Put me in (life) coach! Tips for seeking counsel

You may be satisfied with the life you have but, deep down, do you think you could do more? Be more? The growing trend of life coaches may be just the thing you need to give you a jump-start on a more fulfilling — and happier — life. Laura Berman Fortgang, veteran life coach, explains how you can create a more successful family and professional life in her new book, “Take Yourself to the Top: The Secrets of America's #1 Career Coach.” Here's an excerpt.

In my work as a life coach, my goal is to help my clients take their personal and professional lives to the next level. Coaching takes an inside-out approach to your success. As someone once said, “It’s not the way things are, it’s the way we are.” A good life coach shows you how to change so that you can get the outside circumstances of your life and career to change. They will help you unlock your potential by showing you ways that you can grow and invest in your ability to achieve.

Michael Gerber, who wrote The E Myth, says that entrepreneurs must work on their business instead of just in it. He observed that most people, entrepreneurs or not, spend more time doing what they do than planning and designing it. When people take the time to plan, the doing becomes much easier. That idea has been adopted in client coaching. Whether you are growing a business, designing your corporate career track, or just working to achieve a balance in your life, working weekly with a coach allows you the structure and the time to work on your life instead of just being in it.

I often compare getting results from coaching to getting results at the gym. You can join and keep paying your money, but if you don’t go and do the work, you don’t get the bod. It’s the same with coaching: You use the coach to get you where you want to go. If you don’t show up and you don’t do the work, then you’ll be doing what you’ve always done and getting the usual results. To get the most out of coaching, you have to work it!

If you’re considering hiring a life coach, you’re probably facing a specific concern or frustration, or you are ready for the next step and not quite sure how to get there. When clients first find me, they often consider their coach their “secret weapon” or are embarrassed that they need this kind of partnership at all. So if that has crossed your mind, get over it fast. What is the shame of having a partner who is 100 percent devoted to your success? Can you do it alone? Absolutely. Can you do it better with someone to hold you accountable, cheer you on, point out pitfalls, build on your strengths, and help you chart out your path? Yes. So why should you be embarrassed?

Are You Ready, Willing, and Able to Be Coached?

Ready
1.  I have time to invest in myself.                                         
Yes____ No____

2.  I can make and keep appointments with myself to work on this material.
Yes____ No____

3.  There is a gap between where I am and where I want to be.
Yes____ No____

Willing
4.  I am fully willing to do the work required to get me where I want to go.
Yes____ No____

5.  I am willing to stop or change the self-defeating behaviors that limit my success.
Yes____ No____

6.  I am willing to try new things even if I am not 100 percent convinced they will work.
Yes____ No____

Able
7.  Coaching is the appropriate discipline for the changes I want to make (rather than therapy or a twelve-step program).
Yes____ No____

8.  I have the patience to take consistent action toward my goals, regardless of how immediate the results are.
Yes____ No____

9.  I have the support I need to make significant changes with ease (i.e., family or company buy-in).
Yes____ No____

If you answered no to two or more of these questions, you will need to make adjustments before the coaching can be effective.

MORE FROM TODAY BOOKS: MISCELLANEOUS

How to assess your self-worth

How to assess your self-worth Two brothers, 12 months, one filmmaking dream No such thing as virginity, author says Suzy Welch: How to make a difficult decision Hate your job? Follow your interests Make smart decisions, skip the regret Dr. Phil: Be prepared for ‘Real Life’ One unique man's slices of 'America' Need a tip? Confessions of a waiter Do dead people watch us? Yes, author says   Add Today Books: Miscellaneous headlines to your news reader: