it - and to being the best you can be. As coaching progresses, you will know from your actions that you are indeed capable of more.
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

You'll make choices and step outside your comfort zone. But you will do so far more easily than you otherwise would and you'll notice your comfort zone rapidly expand. Any temporary discomfort is vastly outweighed by the delight of leaping over hurdles you wouldn't even have approached before, and of living a life that really suits you.

Holistic and sustainable

When we know what we really want for ourselves, we have more energy, focus and direction. Regular coaching builds momentum, sustains inspiration and enables people to be consistently perform at their best. Clients mobilize more effective resources and discover the quickest, easiest and most enjoyable way forward.

All coaching is holistic - no goal is allowed to become more important than the person. Coaching often includes building or fine-tuning an environment and support systems so that they provide the structure that ensures your on-going ease and success. It may involve streamlining, to reclaim energy drained off in secondary activities. And it frequently leads to better resources, be they cutting edge tools for personal development, connections or whatever else will be most useful at that time.

What does life-coaching cover?

Any or all aspects of your life. Some people come for specific issues (such as health, relationships, finances or a transition) or projects (like creating a new life or developing a seminar program). Some come to enjoy more what they've already got, to fine-tune some aspects of their life or for self-development. Others are drawn to coaching by a general dissatisfaction or a sense that something could be better. And some create more space for themselves and for spontaneous, joyous action by cutting back on their commitments.
Tip! Perhaps the best endorsement of the effectiveness of life coaching comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. Successful writer and now life coach herself, Marlee Huber of Washington State remarks, 'I cannot adequately express the joy that I am feeling as I move forward in my mission.

What's coaching like?

Coaching sessions are friendly, relaxed but focussed and amazingly powerful on many levels. Most coaching takes place through regular, pre-arranged sessions. Email coaching can also be very effective and my clients benefit from both, with email coaching between calls.

Is coaching for you? Is your life as you want it? Do you really know who you are? Are you living at your maximum potential? Would you like to know yourself better? Are you ready to change and grow? Are you worth it? Do you want to make a difference? If not now, when?

The best way to explore and experience how you could benefit from life-coaching is in a free, introductory session without obligation of any kind.
Tip! Traditional therapy and Life Coaching can complement each other. However, if a therapist is using coaching techniques, it is best if the client knows that a coaching technique is being applied.

Because Alan is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist, you can be assured of the very best support and technical help to get you from where you are now, to where you want to be. Many Life Coaches do not have the depth of experience of working with people and their problems that is afforded by training and experience as a therapist, and so can fall short of your expectations when previously unnoticed problems or challenges intrude into the coaching process. Alan's experience and knowledge allow him to provide a very thorough and seamless experience for you in developing your inner strengths and overcoming any challenges they present themselves along the way.
Tip! A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.

Other therapeutic interventions which can be combined to make the process far more effective as required: • New You • Self Belief • Confidence • Direction in Life • Hypno-Path Working

By Alan Crisp DHP Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist Motivational Coach and Life Coach www.hypnoseek.com

Alan Crisp DHP MASC GQHP is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist and Life/Motivational Coach with consulting rooms in Beckenham, kent, Greater London Borough of Bromley, UK

Life Coaching Advice- Be Happy With Who You Are And What You Have

2007-11-28T05:08:00.000-08:00

In this article I write about how we can become content with life by learning to like ourselves and by appreciating what we have in life. There are far too many people who are comparing their lives to that of their friends and neighbours, and who then think that they are not good enough. This can make them become jealous and even depressed.

I have to admit that I was like the people I am describing above. I was not happy with the car I drove, or at the company where I worked, or at how much money I earned per year and even with the girlfriend I had. My friends seemed to drive much better cars, worked for much better employers, earned far more per year than I did and had much better looking girlfriends, sorry Claire!

I have since managed to change my attitude to life and am now very happy with what I have in life. I now look at the bigger picture and instead of concentrating my thoughts at people who I feel are better off than me, I watch the news from around the world and hear about people who are far less fortunate than I am. I certainly now feel that I am actually very lucky compared to most people who live on this planet.

I also did not really like myself, I wanted to be taller, stronger, a better communicator (I had a stutter), and a lot fitter than I was (I was quite fat). I have since accepted that there are various things that I can not change, such as my height and have therefore accepted that I am shorter than the average male. I have also thought about the positive aspects of being short, more leg room on a plane etc. Other aspects of my life at which I was not happy with, but felt I could change or improve, I have worked very hard on, and am now at a weight I am happy with and have overcome the stuttering speech impediment.

I now like myself and if other people choose not to, that is fine by me, I have enough people who do. In any case it is what I think that counts, therefore if they think I am an idiot, thats fine, because I believe I am not.

I now have an opinion that what car I drive or how much money I earn is not important. For me, health and happiness are the two most important things in life and these are things which money can not buy.
Tip! Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

I have decided that stressing or worrying about a situation does not help me to succeed, it just makes things a whole lot worse and more difficult. I now think to myself, that all I can do in life is to try my best and if I do that I can be proud of myself.

I used to be very hard on myself, my own worst critic. I am now a lot easier on myself, I have realised that I will make mistakes and always try to learn from the experiences. My body and brain are temples and I need to be nice to them. Hopefully if I am they will reward me with my continued health.
Tip! In Life Coaching, the focus is on the present and the future. Coaching clients may have already experienced therapy and will therefore expect the same type of experience.

I am now far happier than I have ever been and am determined not to slip back into my old ways of depression and negative thinking.

