MY EXPERIENCE AS A COACH

I SAW A DOCUMENTARY ON BARBARA SHER AND I HAD ONE OF THOSE AHA MOMENTS WHEN I DECIDED TO BECOME A LIFE COACH. IT WAS A VIBRATION DOWN MY SPINE AND I KNEW I HAD TO ACTION ON IT! BARBARA'S BOOK WISHCRAFT IS A BEST SELLER AND I GOT IT AS WELL AS MANY OTHER COACHING BOOKS. AT THAT TIME I WAS A SALES CONSULTANT FOR ALVARADO STREET BREADS, AS WELL AS AN OUTDOOR TEACHER FOR ELDERHOSTILE. I NEEDED SOMETHING MORE PEOPLE ORIENTED AND SOMTHING THAT MADE ME THINK MORE ABOUT WHAT COARSE I WAS FOLLOWING IN LIFE. MY SON HAD A CHRONIC ILLNESS AND I WAS A PART TIME MOM FOR HIM AND DIDN'T WANT TO STRAY TO FAR AWAY FROM HIM.

SO I CHECKED INTO A VARIETY OF COACHING SCHOOLS THAT WERE ALL RELATED TO SELF DEVELOPMENT. I SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE GRADUATES AND DECIDED TO SIGN UP WITH COACH U, LOCATED IN COLORADO SPRINGS. IT HAS NO REAL OFFICE BUT IS A VIRTUAL SCHOOL WITH TEACHERS THROUGHOUT WORLD. I TOOK CLASSES PART TIME AND IT WORKED FOR ME AS I STUDIED BY TELECOMMUNICATION WITH GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. MOSTLY. I FINALLY COMPLETED ALL MY COURSEWORK IN 3 YEARS AND I STILL USE THE CONCEPTS IN MY WORK AS A TEACHERS. I COACHED A NUMBER OF PEOP[LE ON THEIR BUSINESSES BUT ALSO COACHED PEOPLE IN THEIR LIFE. MANY OF MY CLIENTS HAD RELATIONSHIP ISSUES. AND WE ALL ARE HEALING UPON THIS EARTH. I REALIZED THE VALUE OF MY WORK - LISTENING CLOSELY TO PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BE HEARD. I WAS JUST A MEDIUM FOR THEM AND GAVE THEM HINTS AS TO WHAT THEIR NEXT GOAL MIGHT BE AND WHAT THEY MIGHT BE LACKING IN THEIR LIFE..

THESE HINTS BECAME THEIR HOMEWORK AND MY CLIENTS REPORTED ON THEIR PROGRESS THE FOLLOWING WEEK. I ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGED THEM WITH WHATEVER THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED AND KEPT THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THEY MAY HAVE DREAMED OF THE NEXT WEEK. A COACH ALSO IS THERE FOR A CLIENT WHENEVER THEY MAY NEED TO BE HEARD OR TO DISCUSS AN IDEA. THEY BECOME A MEDIUM FOR MOVING CLIENTS FORWARD WHENEVER THEY WANT TO DISCUSS A NEW WAY TO INVESTIGATE AN OPTION FOR THEIR LIFE - SPIRITUALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY, IN BUSINESS OR WORK, OR FOR THEIR HEALTH.

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED WORKING IN THE CLASSES AND DISCOVEDA GROUP OF COACHES WHO HAD BEEN DOING RETREAT COACHING. THIS WAS MY MOST FAVORITE THING TO DO AS IT COMBINED MY LOVE FOR NATURE WITH LEADING PEOPLE OUTDOORS ON GENTLE WALKS AND MEDITATIONS. I DEVELOOPED ABOUT 4 - 5 COACHING RETREATS AND THEY WERE ADVERTIZED AT LIBRARIES AND EVEN AT THE LOCAL JC. I HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THESE EXCURSIONS AND EVERYONE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THEM.

I HAD A BOOTH AT THE HEALTH AND HARMONY FAIR AND MET MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD TRIED COACHING AND GOT ONLY A FEW CLIENTS FROM THAT EVENT. IT WAS A FUN ENDEAVOR AND I MET MANY PEOPLE AND SAW OLD FRIENDS.

I ALSO JOINED A NETWORKING GROUP CALLED BNI TO ANNOUNCE WHAT I DO AS A COACH AND FIND CLIENTS THROUGH THE OTHER MEMBERS.

I ALSO ADVERTIZED MY SERVICES AT THE YOGA CENTER I WENT TO AND GOT SEVERAL CLIENTS.

COACHING IS ONE OF THOSE SKILLS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT HELPS BOTH YOU AND THE CLIENTS PURSUE YOUR NEXT DEVELOPMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT. IT BECOMES THE WAY PEOPLE RELATE TO OTHERS AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES. COMPANIES DEVELOPED COACHES IN THE
195O'S TO FORWARD THEIR TEAMS INTERNATIONALLY. INDIVIDUAL COACHING BECAME POPULAR IN THE 1980S - 1990S.