Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of being. –John Wooden What good is life coaching? Why do I need someone to tell me how to live my life?

How would listening to someone else talk about what they think I should do really help me? Am I not capable of being my best self on my own?

Erwin Panofsky was a German-Jewish art historian, whose academic career was pursued mostly in the U.S. After the rise of the Nazi regime. Panofsky's work represents a high point in the modern academic study of iconography, which he used in hugely influential works like his 'little book' Renaissance and Renascences in.

These are some of the questions that many people have been asking themselves and has contributed to a misunderstanding of what life coaching is, how it works, and how it can help people find out what drives them and apply it to create a better and more fulfilling life. If this description of life coaching sounds like it could benefit just about anybody, it’s because it can.

Life coaching is not or counseling, which pairs a mental health professional with a client who may be struggling with an illness or disability. It’s not mentorship, in which a professional is paired with a more experienced professional. Life coaching is also distinct from a training relationship, where a teacher or trainer agrees to share their knowledge or skills with a client for a short period of time.

Life coaching can help fill in the gaps in our master plans and clarify the path from where we are to where we want to be. It is a partnership between the life coach and the client designed to help the client explore their options, focus on their, and create a personalized action plan. Life coaches do not give their clients a list of boxes to tick or a strict set of steps to follow, rather they aim to help their clients discover their own motives and goals, and aid them in finding the best path towards them. Become a Science-Based Practitioner! The Positive Psychology toolkit is a science-based, online platform containing 135+ exercises, activities, interventions, questionnaires, assessments and scales. 40 Life Coaching Exercises, Tools, Techniques, & PDFs Life coaching is not for the faint-hearted.

It’s a career path that allows you to put your skills to use helping others, facilitating their personal and professional growth. The range of problems, challenges, and goals that clients bring to coaches is so vast, it would take an entire article just to list them all. With such a broad range of practice, there are many skills and tools that a life coach must have in order to be successful. In this piece, we provide 40 exercises, tools, and tips for effective life coaching, plus links to other resources that may prove useful. Read on to see if there are any exercises or tools that you can apply to your practice!

“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. Free Download Program Rapidshare Trapcode Mir there. It’s helping them to learn rather than teaching them.”– Timothy Gallwey 6 Life Coaching Exercises There are numerous tools in the life coach’s toolbox, and each life coach will likely have their own tools, exercises, and methods. However, there are some tools that have so much potential, they would be at home in almost any coach’s practice. Wheel of Life One of the life coach’s most valuable and versatile tools is the. It’s a simple and easy-to-use exercise that can help clients find out which areas of their life are most satisfying and where they would like to focus attention on improving their quality of life (The Coaching Tools Company, 2012). There are only two steps to this exercise: 1) Review the 8 categories on the wheel and think about what would represent a satisfying life in each area: • Health • Friends & Family • Significant Other • Personal Growth • Fun & Leisure • Home Environment • Career • Money 2) Draw a line across each segment that best represents the current level of satisfaction, with the center of the wheel equal to 0 and the edge of the wheel equal to 10, the maximum level of satisfaction. The end result looks a bit like a spider web, and can give your client a general idea of their overall life satisfaction in relation to their desired life satisfaction.

You can find the Wheel of Life exercise and download a copy for yourself. For more information on how you can use the Wheel of Life, check out. Big Rocks The “Big Rocks” exercise is another straightforward and extremely useful tool for helping a client prioritize the different aspects of your client’s life.

The basic idea is one that may already be familiar to most of us. The story goes that there was a teacher speaking to his class with some props in front of him. He filled a jug with big rocks and asked the class if the jug was full. When the class answered “Yes”, he added pebbles to the jug, which fell around the big rocks to fill the crevasses around the rocks.