I hope this article helps you in your quest for a better life.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

quit smoking cigarettes

anti aging info

stuttering advice

How to Master the Top 5 Challenges to Breathing in Freestyle

2007-10-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

The most common question I hear in the triathlete world about the mysteries of swimming efficiently usually involves something with breathing. In freestyle, it is the first step to get your body position right. Then, for many, you throw in breathing and everything goes haywire! This has to do with lack of balance, using your head instead of your core to breath, and a few other factors.

Here are the top 5 challenges in learning how to breathe in freestyle, along with the remedies on how to get over these:

1. Not Getting Enough Air. There are a couple of reasons this typically happens in freestyle. First, make sure you breathe out all of your air before you rotate to take a breath. When learning, some people try to exhale and inhale while they are rolling to the side for air. There simply is not enough time for this! Your exhalations should only be in the water in the form of bubbles. At first the timing may seem difficult, but eventually you will get used to it. Second, you may be sinking as you breathe. Make sure you are rolling to the side to breathe, and not rotating your head and looking straight up. Practicing the side kicking and shark fin drills, as discussed in The Complete Guide and in the introductory 4-session online clinic you get by signing up for the Tri Swim Coach newsletter will also help you with this challenge.

2. Extended Arm Sinks While Taking a Breath. This is mainly a balance issue. While you breathe to one side, your other arm should be extending. For many swimmers, this extended arm pushes down into the water (elbow drops) and they are sinking while trying to inhale. The side kicking and shark fin drills will also help to improve this. Another drill also discussed in the materials that will help with this challenge is the fist drill, which forces you to not use your hands, therefore improves your balance in the water.

3. Speed is Sacrificed because of a “Pause” While Breathing. A typical scenario is that you feel like you're cruising along just fine and then you take a breath and it feels like you've just lost all your momentum. To remedy this, when you breathe, concentrate first on breathing to the side (as in #1), then on having your mouth parallel to the water, instead of over the water. The latter will take a while to master, but once you do, it will take care of the pause, and improve your speed overall.

4. Difficulty breathing while navigating in a race. You need to look up to see where you are going, and at the same time grab a breath. How can you do both? Start with bilateral breathing (breathing on both sides every 3 strokes). This will help you to see about where you are without lifting your head up as much. When you need to lift your head up to sight, try not to look straight ahead- this will make your hips sink and throw you off balance. Instead, take a quick peek at your target, roll to the side to breath, and bring your head right back down into position.

5. Sucking In Water While Taking a Breath. In practice, this will sometimes occur because of #1 and #2 above. In a race, the waves may cause the inhalation of water instead of air (bilateral breathing will help here as well). The drills to practice to improve balance and avoid this unpleasant occurrence are the side kicking and shark fin drills, as well as the one-arm drill. To perform the one-arm drill, swim a full stroke with one arm while your other arm rests at your side. Breathe on the opposite side of the stroking arm. This is a difficult drill and takes some practice, but it will pay off! For more and to view this and other drills, see the Full Package from Tri Swim Coach.

About the author:
Kevin coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.coma resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled “The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming” which is sold on his website in downloadable form.

The Courtesy Stroke: How and Why to Master One of Tennis' Most Crucial Skills

2007-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

In Tennis, as an introduction to mastering all ball placement and a variety of strokes, the courtesy stroke should be learned. This stroke is a forehand volley with a half swing, used to start the ball for a rally or to get it back to the opponent before service. It allows the player on the opposite court either to catch it in their hand on the first bounce, or to get it into play for the rally.

The ball flight of the "courtesy stroke" is an upward arc over the net. The ball is not hit forcefully, and will land nearer the service line than the baseline. A tennis player has use for this stroke from the first day he wields a tennis racquet to the last day of his tennis career. Champions, warming up before a match, start the ball to their opponents with the courtesy stroke. Coaches use this stroke in setting up the balls for their pupils. Since ball fetchers are a rarity in most tennis matches, the courtesy stroke assists the players in getting the balls back politely to the server before each point.

Note: It is decidedly impolite to start the ball, or retrieve it by tossing it up in front of the face, and hitting it in a downward direction over the net. Too frequently the ball will not clear the net, and if it does, the bounce is usually difficult for the opposite player to handle.

The technique of the courtesy stroke will aid the beginner in learning the true forehand drive, as well as a variety of other strokes, for they have the following points in common:

1. Grip.

2. Body position.

3. Horizontal racquet swing.

4. Body moving toward the net as the stroke is made.

However, it is also important to note the differences, which do not affect the learning of the true forehand drive, are:

1. The length of racquet swing is cut down. The racquet is swung back only to a position opposite the right thigh.

2. The ball is hit on the volley (before it has bounced).

3. The ball is started with a toss by the player, instead of coming from the opposite side of the net.

4. The ball is hit when it is farther forward toward the net, and slightly lower than it is in the usual forehand drive.

5. The ball flight is slightly more in an upward direction.

6. The ball is hit with less force.

Step by step, here is how to perform the courtesy swing:

1. Stand with the left side toward the net and the racquet held out horizontally opposite the right thigh.

2. Hold the ball in the left hand, pointing in the direction of the right net post.

3. Toss the ball out toward the right net post, about two feet from the body, at thigh-height (half way between the knee and waist.

4. Immediately step toward the net on the left foot, letting the racquet swing forward to contact the ball before it has dropped to knee-height.

5. Let the racquet finish at shoulder height, out in the direction of the ball flight.

The simplicity of this stroke allows for good results in accuracy of ball placement as long as the ball toss is correct, and the racquet swings in a horizontal plane.

Most beginners can master the stroke during the first tennis practice. Beginners having difficulty will be found to be tossing the ball badly; taking too wide a back-swing; or not lining up the center of the racquet with the ball. Often these beginners will prefer to let the ball bounce before hitting it. This is not advisable, since the bounce should be reserved for the true forehand drive, wherein a full backswing is taken, and more force is applied to the ball than should be used on a courtesy stroke.

