How To Tell Your Friend They Need a Life Coach
We all have that friend. You know, the one who always calls you to lament about their life. They complain about how chaotic their mornings are, trying to get lunches packed, kids dressed, breakfast ready, running out the door only to run back in because their youngest forgot their lunch box - again! Or your friend calls you every Friday afternoon, exhausted and wanting to meet for a glass of wine after her hectic, stress-filled, miserable week at a job she hates. Does your co-worker stop into your office every morning to complain about her husband, her ungrateful kids, her judgemental mother-in-law, her hectic schedule, oh, and how much she hates her job?
Part of being a good friend is supporting your friends through the rough times. Listening to your friend vent over a glass of wine is part of the arrangement. It’s what we do. But what if your friend is truly unhappy? What if they really need help? Sure you can listen to them, cry with them, and support them when possible, but can you really help them. You are starting to think they need more support than you are qualified to give them. They need a Life Coach. But that can be a tricky thing to bring up.
I have compiled some key benefits to Life Coaching, outlined below, that you can share with your friend in need of support:
A Life Coach has an objective viewpoint. A coach is a neutral person who can listen and offer strategies objectively. They can offer a fresh, new perspective on situations you have been “stuck” in for far too long. While your friends may have known you for years, someone new - and someone who is a professional - can look at what’s going on through a different lens. They also won’t interrupt you to complain about their own life in that give-and-take manner of girlfriend talk. It will be all about YOU!
A Life Coach can help you see the possibilities of a new future. When you’re “stuck” in an endless cycle of crazy chaos, it’s so hard to see a way out. Your friends may offer helpful suggestions sometimes, but a Life Coach will help you see solutions. They will guide you through creating a vision of what you want your life to look and feel like. Then together you will create a roadmap for how to get there.
A Life Coach will provide accountability. While a plan is great, the day-to-day chaos or drudgery makes it difficult to execute and maintain. We have all tried a new diet or exercise routine, and announced to our friends that we were sticking to it this time, only to last a week or two before giving up. A Life Coach is an expert at habits and routines. They can provide much-needed accountability that is customized for how you need it.
You will still be there! Ensure your friend that you want to still be there for them. You obviously value their friendship and wish the best for them, that’s the precise reason you want to recommend they consult a Life Coach. Plan a fun outing. Have a glass of wine on a Friday night so you can hear about all their progress.
But what if you are that friend? Ask yourself if you could be leaning on your friends in the ways described above. Maybe you have that friend who always listens to you and supports you staying “stuck” in whatever situation you find yourself in this week. But do you really want to stay stuck? Do you really want to keep complaining and being miserable? Maybe it’s time to do something about it. Maybe it’s time to reach out for an honest, non-judgmental, objective listener who will be your accountability partner in making true progress. Maybe it’s time for YOU to get a Life Coach.
