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12 Tips to Get the Most Out of Hiring a Life Coach

12 tips to get the most out of hiring a life coach

In today’s blog post I am going to cover some things you can do to get the most out of hiring a life coach. I will begin with some questions to ask yourself before hiring a life coach. Then I will follow up with some things to do during the coaching process.

So let’s begin:

Questions to ask yourself before hiring a life coach

What do you want?

Self-reflection is a big part of the life coaching journey. A life coach is not going to give you the answers. They are going to ask you questions and guide you. You will have to do the deep dive into your heart and decide what you want. Your answer to this question will guide the direction for the life coaching process.

Are you willing to change?

Nothing will change if you are not willing to change.

“What you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching that destination.”

Zig Ziglar

Reaching your goal will require that you change. However it is through the process of changing that you become the person who is able to  accomplish the goal or have the thing.

“Everything you want it just outside your comfort zone. If it wasn’t, you would already have it”

Jack Canfield
Live outside your comfort zone by hiring a life coach

This is so true. Both quotes point out the importance of change as a process to reach any goal. Change can be hard. Change can be scary. However, with a clear vision of where you are headed, change can be exciting and wonderful. A life coach can help to hold the vision for you during the hard parts.

Are you willing to be challenged?

A Life Coach is not your friend or your mom. They are not going to tell you want you want to hear and make you feel good. Their job is to hold up a mirror and show you what you need to see about yourself. Sometimes this is painful. Sometimes it is empowering. But it always opens a door to a place that you only wished was possible.

Do you want to be free?

If you want to be coddled and hold on to all of your bad habits, then you should save your money and buy some wine. But if you want to break free from the habits and fears that are holding you hostage then a life coach might be right for you.

Freedom to choose a different path. Freedom to choose a different outcome. This can be hard work and fear is sure to raise it’s ugly head. A coach’s job is to help you make the changes you want to make. Sometimes this is by sharing truth. Sometimes this is by helping you overcome hurtles. It is always walking beside you along the journey.

Are you willing to put in the work?

Life coaching is a partnership where both partners need to do their part. The coach will bring the tools, the questions, and the insght. You will need to bring the openness, the flexibility to try new things, and the commitment to work the process. You will need to be open and honest, vulnerable even. You will have to do the self-reflection necessary to open new doors of possibility. You will need to do the work to overcome years of habits and inertia. Plainly said you will need to do the work!

What are you willing to give up?

In order to make a life change you will be required to give up something. Initially, you will need to create some space to self-reflect to figure out what you really want. Then, depending on the change you want to make, you might have to give up:

  • Habits: What are you doing that is not serving you and moving you forward.
  • Time : This might mean cutting ties with people who drain your energy or giving up binging Netflix.  You might have to give up activities you enjoy.  You will need to rearrange your time to make room for the new you to emerge. The new project to come to fruition.
  • Money: You may need to cut expenses in areas that are less important to create cash to apply towards your dream
  • Things that use or drain your energy: You only have so much energy so this energy will need to be reallocated to include your new endeavor.

Are you ready to say yes to yourself?

How long will you go on wishing that life was different?

How long will soldier through to make everyone else happy?

Is it time to take care of you yet?

Is it time to realize your dreams?

If not now, then when will you be able to seek your wants, needs and desires?

If today is the day where you decide to say yes to yourself then I would like to offer you a free Life Coaching Session. This will be a time for you to get clarity around what you want and see the next step in your journey. There is no cost or obligation. No strings attached. We will explore if I am a good fit for you and if you are in a place where coaching is right for you.

Free Life Coaching Session with Barbara

How to get the most out of hiring a life coach

So once you hire a life coach the adventure and the hard work begins. The following tips will help you make progress towards your goals faster and easier!

Remain open to change

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten. The old adage is so true. Change is a part of life. Change is coming whether you want it to or not. Remembering that the life coaching process is about seeing things in a new way.  It is about trying new actions to see how they work out in your life. Your coach is there to support you along your journey.