Here are some common faults to watch out for:
1. "Hitting" the ball rather than "stroking" it, caused by jabbing at the ball and stopping the racquet half through the swing.

2. Taking racquet back too high, and following through too low. Result is a netted ball, or a chop stroke.

3. Getting too close to the ball so that a cramped elbow action swing is taken.

4. Taking the backswing too late, so that the forward swing is made hurriedly.

5. Starting the forward swing too soon, so that the ball is hit before it is opposite the body.

6. Dropping the racquet head below the wrist, a scoop stroke resulting.

Practise on the courtesy stroke is worthwhile, for once it is mastered, it will never be forgotten. Learners should use this stroke continually for starting a rally, and in sending the balls back to the server before each point. Mastery consists of the ability to place the ball accurately to the forehand or backhand of the opposite player for rallies; or to place it so that the server can catch it in his hand on the first bounce without moving.

About the author:
FREE information on how to play Tennis like a professional. Expert tips, tricks and advice all for you. It's FREE! Click here: www.FreeTennisSecrets.com

Important Life Coaching Advice For Children

2007-10-28T05:08:00.007-07:00

I have just returned from my twelve year old step-daughters parents evening. It was an interesting hour and I believe my daughter has learnt quite a lot from the experience. The teachers gave her some important life coaching advice which I will write about in this article.

My step-daughters name is Taryn and she is basically a very bright and well behaved child. One of her faults however is that she just does enough, she is not naughty at school but does not give one hundred percent to her studies.

Before we attended the parents evening we had the opportunity to read her school report. Taryn thought this report was very good as she was above average in her year, this was certainly borne out in her recent examination results. What annoyed both me and her mother was the regular comments that Taryn does not ask enough questions, that she does not contribute enough in classroom discussions and that her homework seems rushed.

We were also aware that even though the exam results were good, that they could have been even better as she did not do any revision. We told her that even though she was above average that we were not happy with some of the comments made which suggested that she could and should have done even better. Taryn was not happy by this and had quite a big strop thinking that we were just being cruel.

Taryn loves to play sport and has been a regular in the netball and athletic teams. The first teacher she took us to see was her sports teacher who Taryn assumed would be very happy with her. This teacher first asked how we as her parents thought Taryn was getting on, in general at school. We voiced our concerns and the teacher agreed as she had read the whole report and was also not that pleased with it. She looked at Taryn and told her that in sport she always gave one hundred percent and asked her why she did not have the same attitude in Maths and English. Taryn did not know what to say and seemed quite shocked. The teacher stated that even though sport is important, the other subjects should come first and that if she did not see a marked improvement over the next few months, that she would drop her from the netball and athletics team.Next was the English teacher. He told all of us that Taryn was very clever but that she needed to take more of a pride in her work. She needs to check what she has completed before she hands it in, as the only real errors she makes are just silly mistakes. He believed that even though Taryn was in the top thirty percent that she should be in the top ten percent.

All of the teachers we met gave Taryn the same message. Do not accept second best, always give one hundred percent, spend less time on the computer and more time reading and revising.

By the end of the evening poor old Taryn looked shell shocked. She now understands what to do and certainly does not want to be kicked out of the sports teams.

I was more than pleased with the schools attitude and believe that Taryn has been given some important life coaching advice.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

stuttering treatment

anti-aging

quit smoking info

Life Coaching Regulation - Myth Debunked

2007-10-28T05:08:00.006-07:00

This article dispels the myth once and for all, that life coaching will become a regulated profession.

As the author of the "Truth About Life Coaching School Accreditation" article, I get a significant amount of email from readers who are looking to enroll in a Life Coach training program, asking my opinion about various aspects of the life coaching profession and training. When I wrote the article I imagined that I might get feedback from both sides of the issue. Instead, to my surprise and delight, the article is linked to and quoted by numerous other coaching authorities and schools. Every email I have received has been in support of the views I stated. I am excited to see that so many others admit the truth as well.
Tip! A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.

A few days ago, I received an email from a reader who inquired about the likelihood of professional regulation for life coaches. This reader had been a private Christian school teacher and was drawing a comparison between teaching credentials and coaching credentials. She asked for my opinion about whether she should take a secularly accredited Christian course or an uncompromised, bible-based, Christian curriculum, which is what I believe from her letter, she desired.

The reader wrote, "I have a degree in Christian Ministries with 30 hrs of psychology/counseling, and I am looking at PCCCA and trying to decide if I should seek accreditation through their organization (which I prefer) or should I seek secular/bible-based accreditation simply because the day may come when we are required to have secular certification."

Before I tell you my answer, I will just add that certification applies to what coaches receive and accreditation refers to a school or program itself.

I responded "Thank you for your letter. I understand your concern. Coaching however is different (from teaching). #1 - No life coaches anywhere in the US are, or ever have been regulated - unlike the teaching profession. #2 - It is every bit as unlikely that coaches will be regulated as consultants being regulated, because there are too many types of coaches (read coaching niches) and thus no way to standardize requirements. Even if the government tried to do this, legislating coaching would not be possible or practical for anyone. #3 - IF and I say IF it came to regulation, someone trained as a Christian Life Coach could practice for remuneration the way that Christian counselors now do... by being ordained.
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

So for Christian Life Coaches, regulation is a mute point.

The only folks who discuss and try to create fear about regulation are the secularists, meaning secular accrediting organizations and their accredited schools and graduates. Is there any surprise here?

The enemy works with fear as his #1 weapon.

Further, fear of regulation is but one major way for secular and secularly accredited Christian programs to market themselves. No doubt the secularists believe what they say. But note how close they came to getting your enrollment fee, based only on fear.
Tip! You can review more on Life Coaching options and other very useful information on the ‘A Life Coaching' website, visit www.alifecoaching.

