I get asked a lot whether self-coaching can work when someone cannot afford or chooses not to hire a Coach.
Additionally, the internet is full of stories from people with absolutely no experience who teach themselves how to build houses or motor homes. They build the structure, plumbing, electrical, everything…using only YouTube tutorials.
I’ve even seen complete novices using online tutorials to do things like stripping and putting together a car engine, furniture, and other things.
With such examples in mind, it seems logical and possible that we can also learn how to coach ourselves.
At its core, coaching gives someone the ability, desire, and appropriate action required to create positive change. And when you examine your own life, I’m sure you have made some fantastic changes without a Coach, haven’t you?
Advantages of Self-Coaching
1. Getting to know yourself better
When you coach yourself into success, you get to know more of what makes you tick. You also get to examine your history, likes, dislikes, and ambitions.
No one is better than you when it comes to knowing all about yourself and how you feel about your life – past, present, and future.
2. No time or location constraints
Working with a Coach means that you work within the constraints determined by the Coach. You cannot engage in the coaching process anywhere or anytime.
Self-coaching gives you the opportunity to choose the issue to work on and start working on it right away. You’re also in control of the time and location where your self-coaching occurs.
3. You can choose your own process
You can choose how the coaching proceeds instead of being limited to the Coach’s preferred process. In this way, you can choose a free-flowing approach to tackling the issue or a more structured methodology.
- You can sit your imaginary other self in a chair and engage with them.
- You can use the written word and sit down to journal your coaching journey.
- Some people find it easy to think things through when hiking up a hill or mountain or riding a bike or motorcycle.
- You can record voice notes to yourself on your phone.
So you don’t have to conform to someone else’s ideals or methods.
4. No need for a Coach’s approval
One of the things that happen when you work with a Coach is that you get to trust them. Sometimes, this leads to wanting or seeking your Coach’s approval. With self-coaching, you don’t need anyone else’s approval to take the actions you determine to be most appropriate.
Advantages of Hiring a Coach
Having looked as some advantages of self-coaching, let’s now examine reasons to consider working with a Coach.
1. Having an impartial success partner
No matter how objective you are, at some point, it will get hard to challenge your own perceptions, beliefs, or old patterns of behavior.
Having a Coach will help you overcome this as all coaching processes work on changing from the inside out.
2. A sounding board
Albert Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
Are you able to ask yourself challenging-enough questions that influence your thoughts and processes? You can get stuck and need someone to help you come up with effective and efficient strategies.
A Coach not only takes you through a specified coaching process. They are your sounding board and also someone who asks you the hard questions you and other people may not be able to ask you.
You’ll also have a safe outlet with someone who helps you define success on your own terms and then go for it.
3. Taking action
Action is the all-important element when it comes to success. It’s easy to get tired when the goals you’re working on are not moving as expected.
Support and accountability are core aspects of working with a Coach. Anyone who has worked with a Coach will tell you that they would not have take action on a lot of their goals without being held accountable by their Coach.
This is also the same case with me personally. My growth, personally, professionally, and in business, is largely due to working with coaches. Left to my own devices, I would not take consistent action on my ideas as I would with accountability from my Coach.
4. Increased confidence
Most people who have worked with a Coach reveal that they have increased self-confidence and self-esteem. You get to work on your fears, and take steps that you previous thought impossible.
As your confidence increases, you start seeing yourself from a different light. You start believing in yourself and your ability to make decisions more. This in turn helps you take on bigger tasks and goals than before.
5. Better decision-making
Many times, clients get into coaching with a lot of clutter in the mind. This clutter can be exhausting and lead to confusion and lack of action.
Your Coach will listen and and ask the right questions, the difficult and confusing issues become very clear. Over time, the coaching process helps you make sense of the noise, organize your thinking, make better decisions, and move forward with clarity.
6. Work-life balance
Your Coach will help you slow down and create better work-life balance. This will improve your relationships and health as you slow down.
The interesting thing is that when you have better work-life balance, you excel more at work or in your business. This is because your personal foundation is strong and it works as a solid anchor for you.
Further Thoughts…
Self-analysis and self-understanding are important aspects of personal growth. Having a self-coaching approach to your growth gives you the ability to review your personal situation and circumstances.
Doing this on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will help you identify what’s working and what’s not working. You can use the results of this time with self to determine what changes to make.
But if you really want significant change and positive outcomes in a shorter period, it’s best to work with a Coach who is a good fit for you. This will help you get the very best out of yourself and improve in all aspects of your life. It also gives you a more effective strategy for your professional or business growth.
(Image credit: Unsplash)
Are you considering working with a Life Coach but you don’t know where to start?
Self-coaching can only take you so far…
If you’re thinking of taking up coaching, book a complimentary Discovery Call with me. This call will help you get a feel of coaching, discuss your needs, and see how coaching can work out for you.