Take time for self reflection:

Life coaching can be an unfolding experience. As you see things in a different light and try new things, there will be consequeses of those actions. Taking time during the process for self reflection and checking in with yourself is really key. It will aid  effectively moving through this process. You will want to identify and gain clarity around what you want to accomplish. You will also want to be able to articulate what is not working in your life. Self refection is the key to this information.

Keep a journal

A journal is a great way to capture your thoughts and to be able to look back and see your progress. The process of journaling your thoughts can create new insights that can aid in great leaps of progress. When the journey gets hard, and it probably will, a journal can be the place to release emotions and frustration. A journal can be a great place to record creative ideas. This is your space to record your thoughts.

Create space for the change to happen

Intentionally creating change in your life is going to require time and effort on your part. One of the things you can do is to create some room for this to happen.

Is there anything that you are doing that you can stop doing?

Is there anything that used to be fun but isn’t any more? Can you stop doing that?

Are there friends in your life that suck your time and energy without filling you up? Can you disengage from these relationships or put boundaries on them?

Do you have items in your life that are incomplete? Do you need to put away a box or declutter the kitchen counter? Do you need to send an email or file your taxes. Make a list of all the items in your life that need to be done and start to work on completing them. Review the list to see if some of these items just be dropped and not done at all?

The idea here is to clear the clutter in your life and in your schedule to create room to take the actions to accomplish your most important goals.

“Saying NO to the wrong things creates space to say YES to the right things”

Mack Story

Be open to feedback

As I said before your coach isn’t here to be your friend. They are there to ask questions and guide you. There undoubtedly will be feedback during this process. You will also get feedback from your family, friends and co-workers as you make changes that affect them. You will want to keep an open mind and listen to their feedback. Then you can decide how you want to react to this feedback. Are there concerns valid and helpful. Are they afraid of the changes you are making and how it will affect them? Feedback is information that can guide you along your path.

Have great expectations when hiring a life coach

We often get what we expect in life. We all know people who worry and stew. Is this the person you want to be? You signed up for life coaching for a reason. Embrace that reason. See yourself becoming the person you need to be to have that vision of what your life could look like.

No matter where you are now, whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve.

Napoleon Hill

If you are ready to make changes in your life and reach for your dream, I would love to visit with you. I would like to offer you a free coaching session. In the session we will talk about what you are wanting to do and help you get clarity about your next steps.

Other blog posts you might be interested in are 6 Reasons to Hire a Life Coach and 6 Myths About Life Coaching.

Keep Dream’n

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6 Myths About Life Coaching

I get asked questions all the time about what is a Life Coach?

It is not a magic pill to make everything in your life better and it is not counseling to heal deep seated trauma. But is it is an effective tool to get unstuck when life feels hard. It is a way to supercharge your already successful life. Life coaching is a way to gain clarity and direction to live a life you love. It can give you a sense of control, peace and joy as you take action to live your dreams.

1.  A life coach will give you the answer

Life Coaching too expensive?!

There is no way that a life coach can give you an answer to the problem. Nobody knows you, your life and circumstances better than you.

What a life coach will do is ask questions to guide you to the AHA moment where the answer becomes clear. A life coach works with countless other clients. He or she has collected experience and tools to help you discover the answer that makes sense to you.  The answer that will work in your life. If there was a cookie cutter solution, then you would already have it.

2. Once you hire a life coach, the sessions may go on indefinitely – which will get expensive.

A good life coach will equip you with the right tools and a new mindset for you do use for the rest of your life. It is at your discretion to decide when you have worked through and issue and no longer need assistance. Occasionally, clarity on an issue can come in one visit and no other sessions are needed. The number of sessions needed will depend on the complexity and severity of the issue <<don’t like this word>>

Is my role important enough for a life coach!

3. I am not in a role important enough for a life coach

I am not a business owner or a CEO, so I don’t need a life coach.

What I am doing is not important.