Please be aware that not all programs that call themselves Christian are created equal. Those that are accredited by secular organizations must comply with secular standards. I know of at least one secularly accredited Christian program, whose leadership tells students that when coaching non-Christians, not to mention their own faith. If a coach were not true to the God they serve and themselves, how could they be true to their client? Even as a non-Christian, one would have to ask, "How authentic and valid would such coaching be?" Coaching after all, is a relationship built on truth and honesty!
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

The coaching school you mentioned in your letter, PCCCA (www.pccca.org), the Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy, trains coaches to be able to offer excellent service, as they are biblically required to do. (The bible instructs Christians to do everything as unto the Lord, study to show yourself approved and most importantly, to seek only the counsel of the godly.) Among Christians, excellence is the goal, training is the process and certification is the by-product.

If you are a Christian seeking coach training, ask yourself these questions:

1 - What can a secular program give me that God can not?

2 - Is there more power available to me by using secular concepts. assessments and forms, or through the Holy Spirit?

3 - Do I believe God is my ultimate provider? And if so, is there any reason to believe that God would send me less clients or not allow me to prosper if, having the choice, I honored Him with my training?

I hope the answers to the above questions are obvious. If not, I encourage you to pray that those answers are revealed to you. Your destiny may well be determined at these crossroads.
Tip! Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas.

As I have stated previously, I recommend that potential students not be persuaded by gimicky advertising, high fees and accreditation. Look for the best school for you. Period.

The author, Emery Hilton-Goode is a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurial strategies and career training. You may contact the author at diamonglo@aol.com.

How Life Coaching Can Transform Your Life

2007-10-28T05:08:00.005-07:00

You know that you've settled for the consolation prize when you achieve all of your goals and they don't make you happy. One day I was sitting in a plush hotel in Auckland. I had just completed a successful tour of speaking engagements and seminars and I had written two very successful books yet all I could think about was how far removed my life was from my original plans.

The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments. Rather than face another disappointment or more pain, we delude ourselves into thinking that we don't know what we want. I was no exception.

As I worked at transforming my life I gave up a successful business to start another which was a financial disaster. For a period of time after that I kept making one mistake after another, losing more money and confidence in the process. While on the outside things appeared bleak, this time in my life motivated me to do the work that I do today.

Life often presents our greatest opportunities under the guise of problems and I was aware that I'd created my success before and I knew I could do it again. However, this time I decided I wanted a formula, a step-by-step process that I could use to create what I want, so that I wouldn't keep making the same mistakes.
Tip! You can review more on Life Coaching options and other very useful information on the ‘A Life Coaching' website, visit www.alifecoaching.

As I experimented with and lived the Ten Steps my life began to flow and change for the better. I experienced synchronicity where the right people and the right opportunities seem to appear out of the bluethe reality is that we attract them when we are congruent with our thoughts, words and actions. Over the next twelve months I achieved more personal goals than I had in the previous five years, I now wanted to help others who were lost and confused as I had been.
Tip! You know what, the only people I know who search for terms like 'coaching' or 'life coaching' are..

The foundation of the Ten Step process is living your life's purpose. Many think of their life's purpose as something they want to achieve, some people say, ‘I want to help others' or, ‘I want to teach'. These are very valid goals, but they are only one part of your life's purpose. Your goals are not you. Your purpose is being the person you choose to be, you demonstrate this choice through your actions on a daily basis. Who you choose to be is the code of honour that you choose to live by.
Tip! Life Coach Leo A Life Coaching www.alifecoaching.

Knowing and living according to your being values has a twofold benefit. Firstly by making a commitment to demonstrate your being values on a daily basis you have a very clear code of ethics and standards to live by, this makes it easier for you respond positively to the ups and downs of daily living. Secondly, by choosing to act on these values you break the pattern of reacting, and this is how you change old beliefs and create new beliefs about yourself.

Let me give you an example of how this works. If a person cuts you off just as you are about to drive into a parking spot, think about how you want to act. If you reacted you might be tempted to make a rude gesture or give them a black lookyou could let another person's actions spoil your day. Or, you can act like the person you choose to be and look upon this incident as an opportunity for you to demonstrate being kind and generous. Over time you'll feel so good about yourself.

When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern. A good coach supports you in gaining clarity and making whatever changes are necessary so that you too can create a life you love.
Tip! Perhaps the best endorsement of the effectiveness of life coaching comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. Successful writer and now life coach herself, Marlee Huber of Washington State remarks, 'I cannot adequately express the joy that I am feeling as I move forward in my mission.

When you change your perception of the world, the world in turn changes its perception of you,then anything is possible.

Anne Hartley is the founder of Hart Life Coaching and the author of four books, Love The Life You Live, Life Lessons, Love Your Money Love Your Life and Psychology of Money. Anne started her career as a single mother of two working from her kitchen table. She now runs a life coach training and publishing business and is committed to making a difference by teaching individuals personal empowerment skills.

Search Engine Optimisation Tips for Life Coaches and Other People Working in Coaching

2007-10-28T05:08:00.004-07:00

That's the question on everyone's lips: How do I get my website on page 1 of the search results? But what if I know nothing about SEO?

There are two ways to achieve this:

Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
Natural Listings

What's the difference? Open up a new browser and go to www.google.com, then type life coaching into the search box and hit 'Search the Web'.

Near the top of the screen, you'll see a light blue box with about three search results. Now look in the top right hand corner of that box and you'll see that it says 'Sponsored Links'.

Cast your eyes to the right hand panel of the page. What do you see right at the top? 'Sponsored Links'. This is PPC advertising. I'll explain how it works in a minute.

