Life doesn’t hand success to the hesitant. It rewards the ones bold enough to claim it, starting with how they lead themselves.
Life coaching is the kind of phrase that is thrown around regularly, but very few people actually know what it means. A common misconception is that life coaching is like therapy. Some people think life coaching is like having a personal assistant, and others feel a life coach is just an expensive cheerleader.
The truth is that a life coach is many things at once. Life coaching can be truly transformative and can alter your life irrevocably for the better. But what does a life coach do? Do you need one? How will a life coach help you? What are the benefits of having a life coach? I’ve broken down everything you need to know about life coaching, the benefits of life coaching, and how getting a life coach could be the best thing you’ve ever done.
What is a lifestyle coach?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a professional life coach is “a person employed to help people attain their goals in life.” It’s a rather broad and generalised definition, but in essentials, it’s correct. Being a life coach means that it is my profession to help you.
Of course, the reality of this means that every day as a life coach is different. People with different goals, different struggles, and different personalities need different support. This means that although the overall aim of a life coach is to help you achieve your goal, there is an endless number of ways in which a life coach actually helps.
Goals can range from losing weight, getting fitter, or becoming financially independent to gaining confidence, getting a promotion or a new job, or starting a business. Whatever the goal, a life coach can help.
If you’re new to the idea of life coaching and want a deeper breakdown of what it actually is, how it works, and who it helps, I’ve put together a dedicated guide. It cuts through the noise and explains exactly what real coaching looks like, without the fluff.
What is life coaching? ← This in-depth guide breaks down what coaching really means, how it works, and how it’s different from therapy, so you can decide if it’s the right next step for you. Learn what separates it from therapy, how it builds clarity and momentum, and why high performers across industries use it to stay ahead.
There’s a lot of confusion out there about what coaching really involves. Instagram reels, YouTube ads, and generic self-help quotes have diluted the meaning. Real coaching isn’t about feeling good in the moment; it’s about thinking clearly, acting faster, and having someone challenge you harder than you’d ever push yourself alone.
If you’ve ever felt stuck or like you’re capable of more but can’t break through, that’s exactly where coaching steps in. It’s not a last resort, it’s a power tool for serious growth.
Different types of coaches
Some life coaches specialise in specific areas, such as lifestyle coaches or business life coaches. You might be wondering, what is a lifestyle coach? Well, a lifestyle coach focuses on aspects of your life that are not professional. They can help you break bad habits, gain confidence, and achieve non-work-related goals. You may also hear them referred to as a personal development coach.
On the other hand, a business coach works exclusively on professional and career goals. Some professional coaches take a broader approach to see how your goal is intertwined with different aspects of your life. But a life coach will find a way to support you, no matter what your goal is and no matter how many challenges you have to overcome.
Every great coach brings a different toolkit to the table. Some will push you harder, others will sharpen your strategy, and a few will challenge the way you think altogether. That’s why it’s critical to choose a coach whose energy, methods, and experience match the level you want to reach. Success isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is coaching.
If you’re serious about changing your life, you don’t need another cookie-cutter program. You need someone who sees your blind spots, calls out your excuses, and holds you to the standard you’re too scared to set for yourself. Anything less is just playing small, and that’s not what you’re here for.
Most people don’t fail because they’re lazy, they fail because they keep trying to win alone. If you’re tired of running in circles, making the same excuses, and wondering why nothing changes, it’s time to be brutally honest with yourself. Let’s get real about why you need a life coach, not tomorrow, not someday, but right now.
Why do you need a life coach?
The benefits of having a life coach are far-reaching. Working with a life coach won’t get your results overnight. You should only consider working with a coach if you are committed to long-term, dedicated work. A life coach can help you change your life for the better, but only if you are willing to work. They will help you find a way to tackle challenges, but they won’t do the work for you.
You should seriously consider a life coach if; you want to take the next step, feel overwhelmed, don’t know how to move forward, feel uninspired, unconfident, or stuck in a rut.