This is a common misconception that can keep people stuck in their habits and mindsets. If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, then a life coach can help you get your life back on a track that you are happy with. You only have one life to live.  You deserve to design your life that allows you to accomplish your goals.  That allows you to take care of everything that is important to you.

4. There are so many life coaches out there, I will never find one that is right for me!

Finding the right coach can be daunting.  Different Coaches will focus on different areas. Look for a coach that specializes in the area of life that you are struggling with. It is also important to consider personality, coaching style and how you feel when talking with them. Use your intuition here. Ask yourself, “does this person get me?”

Most coaches offer a free initial session, so you can find the coach that is right for you at no cost to you.  If you are not feeling a good connection then don’t feel like you HAVE to sign up with them.

5. I can’t afford a life coach.

This goes hand in hand with not feeling “important enough” for life coaching. You probably already own electronic devices worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Any designer items with a similar price tag? If you are spending income to distract yourself from the frustration of not living the life you deserve, it might be time to reconsider. It is time to get real with yourself and invest in yourself and your future.

Life coaching is designed to lead to growth, breakthroughs and improvements in life that far outweigh the cost of coaching. It can end up saving your time, money, and energy.

6. I can do it on my own

Yes, you can!  You are strong and capable. Your skills, determination and hard work have gotten you to the place you are now.

However, we are all limited by what we can’t see about ourselves and our situation. We have ingrained thoughts, perceptions and beliefs that are an invisible fence keeping us from living our best life. Life coaches can help make those thoughts, perceptions and beliefs visible.

We all have areas that we are strong in and areas that are weaker. Typically, we are struggling in areas that we are not as strong. Getting some extra insight into how to tackle a challenge can take a mountain and make it a mole hill.

  • Why am I not where I want to be?
  • What I have I been dealing with, dreaming about or avoiding for longer than required?
Free life coach session with Barbara

If you are still reading this article then something I’ve said above has spoken to you. I would like to offer you a free coaching session. There is no obligation to you to do more than the one session. In this session we will work  together to

In this session we will work  together to

— gain clarity around what is really important to you and

— discover what some of the next steps are to take to move forward in life.

Say yes to yourself! Say yes to see what’s possible.

What have you got to lose? I am looking forward to meeting you!

If you want to learn more about life coaching check out 6 Reasons to Hire a Life Coach. My next blog post will be about the12 Tips to get the most of out Life Coaching. Click here if you want to have my next blog post arrive in your inbox. No spam just the latest posts and information about Dandelion-dreams!

Keep Dream’n

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6 Reasons to Hire a Life Coach

In this blog post I will talk about why I hired a life coach and what I learned. I will share the 6 reasons you might want to hire a life coach.

My friend, life does not have to be this hard! I will share some of the reasons you might want to hire a life coach.

  • Life is hard
  • Too much to do
  • Too many choices
  • Not enough time
  • Not motivated

When life throws you a curve ball it can feel like all life is falling apart. The routines you had set up to make life easy or at least manageable are all in disarray. This can leave you discouraged and feeling stuck.

Are you feeling stuck?

I was stuck a few years ago. I wanted life to be different, but I didn’t know how to change it. I knew some of the things that I could/should be doing –

  • self-care
  • going out with friends or
  • participating in hobbies

but I just didn’t have the interest or motivation. It just all felt so pointless.

And, I was tired. . . . really tired.

Was life supposed to be this hard?

Then I hired a life coach. Tascha helped me get clear on what I wanted the rest of my life to look like. We talked about the things in my life that I thought “couldn’t” change and I realized that they could change. I took some massive action but in about 2 years, my life was completely different. I was able to step away from the day-to-day management of a business.  And throw myself into what I have always wanted to do. The result is this blog and my coaching & speaking business.

A life coach can help you:

1.  To help you see what you cannot see

2. To help you find direction

3. To help you reach your potential

4. To keep you focused on what’s important

5. To increase your confidence and motivation

6. To boost your overall well-being

Let’s unpack each of these

To help us see what we cannot see.

