By Martin Goodyer (United Kingdom)
If you are wondering about hiring a life coach or training to be one – let me introduce you to Sharon, then decide.
Meet Sharon. By her own admission she was in a mess. A career of twenty years in local government ground to a halt because of stress. Long term sickness and then a claim for constructive dismissal followed a battle with management. Her confidence hit an all time low. She was drowning in the rapids of life and clung on to whatever kept her afloat. That may have been why she remarried badly. Things did not work out. Instead of wedded bliss her rush toward something she had hoped was better had left her in a worse state. Her new teenage step children were angry that she had taken the place of their mother, and her husband seemed also to share in some regret. Sharon felt trapped. She convinced herself that any attractive job was beyond her current capability. She struggled to communicate. Any attempt she made to talk through her concerns with her husband fell on deaf ears. Sharon was crushed. She felt as if everything she had ever wanted was now beyond reach.
Sharon was in that dreadful place that so many people discover by accident. She was unhappy and stuck. Even though things were painful, the fear of doing anything to make things even more painful kept her from taking action.
It’s a fact that most people are more motivated by pain than pleasure. Sharon was immobilised by the fear of things getting worse. Very few people will seek out help to improve their life unless it’s in a mess; and even then they need to be sure that what they do will not make it worse.
Source: iCN Issue 3 (Life Coaching); pages 14-17
About Martin Goodyer
Martin Goodyer (MBPsS MAC) has been a full time coach for 15 years with more than 10000 hours of one to one coaching experience. With qualifications in business administration and psychology it is no surprise that the majority of Martins work now is with senior executives and business owners, however he is also a veteran of personal life changing coaching interventions. He is passionate about coaching and teaches coaching skills at the highest level; as an accredited ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management) in the UK, and with a university accredited iABCt (International Academy for Business Coaching & Training) programme in Europe. He is also often invited to work with the media both on air, on screen and behind the scenes. His credits include Channel 4’s ‘Fit Farm’, ITV’s ‘Jack Osbourne Adrenalin Junkie’, Discovery Channels ‘Diet Busters’, and he appears regularly as the on-air coach and psychologist for BBC CWR. He is co-author of audio programmes ‘Business Success Strategies’ and ‘Maintaining Coaching Excellence’ and his book ‘Brilliant Coaching Conversations’.
