Before you start your coaching, you’re sure to have a number of questions about the journey you will soon undertake. Here is a selection of common questions asked before coaching begins. If your question isn’t answered here, please get in touch.

Why coaching online?

Coaching works remarkably well online because:

1) You can get coaching as and when you need it.

2) You don’t have to book a scheduled coaching call. This appeals to people who are really busy or travel frequently.

3) You can work completely anonymously and independently or you can work with a buddy, join in Forums, and Ask the Coach any questions you have. The degree to which you want to share your progress and life is entirely in your control.

4) You save a ton of money as the online course is very affordable!

Why not try it out? Join now!

How does life coaching differ from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best friend?

Consulting. Coaching can be considered a form of consulting. However, consulting is often information and expertise based. For example, you might hire a consultant to help your business with a specific problem. In which case, you’d expect your consultant to have knowledge and experience in that particular area. Life coaches, on the other hand, may or may not have a background or experience in your field. A coach is a life specialist, an expert on helping you develop all areas of your business and/or personal life. Unlike many consultants who propose a solution and leave you to implement it, your life coach stays with you to help you integrate the changes, new skills, and goals to make sure they really happen.This is one of the many reasons why life coaching is so effective–it is one thing to have the information and quite another to actually make the change!

Therapy. Life coaching is not therapy. Life coaches don’t work on past-based issues or traumas. Life coaches are not psychologists or psychotherapists. If you start life coaching and have not resolved an issue from the past, then it is very likely you will be referred to work with a therapist to resolve the issue. It is very common for unresolved traumas or addictions to stop us from getting what we want in our lives. Life coaches focus on the present and the client’s goals for the future. We help people move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life and career they really want. Most coaching clients are healthy, successful people who might be a bit stuck or simply want to make a big change in their lives and want the support of a coach to do so.

Sports. Life coaching often includes principles from sports coaching, such as being your best, doing more than you think you can, working with a team, going for the goal. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not a competition. Your own  Life Coach will help you win in your own life!

Best friend. A best friend or two or three is wonderful to have. But is your best friend an objective professional who you can trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your professional life and/or business? Sometimes, our friends can’t tell us the truth, as much as they would like to because they don’t want to risk losing the friendship. A good coach is never afraid to tell you the truth and is willing to be fired at any time. Why not have a best friend and a professionally trained life coach?

Our basic philosophy of life coaching:

If there is a gap between where you are now and where you want to be, then there is room for a bit of life coaching. Why struggle on your own when you can get what you want out of life in a fraction of the time with the structure, support, and tools of a skilled life coach?

How much does life coaching usually cost?

Most life coaches working with individuals charge about $200 to $1,000 per month for a 30- to 60-minute call three or four times a month. Executive coaches charge more and typically work with their clients for two hours a month. It all works about to about $100 to $300 per hour. Obviously, corporate coaching is more, and can cost $1,000 to $10,000 per month and usually starts at $500 per hour. Corporate coaching often includes on-site programs and online computerized assessments. Feel free to browse our hand-picked top coach biographies and to see their wide range of coaching fees. Our coaches include business coaches, executive coaches, life coaches, professional coaches, and creative coaches. If you find the cost of one-on-one coaching a budget-buster, then you might be interested in learning more about our top quality, easily affordable coaching programs below.

You Can Have The Life You Desire! For those of you who find that one-on-one coaching is out of your budget, there is a solution for you. We have created the top-notch online coaching program so that you can start living your ideal life. These sessions provide an opportunity to learn from others as you develop the skills for success. In addition, you will have limited access to Steve Page, Master Life Coach and international best selling author of Cut the Crap & Move To Costa Rica, who charges his one-on-one clients $3,000 for three one-hour calls.

How long must I commit to working with a coach?

One month if you are working with one of our Life Coaches listed at vivapurpose.com. Although on average, most people find coaching more beneficial than they realized and stay on longer than they initially anticipated—typically 9 months to a year. Many coaches ask for a three to six-month commitment but usually, let you stop immediately if coaching is not working for you right now. Some coaches might ask you to sign a contract or an agreement. This is fine, however, all our Life Coaches have agreed that you can coach on a month-by-month basis for as long as it is working for you. This does not apply to corporate coaching contracts or executive coaching which may be for a specific term or project and are often negotiated on a case by case basis.

Can I hire a life coach for a short-term, special project?

Yes. Some clients hire a life coach to help them achieve a specific objective or project. Many clients choose to continue working with their life coach after their initial goals are accomplished because there are even more interesting things to do!

Can life coaching hurt someone?