Our brains have a filter that allows it to take in everything going on around you.  Then sends you the information that is deemed important to you. Neuroscientists call this the Reticular Activating System. It is the part of the brain that takes in all the stimuli that is going on around us. It then filters all the massive information, sending a small amount to the conscious mind. This is important because there is so much going on.  If we had to process that overwhelming onslaught of information, our ability to function would be greatly hampered. However, this also means that this system is also creating our perception of reality.  Coaches can help us to bring in details we were not considering. Details that got filtered out. This slight change in perception can give us great insight to problems that seem to elude us.

To help us find direction

If you are feeling lost or directionless, you are not alone. Many people drift though life without much of a plan…not really knowing where they are heading. A coach can help us identify what we really want to be doing with our lives. To find our purpose and a way to express that purpose. A coach can then help us to create a plan and overcome the obstacles that will inevitably come up.

To help you reach your potential

It is easy to get bogged down in the minutia of life.

  • Were you once passionate about accomplishing your goal but have fallen into a funk? Does it feel like wading through molasses?
  • Do you know you are capable of more, but you just don’t seem to be getting there?

This happens to the best of us, and a coach can come alongside and help you get serious about the success you deserve.

Young businesswoman reading reminders stuck on glass wall

To keep you focused on what’s important

Once you have clarity around your purpose in life. And you know what you want to accomplish.  Your coach will help you to develop an action plan and help to keep you focused on what is really important.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by dreams that feel TOO BIG. It is easy in that state of overwhelm to either give up or let mundane distractions keep you stuck. A coach will help you break everything down and get focused on the next important step in the journey.

To increase your confidence and motivation

When you have been struggling by yourself for a while, it is easy to become demotivated.  And to even lose confidence in your abilities. The dream can become dim and feel unreachable. A coach can help you get back on the right track and help you stay there. Your confidence and motivation can soar with a few wins leading to momentum towards the goal.

To boost your overall well-being

When working with a coach the main purpose is to put you back in the driver’s seat. To equip you with a roadmap to reach your dreams. You will feel in control of life again. This will make your struggles easier to handle. You will feel happier, supported and more positive about life. You will feel more confident about taking action and pursuing your dreams.

I am offering a free coaching session to the readers of my blog. If any of the above spoke to your heart, then I encourage you to see if life coaching is right for you. You will get to experience what a session is like. You will be able to see at no obligation if we are a good fit for each other. I guarantee that you will come away from our call with clarity about your life and what you want to accomplish! Click here to schedule your Free coaching Session!

My next blog post will be about the 6 Myths of hiring a life coach. Click here if you want to have my next blog post arrive in your inbox. No spam just the latest posts and information about Dandelion-dreams

Keep Dream’n

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Using Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Using Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

In this blog post I will cover:

  1. Where do beliefs come from?
  2. How do we know if we have limiting beliefs?
  3. Using Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs.

I came across a great quote by Don Miguel Ruiz:

We only see what we want to see;

We only hear what we want to hear.

Our belief system is just like a mirror that only shows us what we believe.

Don Miguel Ruiz

That made me ponder belief systems. What are my beliefs and are they right? Or do they only appear right because my belief system is just reflecting back to me what I already believe? If I believed something else, would my life be better? Or would it be worse?

If you have been following me you know I am in a series about Limiting Beliefs. If you are new, you can read past posts

What are Limiting Beliefs? and My experience with Limiting Beliefs.

Today, I want to take a step back and look at beliefs. Where are they, where did they come from and how do change the ones we might want to?

Where do Beliefs come from?

We learn beliefs as children from our parents and the culture we grew up in. What is acceptable and what is not. We learn our place is in society and what is good and what is bad. We learn if the world is a safe place or a scary place. Can rely on people or if we need to rely only on ourselves.

These family and cultural beliefs are so foundational that we don’t even realize that they are beliefs. We tend to think that this is just the way the world is. Because we don’t realize that these are actually beliefs. . . We don’t stop to consider if those ways are still serving us. Are there better ways to respond? Are there better ways to live?