Problems a life coach can solve:
- Inability to make decisions
- Lack of self-confidence
- Unable to break bad habits
- Depression and unhappiness with your current situation
- Feeling lost and unfocused
- Fear of change and/or development
While you might rely on friends, family, or a professional network for support, a life coach is a more efficient way to get the help you need. Life coaches will tell you uncomfortable truths and can hold you accountable in a way that friends and family can’t. Our job is to help you succeed, so having someone like me by your side is more effective for long-term development and progression than relying on friends and family.
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What does a life coach actually do?
The day-to-day life of a life coach is constantly changing. Because we have so many roles to fulfil, a life coach spends their time in many different ways. We are a blend of cheerleader, therapist, mentor, friend, and teacher, and each approach is tailored to you and your needs, which means the life of a coach is different every day.
When you work with a life coach, you can expect them to be in touch with you regularly. They are always a call away, so whenever you need support, you can reach them. They will also schedule meetings with you to check your progress and hold you accountable. They will provide resources to help you on your journey. This can be anything from book recommendations to journal and planning ideas, confidence tips and tricks, as well as workshops and information.
Life coaches will create a targeted approach that fits you, your personality, and your goals. In strategic meetings, they will talk through your problems and look at where you are being held back and what you need to do to move forward. They will push you to be better, achieve more, and be more productive.
Ten benefits of having a life coach
1. Improved focus
Working with a life coach can have a long-term impact on your ability to focus. Life coaches will help you see your goal with more clarity and teach you tips and tricks for staying focused on your project. With greater awareness of your situation, a life coach can teach you how to work to the best of your ability. This is something that can benefit you in all aspects of your life.
This kind of ruthless clarity isn’t just valuable, it’s absolutely essential for all busy individuals, especially high-performing executives and business leaders. If you’re leading teams, making critical decisions, and driving results, sharp focus becomes your most powerful competitive advantage.
Focus isn’t just about staring harder at your goals, it’s about cutting the noise. In a world full of distractions, real success demands ruthless clarity. A coach doesn’t just remind you what matters; they force you to eliminate everything that doesn’t. You stop chasing 10 ideas and start executing one brilliant one. One client once told me that after our first month of working together, he felt like someone had “removed 90% of the static from his brain.” That’s what true focus feels like, clean, sharp, unstoppable. And it’s what separates wishful thinkers from actual winners.
2. Tailored support
Life coaches have lots of experience working with a range of people. This means they know what will work for you. Life coaches will work with you to find out your strengths and weaknesses; they will look at your personal struggles and create a tailored, bespoke support system to help you. Each person requires different types and levels of support, and a good life coach will ensure that your plan is personalised. Unlike other teaching programmes, a life coach will get to know you to ensure you get the best support.
Generic advice is the fastest way to waste your time. Tailored support is what creates transformation. A real coach doesn’t hand you a one-size-fits-all checklist; they diagnose exactly where you’re stuck, why you’re stuck, and how you personally need to break through. I’ve worked with two clients chasing the same goal, and the path to get there was completely different for each. Without a personalised strategy, coaching is just noise. With it, it’s a precision strike. Tailored support means you move smarter, faster, and with 10x more belief in yourself because the plan is built for YOU, not some imaginary “average person.”
3. Honest feedback
You might like to get support from family and friends, but this feedback and advice are often not as honest as you need it to be. One of the benefits of life coaching is that you will get proper, constructive feedback from an unbiased source. Your life coach wants you to succeed and will help you get there, even if that means reassessing your current situation. Friends and family generally provide feedback that is biased and unhelpful. What you need is honest feedback that will enable you to evaluate your next moves critically.
One of my favourite quotes about growth comes from Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund: “Pain plus reflection equals progress.” And it’s true, the most brutal truths are often the ones that unlock your next level.