No. The client is always responsible for their own lives and ultimately, makes their own decisions and takes their own actions. The job of the life coach is to provide positive support and encouragement. While a life coach might challenge you to think differently or suggest that you try a different or even radical approach than you would normally take, the client must decide whether to take the advice or not. Life coaches do not in any way control the client’s thoughts, actions or life.

If you feel bad after a coaching call, for any reason, let your life coach know about it. It is probably a miscommunication or it could be that this coach’s style is not working for you. If this happens consistently, try a different life coach! 90% of the time or more you should feel uplifted and motivated to take action at the end of each coaching call. You should certainly feel good about yourself and your accomplishments.

Can a dependency be created between coach and client?

No. The client may need the life coach in order to maximize an opportunity or accelerate their personal growth, yet not be dependent on the life coach. Anyone who has big goals can benefit from the structure, advice, and support of a life coach, so in that sense, yes, a life coach is needed. As far as creating an emotional or psychological dependency, not to worry. Life coaches work with people who are healthy and successful on their own. Life coaches do not resolve therapy issues. If you start to feel dependent on your life coach, get a therapist!

Why would people who are already successful hire a life coach?

People have managed just fine in the past without a life coach. So in one sense nobody really needs a life coach, but many people want one! One of the reasons there is a growing demand for life coaching is the complexity of modern day life. Things aren’t as simple as they were in the past. And, whereas your parents might have been happy to have a job that paid the bills, most people today want a job that is personally fulfilling and financially rewarding. They want to find work that is in line with their core values and is an expression of who they are. Never before in history has mankind had such an incredible opportunity for self-expression through one’s work. If you aren’t doing what you love to do, even if you are successful, you would benefit from some coaching. I certainly did! Are you doing what you most enjoy? Are you tolerating or putting up with anything? Is life easy or are you struggling? Are you on the path to financial independence? Do you have what you really want? Most people can expect a lot more out of their lives.

I thought I’d start writing when I retired at sixty-five. Thanks to my first coach, I wrote my first book, Coach Yourself to Success at thirty. Coaching really speeds things up so hold on to your hat when you hire a personal coach, a business coach, an executive coach or a life coach.

Shouldn’t I be able to reach my goals on my own?

We’ve been taught that “hard work and doing it on your own” are the keys to finding life, success, money, or happiness. Most people believe they must sacrifice something to attain what they want. Some people sacrifice their health, their time to enjoy life, or their relationships. None of this is necessary. You can have it all, but maybe not all right this minute! And, with life coaching, you’ll find you don’t have to sacrifice anything to get what you want. You may need to change a few things, true, but clients typically find they have more time with their families and friends, more money, more opportunities, and are more successful at work or in their businesses when they work with a professionally trained coach—whether that is a business coach, a personal coach, an executive coach or a life coach. Athletes, performers, CEO’s and presidents know that they can’t do it alone. They know they need a trained professional or even a team of experts to help them determine the best direction and to provide objective support and feedback. Without this, it is almost impossible to achieve excellence.

No athlete would consider going to the Olympics without the support of a coach. The extra edge the coach provides makes all the difference. Why shouldn’t you have this same advantage in your own personal and professional life? Sign up for Coach Yourself to Success online or talk to a Life Coach today — you’ll be amazed at the results you’ll get!

Why is life coaching so popular?

People are tired of doing what they “should” do and are ready to do something special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. Problem is, many can’t see it, or if they can, they can’t see a way to reorient their life around it. A coach can help them do both.

People are realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have felt out of reach or like a pipe dream. A life coach is not a miracle worker (well, they are, sometimes) but a life coach does have a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in themselves in this kind of personal growth.

Why does life coaching produce such rapid change?

Life coaching works for several reasons:

The synergy between the life coach and client creates momentum and enthusiasm. Better goals are set — ones that naturally motivate the client. The client develops new skills, which leads to greater success.

Coaching provides a structure of support. Left to our own devices, most people start out with the best intentions and then hit a snag and either get derailed completely or delayed for a long time. A Life Coach can help you quickly bust through snags and inevitable road blocks in life so that more is accomplished with less struggle and less effort in a remarkably short period of time.

Objectivity. Your coach is an objective, positive supporter. Not everyone is lucky enough to have such a friend or colleague to provide this. If you’ve been doing it solo, try seeing how much more you can accomplish with your own personal coach!

Where does the life coach focus with an average client?

We focus where the client wants us to focus: Your goals are our goals. Although, we might have some radical suggestions for just how to reach those goals more quickly. Sometimes, in order to be more successful in business, you need to do some personal work. So don’t be surprised if you get some personal assessments and quizzes!