Flexible Working: Whenever and Wherever

The fulfilment factor

The problem with most flexible careers like this is that they can get pretty lonely at times. And, though you might get reasonably well rewarded for the fruits of your labour, it’s unlikely that you’ll get more than a thank you and, perhaps a nice review when you complete and hand over the finished project to your client.

Life coaching, on the other hand, offers all the benefits of flexible working but with levels of fulfilment that are exponentially higher.

Attracting clients that fit your schedule

As a life coach you can schedule client appointments for times that work best for you. If you’re starting out, you may feel obligated to schedule appointment times around what works best for your clients but, with experience you’ll learn where to look for and how to attract the clients that fit into your preferred schedule.

I know many life coaches who prefer to work part time after hours and over weekends and this suits clients whose working lives restrict their ability to make daytime appointments in the week.

On the other hand, I know coaches who prefer to schedule sessions only in the mornings while their kids are at school. Once again, they look to attract stay at home parents with similar needs.

The idea of coaching in the early morning and late evening may appeal to those coaches with early bird and night owl tendencies. They may attract a select group of local clients who feel the same way. But it should always be remembered, that seemingly less popular times in one’s own country coincide with more popular times in other parts of the world.

Coaching remotely

That brings me to the subject of coaching remotely.

Anyone unfamiliar with life coaching may automatically assume that sessions would have to be conducted on a face-to-face basis to be fully effective. However, this is not necessarily true, and in many cases the effectiveness of sessions actually increases when coaching is conducted remotely.

For one thing, remote coaching allows both coach and client to relax and let go of the self conscious awkwardness that often accompanies face-to-face coaching, at least in the early stages. Nobody is focusing on what you are wearing, or your body language for instance.

The heightened sense of connection that some feel with face-to-face coaching can be replicated to an extent by using video technology inherent in so-called voice-over-internet applications like Skype and Zoom for example.

A blended approach

Many life coaches nowadays prefer a blend of face-to-face and remote coaching where that is practical. This cuts down on the need for either party to travel and injects an element of variety into the coaching programme with occasional meetings scheduled at the coach’s home, the client’s home or at a local coffee shop.

For all of its flexibility and variety, the best thing about life coaching is how wonderfully fulfilling it is. I think you’ be hard pressed to find a career that matches it for that.

Naturally progressive

Remember for a moment that we are talking about life coaching, not counselling. Life coaching is a naturally progressive discipline, being solution focused and forward looking by nature.

The focus of the sessions is on empowering clients to accept their present for what it is, develop their self awareness, unleash their inner power and create the futures they so badly desire.

Joy and fulfilment

New Insights trained coaches, in particular, focus, ultimately, on helping their clients to uncover their individual purpose in life and then work to align their values, beliefs, actions and behaviours so that they may experience the joy and fulfilment that comes with that.

Each client is different and each client gets to experience the coaching differently. Life coaches accompany their clients on their journeys, helping them, challenging them. guiding them, celebrating with them and learning from them in the process.

Win-win

This is a truly enriching and rewarding career and one that very much represents a win-win for the planet. It feels good for coach and client, it is good for coach and client and it contributes positively to the world at large.

Life coaching … flexible working at its best!