He asked again whether the jug was full, and when the class again answered affirmatively, he filled the small spaces between the big rocks and pebbles with sand. The point of this story can be understood by taking the jug as a metaphor for our life; the rocks are the biggest and most important parts of life, while the pebbles and sand are the small, daily tasks that can sometimes consume us. If we don’t first make sure there is room for the big things in our lives, the pebbles and sand will fill up our metaphorical jug, leaving room for nothing else. • In this exercise, the first step is to list the things that you currently spend the most time on. • In the second step, the client identifies the single biggest thing that drains their time.

• The third step involves the client thinking about what needs to change in their life in order to improve the overall quality. • Step four instructs clients to identify their top 3 priorities in life. • In step five, the client notes that most important thing to him or her right now. Next, the client labels their big rocks, pebbles, and sand. The big rocks represent their key priorities, the pebbles represent their lower level priorities, and the sand that fills the gaps represents their lowest level priorities, the things that should only be addressed when the most important things are taken care of.

This exercise can be used in conjunction with the wheel or separately. Either way, this exercise can be a valuable tool for clients to figure out their priorities and organize their life around what is most important to them. To check out this exercise and read up on other lessons and steps that can be included in this exercise, click. Spheres of Influence One of the many ways that we tend to get off track or bogged down while striving towards our goals relates to our “spheres of influence.” The idea behind the spheres of influence tool is that there are three distinct areas we can sort the comings and goings of life into: • Things we can control • Things we can influence • Things we can’t influence, either right now or at all times While we may feel like there is nothing under our control at times, there is always at least one thing we have direct control over: ourselves. Even when we are under enormous pressure or when we feel trapped, we always have at least some level of control over our attitude and our behavior. The second area is that of factors we can influence. We do not have direct control over these factors, but we can put our effort into pushing them in the right direction.

For instance, while we cannot control others’ attitudes or behavior, we can offer them advice, guidance, or provide evidence to help them make good decisions. The final area is things that we have no control or influence over.

This is the largest area, since the majority of what happens around us is not under our direct control. A good life coach will help his or her clients to recognize and accept that there is much we cannot control, but will also help them to find opportunities to effect change through taking control or influencing that which is within their reach. Life coaches can walk their clients through the spheres, helping them identify what is in their control, what is in their sphere of influence, and what cannot be controlled. To read more about this tool, plus learn how clients can apply the lessons learned to their work, click.

Journaling Keeping a journal can be useful for many different reasons, including as a life coaching exercise. Facilitates reflection and can spark useful brainstorming about how to better strive toward your goals. Coaches can help ensure that their clients’ journaling is helpful by providing some guidance. To guide your client in effective journaling, use can use the handy JOURNAL acronym (Coach Federation, 2013): • J – Judgement-free Encourage your clients to write whatever is in their heart.

This journal is personal, private, and a safe space to express their thoughts and feelings. • O – Observation Journaling is an excellent opportunity for clients to step into an observer role.

Instruct your clients to write down things that happen to them and spend some time thinking about how they interpret them. • U – Understanding Piggybacking off of observation, what we observe can help us reach understanding about ourselves. How we perceive what happens to us is more important than what actually happens to us, and observing how we think can help us understand our own thought patterns, which can lead to effective management of our thoughts and behaviors. • R – Revelation This process can often lead to revelations about our desires, our dreams, our goals and aspirations. Journaling can help us get in touch with our core selves.

• N – Needs Assessment Keeping a daily journal makes it easier to notice problems and potential solutions, as the simple act of writing something down can make it seem simpler and clearer. Keeping everything bottled up can be extremely harmful, and just putting pen to paper can sometimes be all that is needed to release some pressure. • A – Awareness Writing down your experiences helps your client to take a wider perspective on his or her life, as well as reminding them of problem areas and things they have to be grateful for. Raising awareness of these areas is the first step towards making the necessary changes and appreciating what they have. • L – Life Quality Journaling is known to be an effective way to destress and decrease anxiety. Just a few minutes a day can have a major impact on health and happiness.

