I work primarily with individuals and organizations as an Executive Career and Business Coach, yet the bottom line is I am truly a Life Coach as well. Life coaching is "important", and business coaching is "useful". It is crucial to know the distinction here. Your career is often referred to as your occupation because it "occupies" so much of your time.
Business and executive coaching is very "useful" because it addresses the areas of your life where you spend the majority of your time. Your occupation is very "useful" but it is not so "important". Life and personal coaching addresses your life's most "important" and vital aspects, your dreams and your plans for success and happiness. Coaching in general is beneficial for your fulfillment, success and happiness.
As an analogy, your awareness of your life and your choices is like a tool you may not often need to pay attention to, like a fire extinguisher. Most of the time it does not seem very "useful". You may even feel being aware of your life choices wastes time, yet when you really need to pay attention to your life it is very "important" that you have the skill and experience to do so effectively.
Awareness of your life habits and choices can truly transform you life. Life coaching is a valuable and subtle tool if used properly, and continuously. Like the fire extinguisher this tool of awareness is so "important" it can literally save your life. In the short term your career and business are useful to meet your daily needs. No one would argue you need to meet these needs. The real lesson here is - you meet these basic needs so you may improve your life over time and participate fully in your important relationships and life dreams.
Life is best viewed as a marathon so you do not burn out in a short term sprint. Life coaching and business coaching taken together combine to produce true greatness in the areas that are important to you. Individuals and organization prosper through being fully human and doing what is most important. Improved personal and group leadership, coupled with kind and effective communication are the keys to achieving your personal best and winning the marathon of life. The short term benefits of life and business coaching are to be more organized, feeling in balance with your life, and having more fun time with less stress. This is the true path of happiness.