Real feedback isn’t meant to flatter your ego. It’s supposed to challenge your assumptions, expose your weaknesses, and shine a light where you’re most uncomfortable. Diamonds aren’t created in comfort; they’re just carbon that’s been crushed under relentless pressure. And the same is true for personal greatness.
I learned this the hard way from one of my greatest mentors, John, a sharp, no-nonsense American who once worked directly with Steve Jobs. John didn’t believe in sugarcoating anything. When I thought I was doing well, he would point out exactly where I was playing small, where I was lying to myself, and where my excuses were getting in the way. It wasn’t always what I wanted to hear. In fact, some days it was the last thing I wanted to hear. But deep down, I knew I needed it.
Looking back now, I can connect the dots and see how John’s ruthless honesty forced me to grow at a pace I could have never achieved on my own. Without that hard pressure, I would’ve stayed comfortable. I would’ve stayed stuck. His feedback, even when it hurt, helped shape the discipline, mindset, and results I have today.
That’s the real gift of a great coach: someone who isn’t there to make you feel better, they’re there to make you better. If you’re serious about growth, you don’t want someone who’s afraid to hurt your feelings. You want someone who cares enough to tell you the truth, even when it stings.
Growth and comfort never coexist. You have to pick one. And every time you choose growth, you’re betting on your future self, the version of you that’s stronger, smarter, and ready to play at a higher level.
4. A fresh perspective
Life coaches work with lots of different people, which means we have the experience of seeing what works and what doesn’t. As well as providing our professional opinion and offering a fresh perspective, we can back it up with evidence and the experience of other clients. As a coach, I know and understand the value of external feedback in improving continually. That’s why I sought mentorship from the best in the business, life coach Michael Serwa. Widely regarded as Britain’s top life coach, his experience and unique perspective continue to shape how I help my own clients think bigger, act smarter, and achieve faster results. We know what will make a difference and what is a waste of time. A life coach will be able to tell you things that never crossed your mind and help you think outside of the box. Most people are trapped in the same patterns because they only see life through their own lens. A real coach pulls you out of your small, safe thinking and forces you to look at what’s actually possible, not just what’s comfortable. If you’re willing to be challenged, a coach can help you uncover opportunities you didn’t even know existed. Growth starts when you stop believing your own limits.
5. A real plan
One of the benefits of having a lifestyle coach is that they will work with you to provide a specific, actionable plan. Coaches can show you steps to take to begin making a difference in your day-to-day life. They can take your dreams and turn them into practical, realistic steps which you can follow to achieve your goal. Unlike a therapist or a close friend, coaches can ensure that your next steps are realistic for you to accomplish with a bit of hard work without being completely unattainable.
A real coach won’t let you hide behind vague goals or endless “planning.” They will force you to turn wishful thinking into an action plan, deadlines, milestones, accountability built into every step. You don’t just dream about change; you build it brick by brick, with a blueprint that makes success inevitable if you stick to it. No more daydreams, no more someday. Just action.
6. Increased confidence
Working with a life coach can help you increase your level of confidence and self-belief. As you reach your goals and achieve new things, you will find yourself more confident in your own abilities. This can translate to all areas of your life, and your self-assurance will inspire you to do more and achieve more. Increased confidence has a knock-on effect on other projects and will mean you feel you can tackle more significant challenges. As you succeed, you will begin to believe in your own talent and skills, leading to more tremendous success.
Confidence doesn’t come from positive thinking alone, it comes from winning real battles against fear and doubt. Every small achievement you earn is a new piece of evidence that you are capable, strong, and ready for more. The more wins you stack, the louder your inner voice gets, and it stops asking “Can I do this?” and starts telling you “I’ve already proven I can.”
7. Meeting your goals
Above all, the benefit of a life coach means actually meeting your goals. Life coaches are super motivational and can give you all sorts of tips and tricks to help you meet your goal. Whether you want to take the next step professionally or personally, they will be there every moment you need support, meaning that you are more likely to achieve your goal. Studies suggest that people who work with life coaches are more likely to succeed and go on to new heights setting new goals than people who try to go it alone.
