Why has coaching soared in popularity over the past several years?
First, I’ll state the obvious. It’s just plain fun! Think of a lofty goal you’d like to achieve, or maybe one you “need” to achieve. Do you want to tackle that on your own? Will you achieve it on your own? Will you continue to talk about it, but take no action? Will you allow your negative self-talk to impede your ability to take action? Is your goal clear? What is your plan? You don’t have one? You need to create one. How will you motivate yourself? What’s your timeline? And yikes, the list goes on. Sounds a little stressful, huh?
Imagine working with a partner who has a vested interest in seeing you achieve your desired outcome! What if you had a partner who can help you sift through your thinking, provide support, help you reframe, hold you accountable, get you over obstacles, and even pick you up and keep you moving forward when needed? A coach will make sure you get there, and often help catapult you to greater distances than you think possible for yourself. It’s fun to take action! It’s fun to work through things you “want” to achieve with a partner who will celebrate your efforts and your changes, and who will relish in your achievement. It’s like enlisting a good friend to take an incredible journey with you. Fun!
People also like the convenience of coaching as it is offered in a host of ways. You can engage in one-on-one coaching, you can do coaching in groups which makes it even more affordable, you can do coaching in person, online, or even over the phone.
Another reason people have taken to coaching is because there is NO stigma attached to it. Coaching is a practical, logical, accessible, and straight forward process to reach achievement in whatever area you are seeking to improve upon. Let’s face it, we humans are great at talking, and we can discuss the issues, road blocks, negative self-talk, and other obstacles that prevent us from moving forward FOREVER, and then we wonder why we get absolutely nowhere. Conversely, we can set goals and take ACTION to improve our lives in short order. Coaching is not a medical or therapeutic practice, and that’s yet another thing people like about it. It’s valuable, empowering, and life changing.
Thanks to a study from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), there are plenty of statistics that prove the effectiveness of coaching. For example, here are 4 benefits identified by clients from an ICF survey:
- 80% of clients improved their self-confidence
- 73% of clients improved their relationships
- 72% of clients improved their communication skills
- 67% of clients improved their work-life balance