The rest of what you see on the screen is called Natural Listings. These are the sites that Google ranks as important - the ones that out of approximately 18.7 million sites, Google think you'll be most interested in.

How do the search engines work out which ones you're looking for?

There are lots of different ways that they work it out, but here are the two that you'll have the most control over:

Keywords
Links

Let's talk about Keywords first.

Essentially, these are the words that describe what the site's about. So if your site is all about telephone-based career coaching for women returning to work after a baby, you'd include very different keywords from a site that was about face-to-face small business coaching for accountants in Preston.

People are getting more savvy when it comes to searching for information on the internet and they are being more and more specific about the keywords they search for. And that's one of the reasons that I keep telling you about the importance of having a niche.

You know what, the only people I know who search for terms like 'coaching' or 'life coaching' are......coaches or people who want to train as coaches.

And if you go down the PPC route for top search engine positionings on these search terms, you'll just be paying for other coaches to visit your site. Typically, you need to pay over £1 per click to rank highly on Google's PPC advertising - called Google Adwords - for these terms, so this could be an expensive exercise.

If you try to compete on generic search terms, you'll struggle unless you've got the budget to invest in good Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) support.
Tip! Perhaps the best endorsement of the effectiveness of life coaching comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. Successful writer and now life coach herself, Marlee Huber of Washington State remarks, 'I cannot adequately express the joy that I am feeling as I move forward in my mission.

Your clients are more likely to search for more specific things like 'career coach Manchester', 'marketing advice for personal trainers' or 'Executive Coach Sales Director'.

It's much easier to niche your site and compete on the more targeted keywords.

For example, go to www.google.co.uk and put in 'career coach manchester' and see what happens.

Rather than competing with almost 19 million sites, there are now only 241,000 sites containing those keywords, so it shouldn't be too hard to get your site higher up the rankings.
Tip! I was more than pleased with the schools attitude and believe that Taryn has been given some important life coaching advice.

When you're putting your keywords into your site, you need to put them as early on in your page as you can. So for 'Career Coach Manchester' it should be in your page title, your first headline (h1) and in the content of your first paragraph. Then keep using the keywords throughout the site.

If you get the right keywords, the search engines will see the site as relevant to the search. But how do you get them to think that your site is important enough to rank highly?
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

Your links.

The more relevant inbound links you can get to your site, the better. This is where other people's sites include your URL (e.g. www.yourwebsite.com) and description on their website.

In the search engines' eyes if other sites link to yours, then they must think it's a good site. So if lots of sites are telling their visitors about your site, it's more likely to be an important website.

The easiest way to get inbound links is through reciprocal linking. That's where you agree to swap links with another site - you'll put a link to their site on your website if they agree to do the same for you.

Or you can get your site listed on online directories - some are free and some are paid for. Usually this is on a reciprocal basis as well. If you want to be listed on their directory, you need to link back to their site.

Something to be aware of is that if a highly-ranked site links to yours, your site is regarded more highly than if the link came from a lower-ranked site.

How do you tell if a page is ranked highly?

Download the Google Toolbar, which will give you the Google Page Rank (PR) for each site you visit.

For example, www.marketinghelpforcoaches.com is ranked 4/10 by Google which is quite high for a coaching website. (Google's own page about their Toolbar is also ranked at 4/10).

OK, finally, PPC advertising.
Tip! A variety of Life Coaching certificates, diplomas, and degrees are available, including Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts (MA), and Master of Science (MS). Life Coaching colleges and universities specialize in training professional psychologists, therapists, counselors, human resources personnel, and educators for developing into the Life Coaching profession.

Does advertising work? Offline, the results can be patchy, but online, if you know what you're doing, it's ideal. Why? Because it's very targeted and you only pay when you get results.

Pay Per Click works on a bidding system, so you specify the maximum amount you're willing to pay each time someone clicks on your advert and you also specify your daily budget, i.e. what's the maximum you want to spend each day so that your spending doesn't get out of control.

The two main providers of PPC are Google Adwords and Overture.

They both work in the same way, but Google is a lot faster - you can have your advert up and running in about 15 minutes once your account is set up. Google is probably the best place to test your keywords and the effectiveness of your advert before rolling it out on Overture as well to pick up search engines like Lycos, Yahoo and MSN.

To explain the inner workings of these advertising methods is beyond the scope of this article. The best thing to do is to go in and have a play around as both have good help and tutorial functions.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

Hannah McNamara helps life coaches, business coaches and executive coaches to be more successful. She combines her 15 years Sales & Marketing experience with coaching techniques to make Marketing fun. Coaches can sign up for her FREE Marketing mini-course (delivered by e-mail) by visiting http://www.marketinghelpforcoaches.com

Turn your speakers up!

Life Skills and Decision Making: Coaching Your Teen to Think It Through

2007-10-28T05:08:00.003-07:00

The teenage years are a test, for parents and for teachers, but most of all, for the teens themselves. Teens are constantly being tested on life decisions, and they need a lot of guidance at a time of life when they least want to hear it. But much of the time teens are amazingly wise about the issues we worry they will not be able to handle. The trick is to guide them, while allowing them to hold on to that independence they so value.

You can guide your teens by coaching them to arrive at the smart and sensible answers they already know, and just have to discover within themselves.

Here are nine questions you can pose to your kids to develop the process of thinking through their life issues. These questions work in just about any situation, such as peer pressure, school achievement, and dilemmas that come with hard to make choices.
Tip! Life Coach Leo A Life Coaching www.alifecoaching.

Pick one or two. Don't overload. Sometimes one key question opens the gateway for your teen to reach that "Aha!" moment and do the right thing for his or her life.