To learn more about the JOURNAL acronym, check out. Action Brainstorming Worksheet The action brainstorming worksheet can help clients get out of a rut or a sticky situation. This easy to use tool is only one page long, with a table that is split into five columns. The instructions are to think of actions or behaviors that you frequently engage in or would like to engage in, and direct them into the appropriate column. • In the first column, the client is to write down the actions or behaviors they would like to stop doing. These are behaviors that are not helpful for meeting any of their goals, or actively harmful.

• The second column should be filled with activities the client would like to do less of, such as activities that are sometimes helpful but time consuming, or ways to destress that have been taken to an extreme. • The middle column represents the actions or behaviors a client would like to keep doing. This is where clients will write down the things they do that they are satisfied with in their current frequency, like regular exercise, paying their bills on time, or weekly dinner with a loved one.

• The fourth column is the “do more” column, where clients are to write down the things they would like to do more frequently. For example, maybe they want to engage in a fun and fulfilling hobby more often, or devote a little more time to a project that has real potential to succeed. • The final column is the “start” column, which is where clients should list the actions and behaviors they would like to begin doing. This could be anything that helps them meet their goals, such as weekly for someone who is stressed, monthly networking for someone who is looking for a better opportunity, or an annual vacation for someone who is letting their life get overrun by work. This easy-to-use, one page tool can be viewed and downloaded. Understanding Our Goals The Understanding Our Goals worksheet is intended to help clients figure out whether their goals are worth their time and energy, or help them prioritize their goals in terms of utility. This worksheet invites readers to identify their top three current goals, and asks a series of questions to help them learn about why each goal is important to them and what they are hoping to gain.

These questions begin with the simple “Why do you want this goal? What does it give you?” and essentially repeat several times to help the reader dr ill down into what they are really hoping to achieve.

After answering these questions four times, the final question for each goal is “What will this goal help you feel?” Once the reader has reached the heart of the goal, answering this question should be easy. As an example, take the goal of losing 20 pounds. Robbins makes some excellent points here, including the acknowledgment that emotions can often drive humans to specific behavior far more effectively than reason. He paints a picture of a complex and involved process of discovery and transformation with each of his clients, and it is clear that he draws from his own experience as much as, if not even more than, life coaching theories and research. Life Coaching Basics: The Essentials for Effective Life Coaching If drawing exclusively from the scientific literature is not always sufficient for effective life coaching, what are the other important factors that determine success?

Assumptions for Effective Life Coaching First, life coaching operates on a few assumptions that are necessary for a successful coaching endeavor (Jarosz, 2016): • Clients are, in general, mentally healthy and as a whole do not suffer from mental health issues that obstruct their ability to achieve their goals. • Clients are not empty receptacles for the coach’s knowledge and experience but are creative, resourceful, adaptive, and whole in and of themselves. • Clients possess, belief systems, and behaviors, and are able to grow. Desirable Skills for Effective Life Coaching As mentioned earlier, unconditional positive regard is an important piece of life coaching.

It is one of several skills that make a life coaching session a success including (Jarosz, 2016): • Making no judgments and no assumptions about the client (aside from the three assumptions listed above). • Being skilled in and be able to focus on the client. • Motivating the client by being challenging and empowering, supporting clients by acknowledging their efforts and successes, and holding clients accountable for their actions. • Being aware that the coaching relationship is dynamic, being ready to adapt and flexible to the client’s changing needs. Required Components for Life Coaching Beyond the assumptions and skills that set the stage for a great coaching relationship, there are some factors to life coaching that are absolutely vital for success (Jarosz, 2016): • The practice of life coaching must acknowledge and encourage what is good in the client and empower them to reach their greatest potential through their greatest strengths. • Life coaching must occur in a safe and open environment for the client; the coach must create a space where clients feel safe enough to grow.

• Perhaps most important of all, the coach and client must be on equal footing in the relationship, sharing the responsibility for defining and maintaining the coaching relationship. • Life coaching must be undertaken with a client-centered approach that focuses on the client as an individual with unique needs, strengths, and experience.