Then, let’s add in trauma

Trauma affects beliefs. Girl holding a teddy bear.

How Trauma affects beliefs

I define trauma as anything that happens that you are physically, mentally, or emotionally unprepared for. Anytime there is more coming at you than you can cope with has the potential to traumatize you. Young children are especially vulnerable because they are still forming their beliefs about the world. Overwhelming events can cause them to make decisions about the world that range from completely untrue to not ideal. These decisions become limiting beliefs.

How do we know if we have limiting beliefs?

So if beliefs are so foundational that we don’t really know they exist, how do we know if we have limiting beliefs? We have to look for clues. For example, if we have a task to do and suddenly be begin to feel:

  • anxious or nauseous,
  • tightness in our chest or
  • other physical symptoms

That is probably our subconscious mind acting on a limiting belief to keep you where are. You see, to your subconscious mind, staying where you are is safe. It is comfortable. It is a known situation. Taking action on the task ahead of you will take you to a place that your logical mind is wanting (a job promotion, a love relationship, or ???) your subconscious is not comfortable and will try and stop you.

Other techniques my subconscious mind uses are:

  • distraction,
  • daydreaming or
  • a flood of new ideas of things I can do.

I am a planner so planning or dreaming about what I want to do is safe for my subconscious. However, taking action will often cause physical symptoms, mind looping, or urgency around other things that need to be done.

Another way to identify and remove limiting beliefs is to participate in my program

Getting Out of Your Own Way:

Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

This is recorded session that is available on-demand. For more information, click here,

I will lead you through a memory exercise that will give you clarity on a limiting belief and start you on the way to choosing a better belief.

Using Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

Affirmations are powerful statements. We believe what hear ourselves say. If Is “I am so stupid” then my subconscious mind believes it because I said it. I am a truthful person therefore what I say is the truth.

But is it the truth? Probably not. You might occasionally make a mistake but you are not stupid!

So this is how affirmations work: If I say “I am smart. I can figure this out! If someone else had done this then I can to.” If this is the first time saying something like this to yourself then it can feel weird. Your subconscious mind says “Woah, that’s not what you said before.” If you keep repeating it, eventually your subconscious mind will believe it. Over time, your subconscious mind will start to cause you to act in accordance with this new belief. This is when life gets easier and begins to flow a bit more. It does take some time and repetition. But affirmations are a powerful way to retrain your subconscious mind.

Look through the following affirmations and choose one or two that speak to your heart. Write them down and read them aloud or to yourself in the morning and before bed. You can also use the list to spark ideas on crafting your own affirmation.

30 Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs

I love being me sticky notes.

I am so happy and grateful for the life I have.

I am worthy

I am dependable and resourceful.

I am unique

I am grateful for all that I have and will accomplish.

I am so happy and grateful that all is working out in my favor.

I am healthy

I am a priority

I am courageous

I am so grateful for all the people that I have in my life.

I am worth it

I am a positive person who attracts positive situations for success.

I am exquisite

I am prepared to take advantage of the great opportunities presented to me.

I am powerful

I am able to accomplish anything I focus on.

I am so grateful for my healthy mind that has the ability to heal itself, with my assistance.

I am unforgettable

I am so grateful for this loving, beautiful, healthy body I have; that continues to get stronger every day.

I am strong

I am happy and content with my life now, while I’m striving for more.

I am joy

I am thankful for all the opportunities I have on a daily basis.

I am loveable

I am beautiful

I am blessed beyond measures.

I am so grateful for the work I do now and the opportunity that it provides.

I am amazing

I am smart

I am grateful for my strength that pushes me towards a better tomorrow.

I hope you found this list of 30 Affirmations to Overcome Limiting Beliefs helpful. I hope you will consider joining me for my Getting Our of My Own Way: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs Session.

Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you are treating yourself with grace and empathy. This is hard work! Being willing to start the journey is worthy of celebration!

Keep Dreaming,