Attitudes of Effective Life Coaching.

  1. The mind and body affect each other
    Your physical condition can affect your mental condition, and vice versa, in the worst case entering a vicious circle.
  2. Every behaviour has a positive intention
    Who would we be to judge what other people's intentions are? We have one gage to judge ourselves and another to judge other people. Be cautious when judging people's behaviour; find their intentions instead by asking (better) questions.
  3. Behaviour is geared towards adaptation
    People try to adapt and fit into a group. Potentially losing (part of) their authenticity in the process.
  4. Accept the person; encourage changes in attitude and behaviour
    A person's behaviour is not the person. Behaviour can change. Separate a person from his actions.
  5. There's no such thing as failure, only feedback to be received
    When you stop trying after a failure, you block your ability to learn. Learn through experience.
  6. Respect for the other person's model of the world (even if you don't understand it)
    As a life coach, it's not your job to form an opinion. You should stay neutral. Only from neutrality you can ask questions and understand a person's perspective.
  7. There are no bad people, just unhelpful attitudes, habits and behaviours
    No one wakes up with the goal of offending someone. But it might happen regardless. Who are we to judge?
  8. There are no inflexible clients, only rigid thinkers
    "It would be completely irresponsible of me to do something with my life that I'm actually really passionate about." People want to do something and live their dream, but don't know how. It's a coach's job to provide alternative perspectives and help them. A good question to ask is: "If you would really try (it), could you learn (it)?"
  9. People make the best choice they can at the time
    We don't know what we don't know. We can't see what we can't see. No one wakes up wanting to do more harm than good. Yet that's what happens.
  10. People respond to their experience, not to reality itself
    We think that the way we see things is the way they really are. Though that's not (always) the case. We don't always have all of the information. We respond more to the assumptions we make than to reality.
  11. Everyone is doing their best with the resources they have
    We are limited by the resources we have obtained.
  12. All things are possible with the right attitude and strategy
  13. All coaching must aid maturity, decisiveness & strength of character
    To coach is about more than let people feel better. It's about teaching to fish instead of giving a fish.