Meeting your goals isn’t just about reaching the finish line, it’s about who you become in the process. It’s that first real moment when you realise you don’t have to keep living on potential anymore, you can actually deliver results. I’ve watched people go from hesitant, second-guessing every decision, to confidently walking into boardrooms, pitching deals, starting businesses, and transforming relationships. Crossing that goal isn’t just a win; it’s a complete identity upgrade. You stop hoping you’ll succeed one day and start expecting yourself to. That shift changes everything, not just once, but forever.
8. Held accountable
It’s very easy to set a goal or a deadline and then let it slip past. It’s effortless to make excuses and pass them off as reasons for your failure or laziness. Working with a life coach means you will have someone checking in, motivating you, pushing you to succeed, and taking you to task when you aren’t working hard. You need a life coach to be there for you when the going gets tough. If you are someone who dreams big and then struggles to follow through, a life coach will be there to catch you and actually hold you accountable, helping you do the things you said you would do.
Accountability is a brutal mirror, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s easy to break promises you make to yourself. It’s much harder to look someone in the eye and explain why you chose excuses over execution. I’ve had clients thank me for calling them out when no one else would, not because it was comfortable, but because it woke them up. Accountability isn’t punishment; it’s power. It reminds you that your goals aren’t optional, and neither is showing up for them. When you know someone will check whether you kept your word, you start taking your word seriously.
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9. A better future
Life coaches can work with you for any amount of time, from three months to several years. But the investment you are making in yourself will last for much longer. Life coaches give a range of tools, coping mechanisms, and tactics to use long after you stop working with them. They can teach you productivity hacks and give you the confidence you need going forward. This means that even once you stop working with a life coach, you will be better equipped to provide yourself with a better future.
Most people underestimate just how much their future is shaped by today’s decisions. Coaching forces you to start living in alignment with the person you want to become, not the person you’re trying to survive as. Every hour you invest, every uncomfortable conversation you have, every new standard you set is a brick in the foundation of your future. Without strategy, without accountability, that future stays a fantasy. With a coach, it starts to materialise. You don’t just wish for a better life, you start building it every single day, piece by piece, until it’s real.
10. Enhanced mental and emotional state
Working with a life coach is tough. It requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, but it is extremely rewarding. A life coach will be by your side every step of the way, helping push you to achieve. This means they will help pick you up when you fail and will help you celebrate your achievements. Getting in touch with your inner state is a large part of working with a coach, as success relies on you. This means that by working with a life coach, you will find yourself more confident and more in touch with your emotional and mental state.
Mental toughness isn’t something you’re born with, it’s something you forge. Working with a coach gives you daily pressure to grow stronger, faster, smarter under stress. You start realising that setbacks don’t break you, they build you. You begin regulating your emotions, trusting your gut, backing your own decisions without fear. You stop spiralling over small failures and start focusing on the next move like a professional. Coaching doesn’t just change your actions, it upgrades your entire operating system. And once your mind is strong, everything else falls into place faster than you ever thought possible.
Is a life coach worth it?
Life coaching isn’t a shortcut to success. Working with a coach long term is a real investment in your future self, so it isn’t a cheap option. It also isn’t an easy way out. When you work with a life coach, you will find yourself facing tough emotional and mental challenges. It is hard work and, as such, requires dedication and commitment. But is it worth getting a life coach? Yes, if you are serious about your future and want to be the best version of yourself possible.
Where do I start?
Now you know what life coaching can do, the only question is, are you ready to stop thinking and start doing? Finding the right coach can change your entire trajectory, and it starts with one decision: reach out.
If you’re serious about building the life you actually want, not just talking about it, get in touch with me today.
Change doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you decide you’re done settling for less than you’re capable of. Your next level is waiting, but it won’t wait forever. Make the move.
