The other day I was asked if people were seriously considering signing up for a life coaching program. I thought this was a strange question until I realized that this person, just like so many others, thinks life coaching is a luxury. And, right now, the thought of being “frivolous” with one’s money seems like a careless thing to do in a COVID-19 world.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the last thing anyone had on their mind was life coaching, therapy sessions, going on holiday, buying a new car, purchasing their dream home, and more. It was like the whole world had come to a halt (and it did in so many ways) and everyone went into survival mode. It’s only natural that this should have happened as it’s one of the most fundamental human needs – surviving when the world becomes an uncertain place.
It’s a year down the line, and people are adjusting to their new reality of living in a COVID-19 world. Who would have thought we would still be battling with this virus? I certainly had hoped we would be further down the line than worrying when the third wave is going to strike! But, human beings are remarkable creatures and we always manage to find our way through the most difficult situations.
So, yes, people are starting to show an interest in life coaching again. They’re also buying new cars, selling and buying new dream homes, and taking holidays. Therapy consulting rooms are thriving again and I know for sure my GP is happy again with people coming to his rooms!
But, I know there are still people out there who question the validity of life coaching in an uncertain world. So many people have lost jobs, lost close and dear ones, and are struggling to find a footing in a very strange “new” world. So, when someone suggests life coaching to them, they wonder why such a luxury should be allowed.
Get it Out of Your Head – Life Coaching is NOT a Luxury
Even when times were good and the money was rolling, people would tell me life coaching was a luxury. In their mind, it meant taking up otherwise valuable time and money to spend on having “fun” while talking about their dreams and goals.
And, if they understood a bit more about life coaching, they would think it was wrong to want to spend such valuable time and money talking about themselves and finding their life purpose. Our conditioning has taught us that “putting yourself first” is selfish and “finding your life purpose” is a daydream, only allowed to those who have the time and the money to play around with.
If only everyone would understand that life coaching is NOT a luxury. I, myself, would love to see life coaching becoming a compulsory subject in high school. What an amazing and empowering subject it would be for our teenagers. It would give them such a head start in life. How can that be a waste of time and money?
I also would love life coaching to become compulsory for all parents-to-be. Not only would they discover so much about themselves but through learning practical tools and incredible life skills, parents would be well-equipped to empower their own children from the day they’re born. A luxury? I don’t think so.
In any world, let alone a COVID-19 world, I certainly believe life coaching has its most valuable place in society. But, I also believe, if ever there’s a time for someone to sign up for a life coaching program, it is now – in a world grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
How Can Life Coaching be Beneficial in a COVID-19 World?
Once people got over the initial shock of facing a scary virus and living through weeks and months of lockdown, they began to adjust to a different way of living. Despite so much change happening, so much HASN’T changed.
People are still falling in and out of love. Others hate their jobs while some battle to survive losing their jobs. People are still seeking spiritual guidance, if not more than ever before. And, others are still hanging onto their dreams and goals. People are looking for ways to make more money and become multi-millionaires and others still want to have a sports model body.
Nothing has changed for a lot of people and they still have dreams, goals, and aspirations. And, they can if they put their mind, body, and soul into it. It may be harder for some with the COVID-19 reality and for others, it may be the very disaster they needed to happen to make their business grow exponentially.
So, where does life coaching fit into all of this? Not only can it support people who still want to strive for a better life. But, it can also support those who are struggling to come to terms with a new, scary, and uncertain world. Life coaching brings hope. It gives people the motivation to keep going forward even when all odds are stacked against them.
4 Ways Life Coaching Has a Place in a COVID-19 World
When faced with uncertainty, it’s normal to want to shrink away from the harsh realities facing you every day. But, it’s also normal to want to push on forward and make your world a better place to be in – even if it’s threatened by a sneaky little virus that insists on hanging around way beyond its welcome!
Here are 4 ways life coaching plays a very important role and certainly has a very essential place in a COVID-19 world.
1. You Can Talk Through Your Fears
Life coaching gives you the space to talk through your fears. It allows you to explore your conditioning and understand exactly what drives your fears. Life coaching equips you with the knowledge and skills to unpack what is holding you back and learn how to let it go.
One of the most soul-restoring things you can do for yourself when all is crazy around you is to find someone to talk to and who’ll listen to you with a completely objective and open mind. That’s the power of having the space to talk and it will certainly help you cope with an uncertain world.
2. It Gives You Practical Tools
What makes life coaching so powerful is that it operates on the principle that “Knowledge is power BUT applied knowledge is empowering.” In other words, you learn practical tools to help you live an empowering life every day. However, instead of just learning about these tools, you’re strongly encouraged to use them, install them, and live by them every single day of your life.
Life coaching is about being proactive. It gives you the support your need to achieve your dreams and goals (even in a COVID-19 world). You’re given all the tools you need to be accountable for achieving whatever it is you want to achieve in an uncertain world.
3. You Find the Meaning of Life
Viktor Frankl’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” describes the meaning of life so eloquently. By finding what is meaningful, the author believes you can handle the most desperate times of your life. Having meaning in your life, which I equate closely to having a purpose, gives you the drive and passion to get through most challenges.
When you find the meaning of life for you, you’ve got one of the greatest coping mechanisms for surviving in an uncertain world.
4. It Gives You Hope
I’m a great believer in having hope. When you still have hope, you have a reason for living. Edith Eger’s book, “The Choice: Embrace the Possible” talks about having hope in the worst of times. Life coaching also gives you the courage to have hope and to find your way through the most challenging times, whether it’s a loss, a fear, or simply the frustrations of living in a COVID-19 world.
Hope is a powerful and empowering emotion. It’s the one emotion that drives courage and gives you the strength to see through the most difficult and overwhelming situations.
Final Thoughts
I am passionate about the power of life coaching. Over the years I’ve watched numerous clients transform themselves and their lives way beyond anything they imagined. It thrills me to watch such tremendous growth in a person and to meet up with them years later and still see them growing. That’s the power of life coaching.
And, now that we’re living in a crazy, topsy-turvey, uncertain COVID-19 world, I’m even more convinced life coaching is the way to go if you want to cope and thrive in the new reality that has changed our world so much. We can choose to ignore what is happening and we can choose to resist the changes.
But, we can also choose to embrace what is happening around us and to go with the flow so that we may grow and emerge stronger and better for all that comes with an uncertain world.
Contact me if you want to explore how life coaching can empower you to not only survive but thrive in a COVID-19 world. I’m offering special rates to anyone who really wants to grow but believes they financially can’t afford the “luxury” of coaching. Go on, I dare you to find hope once more!
This post was originally published on March 29th, 2021, and updated on January 3rd, 2022.
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