I still get the impression that to some people, life coaching seems like a made up occupation. A frivolous idea. A waste of time and money. An unnecessary offering. A scam for the  weak-minded. 

And I get it. When I first heard the term several years ago, I did too. "Wouldn't it be a shame to need a coach for your own life?" I thought. 

How wrong I was.  Since then, I have obviously had a change of heart. First of all, I have learned what a life coach does. A life coach is not a cheerleader or guru or smooth-talking expert on your life.  In fact, if a life coach tries to give you cold, hard advice, then that life coach is perpetuating one of the many myths of coaching. One article written to help debunk coaching myths states, "Coaches are experts at the process of changing behavior, which is much more valuable than giving instructions."  Furthermore, working with a life coach does not mean you are weak or uncertain or depressed or unhappy. Some people come to life coaching with those complaints or from some other place of scarcity.  And coaches can help them for sure. However, just as many people come to life coaching already successful and happy, but wanting to grow and learn and prosper even more. They come from a place of abundance and potential. And coaches can help them, too.

Once, when I was talking to a teenager about what I do, I told her I was a life coach. She smiled and said, "That's great. We could all use a life coach, couldn't we?"

The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Her simple statement was not only validating, but also insightful. Few of us are functioning at our maximum potential. Therefore, everyone has room for growth.  With the support of a life coach, anyone can work toward more abundance. Schedule a complimentary intro session and let's explore the possibilities. Stay tuned for more posts about specific ways a life coach can help you discover your best self.

If I had to pinpoint one moment when I really started thinking about life coaching as a career, it would be when I watched this video. I loved it so much (the humor, the presentation, but mostly the research and the message) that I started using it in all my community college English classes. I would show the video, and then students would pick a 30-day challenge to take on a new positive habit. That challenge would become that basis of their portfolio for the semester. So without realizing it, I was bringing coaching into my work as a teacher. Students loved it and some made big positive changes in their lives as a result.

The positive psychology movement is so closely tied to the growth of the coaching industry because it really works. An improved mindset, a new positive practice, an awareness of things you are grateful for...these are small changes with huge rewards. A coach can support you through these changes and bigger ones as well. Contact me to schedule a free session to explore the power of coaching. And watch this video...I promise you will enjoy it. 

Hello out there! International Coaching Week is almost over already! Did you get a chance to #experiencecoaching? If so, I'd love to hear your experiences. If not, I'm bringing you one more chance to take part in a sample activity. In the video below, I walk you through an exercise to help you gain awareness about the energy drainers in your life. In the video, I explain the difference between an energy "gnat" and an energy "rattlesnake." At the end of the video, I encourage you to take action to eliminate some of these stressors in your life. Please watch! I promise you will learn something about yourself and hopefully be inspired to take some action. If you're having trouble coming up with your personal energy drainers, scroll down below the video to the chart that outlines some common "gnats" and "rattlesnakes." And, if you didn't complete the Life Balance Wheel activity, you can CLICK HERE to do so. I would love to hear what action you take after watching! Feel free to share in the comments.

Hello! Today is the beginning of International Coaching Week put on by the ICF (International Coach Federation). In honor of this event, I'm bringing you a free Mini Session that you can do from home. In the video below, I will walk you through an activity called the "Life Balance Wheel." In coaching, some activities bring AWARENESS and others call for ACTION. Without awareness, you cannot take action to improve yourself or your life. This activity is meant to bring awareness, to shed light on areas of your life that might be out of balance. I recommend that everyone do this activity even if you have no intention of pursuing life coaching. First of all, it's fun, and second of all, it's insightful!

To do this, you will need to print out the Life Balance Wheel worksheet.  If you have any trouble accessing this, please let me know.

One piece of advice that I didn't mention in the video: As you rate the different areas of your life based on your current level of satisfaction, I want you to try to steer away from choosing a number based on any kind of societal expectation or standard. Be sure to pick a number that truly represents your own unique outlook on your life. As always, if you want to speak in more detail or plan an introductory session to explore life coaching, please don't hesitate to contact me.  Enjoy and Happy Coaching Week!!!

I just added this video to my "About the Coach" page. Since life coaching is all about living life with intention, I wanted to explain why I chose Golden Life Coaching and Education as the name of my business.  In a nutshell, the name includes three things I'm very passionate about: Golden (both the town I live in AND the the metaphorical idea of what it means to be "golden"), Life Coaching, and Education. Watch my video and contact me to schedule a session or discuss options for classes/workshops. And stay tuned! Next week I will be bringing you a FREE coaching session in honor of International Coaching Week.  I'll bring you a fun and insightful activity to help you answer this question: Do you have balance in your life?