So you’re on the fence about hiring a life coach — but you can’t help but wonder:
Are life coaches worth it?
Those who have never worked with a life coach before or who don’t understand the process may be quick to judge and dismiss coaching as a whole. However, life coaching can be worth so much more than what you invest, as long as the right pieces are in place.
Let’s explore everything you can gain from a life coach and what you need to have to make your experience worth it!
10 benefits of life coaching you can’t ignore
You may already know what life coaches do, but are you clear on how you can benefit from hiring one? Here are just 10 of the dozens of ways a life coach can be worth the investment!
1. Get a different perspective on your situation
When we’re too close to a situation, we can get a distorted view of reality. That’s where life coaches come in. No one has all the answers, but a life coach can give you a fresh perspective on stale situations.
Changing your perspective can even help you come up with new solutions all on your own.
2. Improve your relationships
Getting a new perspective doesn’t just help you improve your own life. It can also help you foster healthier relationships with your loved ones.
3. Become more self-aware
It’s not easy to point the lens inward and recognize what’s unique about ourselves. Whether you’re trying to develop your biggest strengths, let your true personality shine, or fully understand your flaws, self-awareness is crucial to make it happen.
A life coach will become aware of these things while working with you. But they’ll also work with you to help you achieve that awareness for yourself so you no longer rely on them to do so!
4. Get clear on your purpose
When you’re stuck figuring it out on your own, it’s not always easy to know what your purpose should be.
Life coaches won’t dictate what your new life purpose should become. Rather, they’ll ask the right questions and guide you to help you dig out the purpose that will fulfill you.
5. Stay accountable
Setting goals is relatively easy. But following through on a plan of action? That’s another beast entirely.
When you’re on your own, it’s easy to get distracted or lose momentum. But a life coach doesn’t just help you create a plan — they help you stick to it, too.
You can picture a life coach as a cheerleader who sticks by you, even when you’re ready to give up.
6. Reframe your thoughts
Do negative thoughts keep holding you back? Life coaches have techniques to help you reframe those thoughts and change your mindset.
Over time, reframing your negative thoughts will become a second habit and you’ll no longer need to rely on your coach to question your limiting mindsets.
7. Become more productive
Some life coaches specialize in productivity. But even those who don’t can help you become more productive by helping you set priorities.
If everything has the same priority, you won’t always get everything done. But when you know which priorities move the needle when it comes to your goals, you’ll move forward more quickly.
8. Increase your income
If you’re hiring a life coach to help with your career or business, you can generate a higher income. That’s because coaches who have the necessary skills and experience know what to prioritize and how to build strategies to move you towards the income goals you desire.
9. Accept constructive criticism
No one enjoys criticism. But constructive criticism is necessary to keep improving yourself.
If accepting criticism doesn’t come naturally to you, a life coach can help you learn how to come to terms with it. Additionally, they can also help you turn criticism into action steps.
10. Improve your well-being
What happens when you’re living in a way that aligns with your goals and values? When you’re improving your relationships and getting more satisfaction from your daily life? Your well-being improves, too.
Life coaches can contribute to improved well-being in several aspects of your life, such as physical, spiritual, and mental.
Why is life coaching effective?
According to a study from iPEC, 96% of those who hired an executive coach said they would hire one again. So why is it that coaching is so effective, and what makes people want to hire their coach again and again?
Turns out, it’s not just empty promises and hype. Life coaching does transform lives, especially when you’re able to find a coach who fully resonates with you.
For instance, the same study from above also showed that coaching clients were able to increase their productivity at work thanks to the help of their coach. Employers who hired these executive coaches saw an overall higher level of performance in their employees.
Why else is coaching so effective? Another study from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) showed that 80% of coaching clients say that coaching helped them improve their self-esteem or self-confidence. That’s the power of getting hands-on support from a coach who knows what they’re doing.
About ¾ of the respondents said their coach helped them with the following:
- Improve their communication skills (72%)
- Manage relationships more easily (73%)
- Obtain a healthier work/life balance (67%
- Develop better interpersonal skills (71%)
- Improve work performance (70%)
- Achieve wellness (63%)
This study also suggests that people who invest in coaching get an average return on investment of 3.44. But that doesn’t include all the non-monetary benefits they gain.
One of the reasons life coaching is so powerful — and SO worth it — is because life coaches have the exact training necessary to talk to clients in ways that lead to several actionable breakthroughs. Not only do coaching clients find solutions and strategies with their coach, but they’re able to take action, implement these strategies, and succeed as they stay accountable.
While other professions may know what to tell you, they won’t always know how to get you to take action. And taking action is where you’ll find all the magic.
On the other hand, coaches know exactly how to guide you through your action steps. They’re with you every step of the way.
When is a life coach worth it?
With all that being said, how can you be sure that life coaching is worth it for you? There’s no clear-cut way to find out. But the three following indicators can help you know when you’re ready.
1. When you’re ready to move forward (and not backward)
If you’re still struggling with trauma from your past, you may not be ready to move forward. You may need to take a step back and heal before you’re ready to work with a life coach.
Keep in mind that life coaches aren’t therapists. They can’t help you heal from trauma, and neither can they treat mental illness. What they can do is help you reframe the way you see your life.
If you feel like you have unresolved issues or struggles with your mental health, focus on finding a healthcare provider such as a therapist to help you first.
On the other hand, if you’re feeling stuck but know you want to move forward — life coaching will be worth it.
2. When you know what you want
Life coaching won’t be worth the investment if you don’t know what you’re walking into.
Here’s what we mean — don’t hire a life coach just because your best friend told you to!
You’ll see more success when you have an idea of what you want to achieve with your coach.
And keep in mind that “not knowing what you want” is, in itself, a problem you may want to solve. But you need to be clear about the fact that you’re struggling to know what you want. Makes sense?
If you know that, you can communicate it with your coach during a discovery session so they can let you know whether or not they’ll be able to help you. But if you don’t communicate this early on, you may discover late in the process (after spending tons of money already) that you chose the wrong coach for your needs.
3. When you find the right coach
The five-star confidence coach who helped your colleague overcome their fear of failure may be one of the best in the business… but they’re not necessarily the right coach for you.
And if they’re not the right fit, they won’t be worth it!
There’s no sense in rushing the process just to find a coach quickly. If you want the experience to be worth it, take your time finding someone who has experience with what you’re looking for. Search for credentials and case studies that prove this coach knows how to get people like you the results you’re after.
Find a life coach that’s worth the investment
Part of what makes a life coach worth the investment is your readiness to be coached. But your coach also needs to be equipped to help you achieve your specific goals. Find your perfect life coach for free with CoachCompare!
