Finding your inner compass with life coaching

The last time I went to buy toothpaste, I was overwhelmed by the choice on offer. With the lack of anything else to drive my decision, I allowed myself to be financially motivated and went with what was on promotion – two for the price of one.

With so many different coaches, approaches and areas of expertise available, knowing who to work with can feel like another difficult choice. Life Coach Directory provides a trusted place to explore professional coaches, learn more about their experience, approach and areas of focus, and find someone who feels right for you.

Fundamentally, you should know that coaching isn't generally about someone telling you what to do with your life. Instead, a coach can provide space to explore your own goals, values and direction.

So, what is life coaching?

Finding direction in a world of choice

We are certainly inundated with choice. Desperate for your attention, advertisers are constantly differentiating and reinventing their products. We are overwhelmed with information at every turn. We live in a world of constant distraction and noise. Whilst we shouldn’t take freedom of choice for granted, a large part of this ‘noise’ is meaningless and only serves to confuse.

This choice extends into our personal lives. The way we approach our careers and relationships has changed considerably over time, and there are more options and different expectations for the paths we take.

The security of knowing your place behind a desk or a production line for the next 40 years doesn’t really exist anymore. But by the same token, for many people today, the idea of remaining in the same role for 40 years may feel restrictive rather than reassuring.

These factors alone can lead to an environment of confusion and uncertainty.

So, how do you find direction when living with pressures like these? You may have a wonderful group of friends and a supportive family, but do they know what’s best for you? Will they listen and take the time to understand what’s in your heart, or will they simply offer well-meaning advice? (Or perhaps they’re more interested in what’s being projected through the screen of their phone…)

My experience of life coaching

In my early 30s, I was faced with a life choice. I wanted to move on from the job I’d been in for 9 years. I suspected I could find a better opportunity within a different industry. I turned to a life coach and set some goals for the way forward. I found the life coaching process to be so empowering and within 3 months, I had achieved everything I set out to do!

The only trouble with that was that 3 years later I found myself living this lifestyle that felt superficial and unfulfilling.

I don’t for one moment discount the process I had been through with my coaching, and I still consider it a hugely valuable experience. But the problem was that I had set these goals without really considering what they meant to me. I guess I had thought more about what I should be doing, rather than what I wanted to be doing.

I hadn’t taken the time to focus on what felt important to me. I’d not even considered what I might want to contribute to the world or what made me feel alive and made my heart sing. I hadn’t for one moment assumed that I may have a personal purpose. Or that it might be important to know these things to keep me striving through difficult times.

In fact, I hadn’t given much more thought to the process than to my choice of toothpaste! Consequently, the goals I had set were superficial, and therefore the life I achieved was superficial.

Connecting with your 'why'

A professional life coach can offer you a unique space to consider these questions. A good coaching relationship should provide a space where you feel listened to and able to explore your thoughts without judgement.

They can help you to challenge anything that may be standing in your way; e.g. those limiting beliefs and critical self-talk. They can help you to understand what is important to you and why.

Connecting with your ‘why’ can give you an inner compass when you're making decisions. It can help you consider what feels important to you, cut through some of the noise around you and stay connected to what motivates you when things get difficult.

I’m not sure it can help you pick your toothpaste, though.