When faced with a divorce we look for answers in self help books, friends, family, exercise, mediation, and therapy. Any or all of these methods can be useful but what if you hire a life coach? Is there something stopping you from seeking the help of a life coach after your divorce?
Perhaps it is unclear what a life coach does. Besides that, do you specifically need one? Lastly, maybe you think it’s indulgent to hire a life coach. Let’s address each of these reasons in order.
A life coach is someone with experience who brings enthusiastic support, an objective perspective and insight to help you identify what is holding you back from living your best life. A coach helps you grow by examining your current situation, identifying limiting beliefs and potential challenges and devises a custom plan of action designed to get you where you want to be. Life coaches are not meant to help you overcome mental health challenges as they are not trained therapists. Instead a life coach can help you map out the steps you need to complete to take better control of your life. They are sometimes called mentors or in the case of December’s featured Power Partner, a “life choreographer”
Beyond the available methods listed to help people navigate their divorce and post divorce life, are you a good candidate for a life coach? Sure they can help people, but are you THAT person?
Here are a few signs that a life coach may be able to help you:
1. You are not sure where to begin to get your life back on track.
A life coach can help you get to the starting point where you can begin to map out the steps you need to take.
2. You have a vision of what you would like your life to look like but you are unclear of how to create a plan of action.
A coach can organize and clarify what you have envisioned so you can plot next steps.
3. You need accountability.
A life coach will remind you to stick to your plan and will check in with you often. Your success is their success.
4. You’ve tried the go it alone route and it causes you unnecessary stress and burnout.
A life coach provides that level of support you are not going to get, nor should you expect, from others in your life such as family and friends.
5. You think it’s indulgent to hire a life coach
Wrong! An indulgence is doing something that you enjoy even if it has negative consequences. Common negative consequences include regret or shame. Charging an expensive necklace on your VISA when you don’t have the money to pay it off would be an indulgence. You might be wracked with stress and regret once you realize you won’t be able to afford something that is a need and not a want. Taking care of yourself after a divorce is not an indulgence. By exploring how you can get to a better place mentally you are practicing self-care which will lead to growth, insight and taking steps to recover from the major life change of divorce.
Our December Power Partner, Lora Cheadle is a life choreographer who empowers high achieving women to reveal their smart, sexy, spiritual selves so they can fall in love with their bodies, themselves and their lives, and enjoy everything they’ve worked so hard to create.
Before you hire Lora or any other life coach, get to know them through their blogs, books and events to see if your personalities mesh well. The Divorce Resource Centre has come to know life coaches and other partners who help divorcing couples and will refer our clients to those that have our trust and respect.