Questions for your teen to reflect on:

1. Can you give your full commitment to this plan?
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

2. Where would you like this decision to take you?

3. What will you do when there are temptations to do something different from what you have planned?

4. What will it feel like to meet this goal?

5. How can you keep remembering that there is a better way to think about some things? [...when you feel yourself slipping.]

6. What will happen when / if you don't follow through? How will you help yourself make a correction?

7. What can you tell yourself if your resolve begins to weaken and you need a confidence boost?
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

Final Tip: Sometimes teens need a mentor or an adult they respect, who is not their parent. It does not diminish your role as a parent. What is happening when your teens seem to respect the opinion of others though you would have said the very same thing? They are working on the normal adolescent process of growing away from you. The behavior of teens can be very confusing. Remember your teen is exploring how to be with and without you as an integral part of his or her life. If your child does work with a mentor type person, it is a good idea for you to know who the supporting adult is, but once you have trust in that person, stepping aside may be a great gift to your teen. If you do decide to encourage your teen to find a mentor, here's the question to plant:
Tip! I was more than pleased with the schools attitude and believe that Taryn has been given some important life coaching advice.

8. Who is a person you feel comfortable going to, to talk things over when you need a sounding board?

Parents, don't expect feedback, but welcome it. You will get your best feedback in the results you see.

Ellen Mossman-Glazer M.Ed. is a Life Skills Coach and Behavioral Specialist, specializing in Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, ADHD, and learning difficulties. Over her 20 years in special education classrooms and treatment settings, Ellen has seen the struggle that children and adults have when they feel they don't fit in. She now works in private practice with people across the USA and Canada, by phone, teleconference groups and email, helping parents, educators, caregivers and their challenging loved ones, to find their own specific steps and tools to thrive. Ellen is the author of two on line e-zines, Emotion Matters: Tools and Tips for Working with Feelings and Social Skills: The Micro Steps. Subscribe for free and see more about Ellen at http://artofbehaviorchange.com. You can take a free mini assessment which Ellen will reply to with your first action step.

On the Path: Life Coaching for Small Business Owners

2007-10-28T05:08:00.002-07:00

One of the distinctions that sets coaching apart from other types of consulting is that coaching specifically addresses the client's sense of who they are in the world, and helps the client make life choices that are aligned with their personal values. In my opinion, there tends to be a split in the psyche of America between personal and career development. If you look in the index of your local telephone company's Yellow Pages ™ you can easily find "Business Services" and "Counseling Services." In my local directory, I notice that the business advertisements use a lot of words like, "strategies," "leadership," and "business planning." The counseling listings include, "addictions," "crisis," and "mental health." All of those services are valuable, but where does the over-worked owner of an independent business, who is getting burnt out, and rarely gets time with loved ones, go for support? What about the sole-proprietor in a specialized service industry, like an alternative health practitioner, who is just starting to grow their business and wants to do so in a way that honors their belief system? What kind of support is going to best suit them?

It seems that many of the business consultants are geared towards the needs of larger, more corporate companies. In general, consultants are the resource one might use to learn how to set up and run a business or to delegate specific tasks to, such as webmasters, accountants, and the like. Counselors on the other hand, are the resource one might use for changing behaviors and healing personal issues. The small business owner may not need help managing a large executive staff, nor have terribly difficult personal problems for which they need to receive therapy. But that doesn't mean that they don't need personal support as they go about making the changes necessary to have a successful and profitable business. One of the beautiful things about coaching is that it addresses the client as whole and complete person. Life coaching may include the development of practical business skills, but it also includes the development of the person who is creating the business. Coaching is not just concerned with what a person does, but coaching enhances who a person is being while they're going about the tasks of daily life. It's personal empowerment in action.
Tip! Traditional therapy and Life Coaching can complement each other. However, if a therapist is using coaching techniques, it is best if the client knows that a coaching technique is being applied.

According to the Small Business Bureau's report, Small Business Economic Indicators for 2002 "Small firms represent about 99 percent of employers, employ about half of the private sector workforce and are responsible for about two thirds to three quarters of the net new jobs." They are the creative pulse of America. Ignited by the spark of wanting to make a difference in the world, and the desire to live a life of freedom, entrepreneurs start off passionately. However, the creativity that motivates a small business owner to go into business in the first place often gets dampened as the daily administration of the business takes over. There is so much to do: formulating the business, structuring the business plan, implementing the plan, and still trying to maintain a life. What started as a quest for freedom and the ability to control one's destiny, has now become a chore of monotonous practicalities and financial struggle, leaving the business owner with even less freedom then before they started. At what point does the business fail? Maybe the business owner just finally gives up and quits. Is it that the owner didn't have a viable idea? Did they not try hard enough? Tough times? It would be presumptuous to second guess why so many new businesses close, but the small business owner would be wise to gather as much personal support as they can to keep themselves energized and on-target. The American Dream is possible, but it doesn't come easy.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

As a coach, I love to work with entrepreneurs. There is a special magic in the creativity that inspires someone to begin their own business. A business can truly become a "calling," as the owner walks a path that leads to spiritual growth and provides benefit to the community. I admire people who create meaningful lives, and are willing to face the challenges that come with following their inspiration. Some challenges however, can intensify to the level that they become "spiritual wake-up calls." When a business has gone flat, profits are non-existent, and the business owner's personal life has diminished, I believe it's time to stop and revaluate before the business goes into a fatal downward spiral. At this point I think it's imperative to work with the business owner directly. If the owner isn't happy, if their energy is low, they're not going to be in a creative solution-oriented state of mind. This is going to have a negative effect on everyone around them, both at work and at home. Albert Einstein said that solutions to problems cannot be found at the same level of energy that created them. Simply "trying harder," or "doing more" may not only be impossible, it may be ineffective as well. For the most positive results, it is essential for the business owner to revitalize their health, relationships, and to feel inspired again.
Tip! Life Coach Leo A Life Coaching www.alifecoaching.

