Coach or Consultant?

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“I constantly seem to attract people looking for my advice, so, with a bit of training, I feel sure I’ll make a natural life coach.”

Had I received a penny for every such comment made by people enquiring about life coach training, I would be a pretty wealthy man right now!

So, let’s unpack this important misperception about life coaching.

Powerful wisdom

No doubt you’ve heard the saying:

“Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.”

It’s over a hundred years old and attributed to many sources, perhaps most notably Confucius. But no matter where it may originate from, it represents a simple, yet powerful bit of wisdom that is employed as a fundamental principle in life coaching.

Advice has drawbacks

When it comes to important matters of one’s life, deciding what is really important and embarking upon a chosen direction and related actions, relying on advice from others has serious drawbacks.

For a start, anyone giving life advice, does so from their own unique and very personal perspective on life – a fabric that has been woven over many years from the rich tapestry of events, experiences and learnings that that specific individual has been exposed to.

In addition, anyone choosing to shape their own life solely on the basis of following the advice of others, does so at the expense of the deep emotional connection and sense of personal responsibility that comes from following their own inner voice or ‘heart’.

Connecting with the inner being

Life coaching, in recognising these drawbacks, generally steers away from ‘consulting’ or giving advice to clients in favour of helping clients to connect with their inner beings and thereby derive the advice and guidance that is available to them from within.

In a world where so many people feel directionless, claiming to have no apparent idea of what their inner beings or hearts may want for them, this may sound rather esoteric and disconnected from reality.

But the truth is exactly the opposite and the very reason why life coaching, particularly transformational life coaching, is so incredibly powerful.

A uniquely specific purpose

At New Insights, we believe that everyone is born with a uniquely specific purpose, that forms part of the collective purpose of humanity to help the planet and universe develop and evolve.

We are connected to our individual purposes through our inner beings and guided to follow our purposes through our emotions.

Emotions of joy, happiness and contentment generally indicate that we are on track, whereas emotions of frustration, discontent and unhappiness generally indicate that we have veered from the track intended for us.

Thanks to the pressures and stresses of modern living that we humans have brought upon ourselves, and the materialistic approach to life that society has adopted as a benchmark for success, most of us have become thoroughly disconnected from the purposes we are here to follow.

And, as a result, most of us are feeling the pangs of frustration that come with lack of direction and ultimate fulfilment.

Transformational life coaching

At New Insights, our seven month transformational coaching programme is focused on helping clients to uncover their specific purposes in life. Our trained coaches provide their clients with powerful tools and techniques to help them grow their self awareness and harness their inner power.

This results in clients who feel re-connected with their own inner beings and more confident and trusting in their ability to create the reality they desire for themselves, using the advice that comes, not from their external worlds but from within.

Life coaching as a career

Does all this mean that, if you’re someone who gets a kick out of giving advice to others, life coaching is not the right career for you?

No, not necessarily. It all depends on whether your ‘kicks’ come from telling others what to do (ego-based) or from assisting others to grow and develop into better individuals (purpose-based).

If your passion derives from the latter then you could very well make a great life coach. Our certification training will show you exactly how to curtail you inner consultant and grow your inner facilitator.

Rather than informally offering people your best advice and wishing them the best of luck, you’ll learn how to be a powerful catalyst for growth and development by employing specific listening, questioning and other professional tools and techniques that will empower your clients to bring out the very best in themselves.

How exciting is that?

8 thoughts on “Coach or Consultant?”

  1. Vernette Nieuwenhuys

    It is easy to slip into consultant mode when coaching, especially when we resonate with the issue, so thank you Bill for the reminder. 🙂

  2. Hi Bill, So apt as today I told a life coaching client exactly that. I won’t tell you what to do but I will help you connect with your heart and internal compass so you can make life choices that serve you. Now that’s empowering all round .

  3. I cannot think of a career more exciting than being a life coach, an “inner facilitator.” Thank you for your inspirational leadership, Bill. It is an honour and a privilege to be a New Insights Pro Life Coach.

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