Should I really see a life coach?

It is always interesting to listen to people talking in bars, pubs or just around your table.

For a lot of people, even today, speaking to a therapist or coach can still be seen as a sign of weakness. For some of us, it’s even seen as a sign that you are “nuts”...

In the corporate world, coaching is widely used to support executives, managers and other professionals in areas such as leadership, development and performance.

At the same time, you don’t need to be rich to have a coach. You just need to know how much it costs you not to have one. When you're trying to work something out on your own, it can be easy to return to the same questions and familiar ways of thinking. There may also be questions or areas you find harder to explore by yourself.

A coach can help you clarify your goals and explore beliefs or assumptions that may be influencing the choices you make. If we don’t believe that we can achieve something, that belief can influence the choices we make and the opportunities we are willing to pursue.

The first quality of a coach is to listen; the second one is to ask the right questions. On top of this, a coach can provide a supportive perspective while encouraging you to look at yourself and your situation in different ways.

A lack of confidence can sometimes make us less willing to pursue the things we want or take opportunities that feel uncertain. We can limit ourselves in strange ways. Understanding what you enjoy, what matters to you and what motivates you can help you make choices that feel more meaningful.

Having greater confidence in yourself doesn't guarantee every outcome, but it may make you more willing to pursue goals, try something different and see what is possible.

Coaching may provide a useful source of support when you're trying to make a change or work out what comes next. If part of you is saying that you should be able to work everything out alone, perhaps it's worth asking whether trying a different kind of support could be useful – and judging for yourself.