• The focus of life coaching must be on the client’s whole self, not just specific pieces of the client’s personality or in only certain spheres of the client’s life. • As noted earlier, life coaching must be dynamic, as the nature of coaching involves a great deal of change in the client’s circumstances, priorities, and needs.

Characteristics of Successful Life Coaching While the components listed above are the base requirements for a healthy coaching relationship, there are more characteristics that can take a life coaching relationship from good to great, such as: • An objective. The coaching process must have an objective, whether it is to help the client find fulfillment, life balance, or to optimize the client’s life to promote learning. Life coaching must operate with. • A client-centered approach. A great life coaching experience extends this approach to all levels and all interactions, keeping the focus on the changing needs and goals of the client at all times.

• A focus on the present but with a future-oriented mindset. While life coaching must be based on the client’s current circumstances and opportunities, the coaching process must be aware of how current beliefs and behaviors will affect the client’s future and plan for future that is both desirable and attainable for the client. Benefits of Effective Life Coaching Researchers have found many potential positive results of life coaching, but some of the most common outcomes include (Jarosz, 2016): • A stronger sense of identity and purpose for the client. • The client living the life that they have dreamed about, through enhanced mental health and and goal attainment. This is across a broad range of goals including starting a business, expanding their social life, creating more work/life balance and improving their financial status. Achieved through smart goal setting and better follow-through, self-regulation, enhanced communication and problem-solving skills, and client empowerment with the support of the coach (Green, Oades, & Grant, 2006). • Positive change in client behavior and beliefs, including, self-acceptance, and insight into one’s self (Grant, 2008).

• Reduced self-reflection and boosted insight. • A better quality of life in general, with greater well-being, increased hope and decreased stress (Grant, 2003; Green, Grant, & Rynsaardt, 2007).

In addition to benefits for the client, life coaching is often a fulfilling and positive experience for coaches. Some certified international life coaches report immense satisfaction from watching their clients’ lives change in positive ways.

Coaches gaining fulfillment from the coaching process and the collaborative relationship with their clients, the autonomy and flexibility inherent in their profession, and the sense of successfully applying their skills (Newnham-Kanas, Morrow, & Irwin, 2012). Life Coaching Accreditation with the International Coaching Federation As it turns out, anyone with a desire to help others reach their goals and a commitment to effective coaching can become a life coach. However, in order to become a reputable life coach, you must obtain the appropriate certification.

There are many certification programs an aspiring life coach can complete to acquire the necessary skills, and the International Coaching Federation provides the necessary framework to infuse the industry with more rigor and professionalism. The evaluates coaching programs and provides institutional and individual accreditation and certification to life coaches and institutions that meet their standards.

In a line of work that is attempting to establish itself as a respectable and legitimate profession, organizations such as these provide a much-needed service. The offers the “Training Program Search Service”, an advanced search tool which allows aspiring life coaches to search for programs across the world on the basis of their personal preferences. Along with this service the ICF also certifies aspiring coaches based on three different levels; Associate Certified Coach, Professional Certified Coach, and Master Certified Coach. Associate Certified Coach An is the easiest of the three types to obtain.

This certification is aimed towards individuals who have had some coaching experience but have not yet deeply explored the field. An aspiring life coach looking to receive this certification can follow one of two paths: The ICF ACTP Application Path Requirements: Completion of Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) (offered by the ICF), 2 recommendation letters from certified coaches Number of Hours: 100 or more hours of direct client coaching Fee: ranges from $100 to $300 The ICF Portfolio Application Path For those who do not have the time or money to enroll in an accredited coaching program, becoming certified is still a possibility through submitting a portfolio. Requirements: 2 letters of recommendation from certified coaches Hours: 100 or more hours of client coaching, at least 60 hours of training in a coach specific area and 10 hours of work with a Mentor Coach Fee: Ranges from $100 to $300 + $200 (exam fee) Examination: Oral Professional Certified Coach The is one step up and is designed for individuals who have more extensive experience in the field of life coaching and would like to obtain certification that will help them advance more quickly. Become a Science-Based Practitioner! The Positive Psychology toolkit is a science-based, online platform containing 135+ exercises, activities, interventions, questionnaires, assessments and scales.