Inspiration, "in spirit," is the revitalizing flow of new energy, awareness, and ideas. Like a breath of fresh air, inspiration allows us to feel alive. When I am coaching a client, I inquire deeply into what is most inspiring to them. Through a process of questions, self-inquiry, and sometimes professional assessments, my clients begin to remember who they really are and to get their priorities back in order. We might discuss their values, life purpose, or simply what it is that they want to create. What I find is that people respond more creatively and productively in business when they are first taking care of themselves. Inspiration and motivation go hand in hand. There is a natural tendency to want to take action when one has the rush of creative renewal. That is the perfect time to set business and personal goals, especially within the context of the client's stated priorities, and who they want to be in the world, beyond any experience of what they have done (or not done) thus far.
Tip! In Life Coaching, the focus is on the present and the future. Coaching clients may have already experienced therapy and will therefore expect the same type of experience.

Having a renewed sense of purpose and commitment is vital to moving forward again, but that does not mean it will go unchallenged. Here is where coaching is especially valuable. For new results to occur there has to be a well-conceived plan and follow-through on implementing the plan. There is a natural tendency to repeat old patterns. Change does not usually come from insight alone. In my opinion, that's why a lot of self-help techniques and seminars don't work. Lasting change is an internal process that results from direct experience, and really "getting it" for one's self. There are slow and fast ways to integrate transformative learning, but the change must be internalized for it to work. As a coach, I walk my clients through the process of implementing the changes they want to make. And although it doesn't make challenges any less likely to occur, coaching increases the self-mastery of the client and helps them align their decisions and actions to their stated goals. Over time, things get smoother. Choices become clearer. The small business owner is supported and empowered to make professionally savvy decisions, sourced from an intuitive knowing about what is right for them, instead of acting and reacting unconsciously to circumstances. Immediately, the client is living from their values on a daily basis, resulting in personal satisfaction at the end of the day. The split between personal and career development begins to mend.
Tip! Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

Since I'm a coach, I will end with a question: What would the world be like if everyone felt personally fulfilled in their work, satisfied from being recognized for their gifts and talents, and also had abundant quality time with their loved ones? Do you think the world would be different? Would your life be different? If anyone has the power to create a paradigm shift in the balance between personal life and work, it's America's small business owners—and that change needs to begin with the owners themselves. A professional coach can help you keep your sense of self while you journey on the path that leads to your success.
Tip! I was more than pleased with the schools attitude and believe that Taryn has been given some important life coaching advice.

Jaya Schillinger "The Turnaround Queen" at http://www.InspirationInc.com is a certified life coach & small business consultant with over 20 years of business ownership & management experience in the fields of personal development, health, and beauty.

How to Get More Referral Business in Life Coaching

2007-10-28T05:08:00.001-07:00

Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to grow your coaching business. It's free, or at most costs very little, yet very few coaches use it to anywhere near it's potential!

Consider this: if you got just one referral from each one of your clients, over the next 60 days you'd double your client base! What would that mean to your potential income and how many more people would you be helping in supportive and uplifting ways?

So, how do you maximize word of mouth? Here are 5 Steps you can take now…

1. Really appreciate your clients and let them know consistently you value them This is the most important, yet overlooked element of creating endless referrals. Many businesses focus more on profits than on people. Focusing on profits alone can be detrimental to success and ‘Word of Mouth' success comes from looking beyond just profit into how you can enrich your customer's lives.

Action: At least once a month, take the time to communicate to each of your clients and show them you appreciate them. Send them something of value, something unexpected, a bonus report, a special piece of news you just found. Make it relevant to them and do it regularly.

2. Create an exceptional experience each time they deal with you or your company If you can make doing business with you an exceptional experience, your clients will want to tell a lot of people. People want amazing experiences!

Here is an example: There is a Life Coach in Brisbane who has a special relationship with a city coffee shop. Once every 8 weeks he invites his clients to a ‘brains trust' meeting and the coffee and cake is on the house. Every client that attends gets a card and a voucher from the coffee shop owner to say ‘Thank you for joining us today, we would love to see you again soon'. The voucher is a ‘buy one get one free' coffee voucher. So they are encouraged to come back again. And because the coffee shop owner is exposing his business to potential new clients the coach pays just cost price on the coffee and cake his clients eat. Normally about 8 clients attend and the cost is around $30. Just a little extra touch can make dealing with your business that much more of an exceptional experience!
Tip! Relationship coaching is really a form of life coaching that focuses upon your relationship. Unlike traditional life coaching, relationship coaching can be done as a couple rather than just as an individual.

Action: What can you do now to add little things that make an exceptional experience? Perhaps you can use the above example or something similar. Remember, start creating exceptional experiences today.

3. Give your customers incentives for giving you referrals If you're being passive about referrals then you're sitting on a gold-mine. Come up with ways of rewarding your clients for referring business to you. They could receive free gifts, such as a 30 minute back massage voucher for referring a friend or a free Style Cut from an award winning beauty salon. The businesses involved would welcome the opportunity to have new clients come their way and would be happy to give that first style cut or treatment for free if they understand the potential value of a new customer.
Tip! You know what, the only people I know who search for terms like 'coaching' or 'life coaching' are..

Action: Reward your clients for referring people to you. Come up with rewards that will be beneficial to your clients. If you worked with executive clients perhaps a free 30 minute health check at a trusted health centre would be valuable or a voucher to use at an upmarket clothing boutique.

4. Make it easy for clients to give you referrals If you want to get lots of referrals, you must make it incredibly easy for your clients to tell their friends. Don't expect them to go way out of the way to help you grow your business. Make it as simple as possible.

