Ten Misconceptions About Working With A Coach
‘coaching means something different to everyone’
Coaching has become much more prevalent and less of a taboo subject the last few years. It is a more open and talked about topic of conversation and something that people are more likely to admit that they have. Coaching includes mentoring, health coaches, personal trainers, life coaches, healers, therapists and more. Especially over the Covid year, for the majority of the global population they have come to a common realisation that mental and physical health are so crucial for us all.
Having been in this industry for a few years now I have come across quite a few assumptions about coaching that are untrue and absolutely common misconceptions. It is time to set the record straight that coaches are at the forefront of knowledge regarding mental and physical health. Bridging the gap between these misconceptions and the truth is important for everyone to be able to live their happiest, healthiest and most confident lives.
Here are some of my favourite misconceptions…
- ‘Needing a coach means that there’s something wrong with me’ — absolutely not! This is where the taboo comes in. Having a coach has been seen to be a weakness previously that you aren’t good enough, aren’t confident enough, aren’t xyz enough. See it as the opposite. A strength. Coaching is designed to give you skills and tools that can benefit anyone. It is designed to get you from where you are now to where you’d like to be helping you create more positive, happy and sustainable actions within your life
- ‘Coaching is a quick fix for all of my problems’ — a coach doesn’t provide you with the answers or solutions for all of your problems. We help you see what you can’t and guide you to think of new ways to solve your problems. The guidance and knowledge is from us, the resolution and ‘aha’ moment is from you
- ‘Trainers don’t eat cake or treats’ — well if I am anything to go by then this is absolutely not true! We aren’t robots!
- ‘All trainers have six packs and never miss a workout ’ — just the same as the above. We are human beings who don’t only eat chicken rice and tenderstem broccoli and also have our own insecurities and goals we want to work on. Granted that is some coaches personal goal, but others train for general well being or stamina. Some days we’d rather sit at home watching netflix and eating snacks too. Working out and sticking to a routine is hard for everyone, it’s just our job to help you through it and make it that little bit easier
- ‘Coaching is really expensive, it’s a luxury service’— it is time to invest in yourself. Any sort of coaching with the right coach for you lead to growth, development and breakthroughs that far outweight the cost in itself. Not only this but there are now so many options that are cheaper than just a 1:1 session at a high end gym. It will save you time, stress, money down the road. The idea of getting a coach is to invest in your most valuable asset which is yourself. After all, you are your longest investment and in my opinion you can’t put a price tag on good health
- ‘I only need help with the exercise part because the working out is the most important factor’ — your workout or exercise routine accounts of only a small aspect of the big perspective when it comes to getting in shape mentally and physically. There is diet, sleep, stress management, your lifestyle, mindset and more! Taking a holistic approach to your coaching where you work on the bigger picture rather than that hour long coaching session in the gym
- ‘All trainers want is to see you in pain’ — this mantra is deep routed in the minds of clients. They want the best workout, in the shortest amount of time with the most amount of sweat. Not all workouts need to be like that and not all coaching sessions are intended to be like that either. As a coach, it is our job to design a programme or create tools that are catered to your and your specific individual needs
- ‘Working with a coach is like magic, it gives you instant results’ — I mean, this would be great but it’s not true. Of course coaching of any kind isn’t intended to be a quick fix, you must be committed and hard working. We are there to give you the nudge, the knowledge and cheer you on but we can’t do it on our own
- ‘Trainers will yell at you and they can be scary’— granted there are a few who like to motivate in this style and if that suits the client then great. But trainers and yelling are not mutually exclusive. Try as many trainers as you need in order to find the right fit for you. I promise we don’t all yell
- ‘Once you get a coach you’re committed indefinitely’ — this is not neccessarily the case. Some clients enjoy committing to their general wellbeing and lifestyle and know this keeps them accountable. However, some clients are only interested in a finite period in order to reach a specific goal or move past an obstacle
I’d love to know if you have any others!