About the Authors Courtney Ackerman is a graduate of the positive organizational psychology and evaluation program at Claremont Graduate University. She is currently working as a researcher for the State of California and her professional interests include survey research, well-being in the workplace, and compassion. Emily Schultz is a 26 years old psychologist.

She works in special education and is interested in English and writing. Lexis Clark is a Graduate Student at the University of Kentucky working towards her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She aims to use the therapeutic skills learned in her program to facilitate the development of positive mindsets in clinical populations. Heather Sodowsky is a graduate student at American Military University, currently holding a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is an avid learner and aspires to be a teacher and writer. She is the mother of son and two bonus daughters.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing softball, and spending time with her family. • References. • All About Personal and Professional Coaching. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from • Allen, K.

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Looking back to see the future: The influence of humanistic and transpersonal psychology on coaching psychology today. International Coaching Psychology Review, 7, 223-236. • www.instructionalcoaching.com • www.mshouser.com. I couldn’t agree more with Sue Miller. The blog describes an interesting variety of tips and tools. However, it concerns me that so much of “Psychology derived knowledge” is now being described and labelled as Life Coaching.

Drawing from Sue’s words, Psychology as a scientific discipline and Psychotherapy as such a broad, complex and holistic set of guiding principles, options, tools, and background theories informing action (e.g. Constructivist Oriented), should not be compared at all in my perspective to this modality of coaching. As I read through “Life Coaching” all topics relate to some part of Psychology – there is not independent content generated by “Life Coaching Researchers” that doesn’t link back to Psychology.

Most of current and contemporary psychotherapy is informed by positive psychology, CBT, narrative oriented, emotion-focused and solution focused principles, to name a few, that extend the lens of what psychologists do, way beyond dealing with “disorders” or any type of suffering. Insights from our science, Psychology, generated from decades and decades of research, should not in my perspective, be described or even related to “Life Coaching”. Psychologists, through their education, training, and extensive knowledge of different models, are the professionals with the tools to understand the complexity of human behaviour and should be the professionals of reference in any matters regarding human development, enhancing performance, increasing subjective wellbeing, making important decisions, elaborating life goals, or any other “typical description” now so often associated with “Life Coaching”. Helping someone recover from a disorder (i.e. Major depressive disorder) or helping them build a fulfilling life, are all parts of the same continuum of human behaviour. These are not separate completely separate topics, but themes that interconnect, as knowing about disorders (through a CBT lens) and knowing about subjective wellbeing (applying positive psychology solution focused approach) both inform about the marvellous complexity that makes up the human mind. As Psychologists, I believe it is important to clarify and clearly distinguish our professional background from “coaches” that have no formal education as psychologists.

I thank you for the very interesting article, with relevant insights and applicable tools. Hi I really enjoy your blog. This is a generous article full of useful tips which I’m sure practitioners will find useful. What a shame that such a broad ranging article in which the authors draw so heavily on particular psychological therapy, sets coaching apart from counselling with such a narrow (out-dated) definition of counselling and therapy. We know that language and narrative is everything, therefore (as counselling and clinical psychologist) I feel the need to ensure that people are not misled by such a restrictive definitions. Contemporary change theories ie the ‘current wave’ therapies and counselling framework involve positive psychology, solution-focused and narrative practice (to name a few).

From this perspective, counsellors/therapists etc collaborate with clients to shape their personally defined pathway and vision. Constructivist thought forms the basis of much of this work and the client is the expert (the counsellor expert facilitator). A key principle involves using the client’s construct system in identifying points of leverage, constraints and opportunity.

And yes, in this considered context, the bag of practitioner tools can be useful. Thanks Sue M.