Action: Develop a ‘referral package' that you give to your clients. Ask your clients to be an ambassador for your business as you wish to work with people similar to them. The package would include a letter explaining why referrals are important to you, and a series of referral cards that your client can give out to others. Present it professionally and it will hold more value, more worth.

5. Ask at the right time! When is the best time to ask for referrals? Any time! If you have followed the steps listed above…you've let clients know they are appreciated, you've made dealing with you an exceptional experience, you give them an incentive to share your message with friends and you make it easy for them to do so…..you can ask for referrals at any time.

Action: The key is to do something now. Draft up a letter or e-mail today and just send it off to your clients letting them know how much you value them, who much you have enjoyed working with them in the past and include something that is going to be helpful, useful for them to use, read or understand. Then over the next 4 to 6 weeks develop your ‘referral package' and start to use it. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and take action….because if you don't someone will and what will that mean to your business in the years to come.
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

Life Coaching Institute is Australia's leading coach training organisation. Learn more about LCI coach training programs and receive a FREE GIFT at http://www.lcia.com.au/lz

True Life Coaching Success Story

2007-10-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

"Hey Man who are you!" I was sitting on a wall next to the Armory Park outside the Peabody Essex in historic Salem when this "Goth Chick". Not exactly Goth, well you do not expect many of them to have a southern accent. It was more than her dress that made her seem out of place, or the accent. For this is Salem, and Salem loves Vampires and things of Halloween, but Red (for that is what I will call her in this article.) seemed a long way from home. Not the one in Tenenesee, but the one in her heart. And she was running out of time to get there. For she was pregnant and if she could not find her way home, her child would not stand a chance.

The night before I had seen an equally strange guy the night before outside a bar trying to sell prescription pharmaceuticals of Red's. Tall lanky sort of fellow. Looked like what Howdy Doody would look like if he grew up in Compton. I was polite and got to know him as well over the next months.

See the two of them rode up from Tennessee on mountain Bikes hoping from shelter to shelter. Nothing new in Salem. See Salem is the Mecca for misfit toys from the country. See paddling your feet down the cobble stones of this mystical city and glancing "Oh My God stares!" at laurie Cabot, One of our local witches, will take away all the pain and injury you suffered from your parents and home towns injustices and discrimination of who you really are. Well it did not work for those young youth heading to the Holy Land during Crusades, and it still does not now. For their idol is still trying to work through the same issues that the lost flock to her to answer.

So we have two more in Salem.

So Red, upon our first meeting jokes for awhile and goes into her life. The Soap Opera of it all, that she loves! Well she is eighteen and pregnant soon to teach her child all of her successes and failures. I have known her all my life, her face shows up in so many in this country. The most recent and closest avatar of her I know is almost sixty now and has suffered her self and her children through what this young girl is about to do. So I snatch the elders ruby slippers from her and try to give her another pair to get her home. "Red, Stop! Now the next time I see you, tell me something good! A good Story!"

Too often people go about and never have conversations with people but tell their story. They identify with the role and not the actor. Being typecast in the same roles, never branching out into other areas. The Histrionic behavior is an attempt to get the self soothing and comfort they can not access on their own. Their parents never gave them the security of the nest so they may learn to know that home is in the heart and it never leaves you. Like the nestling soon learns as he is drop kicked from the bough, you always can return home. Now the older of the two has never found that home yet, but I would like to see if Red could.

"A Good Story, what do you mean?"

Well I explain a scenario that she wakes up from a good night's sleep, the sun is bright on her face as she leaves her tent. She is excited because she is suppose to meet Jon at four and have a pint under the apple trees next to the Custom House. They have some good laughs and walk up the pier to the Friendship Tall Ship in the Harbor. Jon trips after Red pushes him and he falls in off the dock. She laughs her pants off watching Jon hoist his feet out of the mud flats for the tide is going out.
Tip! Because life coaching is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, with adequate training, students who join this expanding business industry will gain practical skills, knowledge and experience to help guide and empower themselves and their clients. The important framework of any life coaching educational program includes teaching students how to develop their own goals, how to formulate a successful business strategy and how to build reputations.

You start from where they are. But no tradegy of drama! Was the prescription.

It took some time, but eventually she proceed from "You know what he just ...., I know good story!" to " I went to the doctor and he said the baby is healthy and all the WIC paper work is completed and I have not done any of my man's stuff this week.". She was learning.

Then came the day she learned that Jonson and Jonson pill pusher not only cheated on her, but with another guy. Well with my support she contacted her Uncle, since it was her parents who twisted her head on backwards, a good man that always was from another tree than her mother. A good apple. She followed my care and suggestion and got him to drive two thousand miles and haul herself back south.
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

Well, Howdy doody from Compton with his accent and all. He listens well, but is not ready to give up the thrill of tradegy of drama yet. Pills and deals, dealing with missing a child not born yet and a sexuality not blossomed a tulip or rose. He tries but finds failure too much fun. Everyone in their own time.

Yes as Life Coaches we deal with Business Executives, and Start up Entrepreneurs, but we should and can not let the others fall through the cracks. When your left brain has a full belly and cushion in the bank, let your right brain give a little compassion and tenderness.
Tip! I was more than pleased with the schools attitude and believe that Taryn has been given some important life coaching advice.

Rome made this mistake and death and poverty in the end will strike beggar and king alike. Just because some shoes will just give you blisters.

Christopher Jon Luke Dowgin is propietor of Docspond Life Coach Services providing Individual Counseling, Group facilitation, and key note addresses that speak to the heart of the mission while delivering the bottom line finacial growth. Helping millions find their bliss and return meaning to success! Guaranteed 20% improvement in your quality of life aftre the first meeting!

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