Written by: Janey Howl, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Take a good look at your life. Are you living your best life? All too often, particularly for high achieving ambitious professionals, leaders, or business owners, the answer is no. Success frequently sucks. Discover what life coaching will deliver for you. You have nothing to lose but your excuses.
Life ‒ I did it MY way
Your life is your creation, and your curation. Your clothes, your possessions, the place you call home, the body you inhabit, your skills, your finances, your interests, hobbies, your responsibilities, the work you do, your family of creation, your friends, and your colleagues … What you experience and see in your life today is the culmination of all the future selves you ever dreamed of, the sum total of every choice you have ever made. You are your life but maybe your life is not you? You created it all by yourself; aided and abetted by your nearest and dearest. It may not be true, as Jim Rohn famously asserted, that we are the average of the five people with whom we spend the most time. However, the quality of our life reflects the beliefs and attributes of our closest associates. They are a reflection, a mirror, of our best and worst selves. In aspiring to live your best life are they supporters? Or enablers? Cheerleaders or naysayers? In order to create your best life, maybe it is time to call in the professionals. Get that life coach on speed dial now. Hang on a second…
10 reasons why NOT to hire a life coach
I’m not hiring a life coach because...
It’s a ridiculous idea. What do life coaches know? You may be surprised! Life coaches are experts in evidenced behavior change. Check out client outcomes.
Life coaching costs too much money and I can’t afford it. How much do you spend on self-medicating your life dissatisfactions – the alcohol, the takeaways, the “treats”, the clothes for a job you don’t enjoy, the monthly subscriptions for online escapism, comfort to fill the void within …? Can you really afford not to hire a life coach?
I prefer to focus on fixing myself one “problem” at a time, on recycling my woes and issues through multiple expert opinions. You are not broken. You are simply a work in progress – a human being. Life coaching is a powerful integrated approach that delivers immediate alleviation of many symptoms of the human condition.
I don’t have time for coaching. I’m too busy. Really? One hour every second week with a life coach is an appointment with yourself. The remaining 335 hours in a fortnight are your time; to spend as you choose to live your one finite, precious, life.
What if life coaching is not a scam? I’m scared that life coaching might actually work, and then I can no longer blame others for the fact that my life sucks.
What will my friends/family/colleagues say about me? I don’t want them to think that I think I’m better than them. Dimming your light, and making yourself small to fit in is one life strategy. Or you can choose to engage a life coach and raise your energy and expectations, literally vibe your tribe.
I’m not worth it. I don’t actually deserve a happy life. I have made mistakes. I should be punished for my bad choices. Go and self-sabotage some more – it is your choice. Or hire a life coach.
I’m addicted to struggle, to doing life the hard way. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. And? Well, I do know that successful professionals, and athletes, and artistic performers all have coaches.
I already have a life. I will get around to … I will work out what’s stopping … It will be alright when… It’s not that bad, just a blip… I’ll start tomorrow.
I don’t want a life coach. Really? If you’re still reading, who are you kidding? You have nothing to lose except your excuses.
Lessons from excuses
Beyond excuses lies the possibility of change. Excuses are the resistance that shows up when we consider taking action in the direction of our future self. Simply the thought of leaving behind the familiar dissatisfactions of the so-called “comfort zone” triggers powerful emotions, particularly fear of the unknown. Remember that the success you worked so hard to create was once unfamiliar territory. Success often sucks because it is frequently driven by dissatisfaction, by an unquantifiable desire for more, by a need to meet other people’s expectations, or simply by the fact that in the absence of a better plan, conformity to society’s script of what constitutes a good life is the path of least resistance.
Expectations of coaching
Coaching is an investment of time and money, a stake in both immediate gratification and sustained fulfilment. Have high expectations. Choose the best coach you can afford. It is reasonable to expect to feel inspired and motivated after each session. View taking daily action as non-negotiable. Expect an immediate and ongoing return on investment, measured in terms of both present quality of life and momentum towards your future self. Life coaching done well is a powerful tool for reframing and resetting, creating personal accountability for your hopes, dreams, happiness, and expectations of your best self.
Find out what life coaching will do for you.
Live your best life.
choice by choice
Executive Coach and Business Psychologist
Janey Howl, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Janey is a transformational coach and psychologist with decades of experience in helping people to live their best lives, transitioning from ordinary to extraordinary in ways that are simple but not necessarily easy. She combines mastery of three distinct psychological disciplines – cognitive, business and health psychology – with considerable expertise as a leadership coach, corporate board room facilitator, psychometrician, and organisational consultant. Janey’s deep understanding of human potential and vulnerabilities, is enriched by curiosity; by experimentation with breathwork, meditation, horse whispering, and metaphysics; and by multiple life lessons learnt the hard way. Thousands of coaching clients across six continents and 68 countries celebrate their results and appreciate her unique, eclectic, pragmatic, and multi-faceted approach. Author of the forthcoming “Wounds into Wisdom”, Janey’s mission is empowering people to transform their lives one choice at a time.
