Do you want to help others, have a flexible schedule, and find purpose and meaning in your work? If you said yes, then you might be drawn to life coaching for the next step in your career. While life coaching can be deeply fulfilling, it also requires a deep commitment to personal and professional growth.
When you’re a life coach, you’re never done learning — there are always new skills to explore and ways to improve. A successful life coach doesn’t just give advice. Instead, they use intentional questioning and support strategies to guide others toward transformation.
If you’re wondering if life coaching is the right career for you, read on as we discuss what it takes to become a life coach and the signs that you might thrive in this industry.
Why Do Most People Choose To Become Life Coaches?
What is life coaching? Put succinctly, life coaching is the process of helping others identify and achieve their goals, both in their professional and personal lives.
People go into life coaching for a variety of reasons. For example, you might be highly motivated to help others or want a career that allows you to control your own schedule. Some aspiring life coaches are also seeking financial freedom or personal growth from their work.
Regardless of their motivation, many successful life coaches have several key traits in common: a passion for self-improvement, strong active listening skills, and a desire to serve others.
Positive Indications You May Want To Become a Life Coach
Before embarking on your life coaching journey, it’s important to reflect on your personal motivations for choosing this career. This can help you determine whether life coaching is the right path for you.
You Want To Help People Create Real Change in Their Lives
One of the top qualities of a good life coach is a passion for helping others. If you love empowering others and celebrating their achievements, life coaching could be a natural fit for you.
As a life coach, you’ll support your clients as they work toward their goals and dreams. You’ll provide them with the tools they need to overcome obstacles and succeed in this process. You’ll also help clients build their confidence and self-awareness, so they can take ownership of their growth even after your sessions end.
You’re Passionate About Personal Development
Another common quality among successful life coaches is their commitment to life-long learning. They genuinely enjoy self-improvement and are always looking for new ways to reach their full potential.
If this sounds like you, coaching could be a fulfilling way to share your life experiences and guide others on a similar journey. The skills you’ll learn in a coach training program will help you achieve meaningful growth in your own life, so you can help your clients do the same.
You Want a Career With Purpose and Meaning
Working in a role that isn’t fulfilling can be very draining and lead to burnout, and these challenges are more common than you might think. One study found that 48% of workers across eight different countries are currently struggling with burnout.
Many people start their life coaching practices after leaving more traditional careers in search of work that better aligns with their values. By working as a coach, you’ll make a tangible difference in the lives of others, which can be very personally fulfilling. You’ll see the impact you create firsthand, helping you stay motivated and engaged in your work.
You Value Deep, Meaningful Conversations
If you’re unfulfilled by small talk and frequently find yourself craving deeper connections, life coaching is an opportunity to incorporate these values into your work. As a coach, you’ll have helpful discussions that provide clients with the clarity and direction they need to pursue their goals.
During your training, you’ll master powerful active listening skills and build your emotional intelligence to ensure your clients feel heard and supported. You’ll also learn how to ask powerful questions that open up opportunities for reflection and growth. These valuable skills will help you thrive in your work, and they’ll also help you build strong relationships in your personal life.
You Want Career Flexibility and Freedom
When you work as a life coach, you have control over how and when you work. Life coaches can work remotely, in-person, or both, and you’ll be fully in charge of your schedule. In fact, virtual coaching makes up 53.2% of the global life coaching market.
You can also choose between part-time and full-time coaching, depending on your other commitments. This flexibility can support work-life balance, though new coaches should expect to invest significant time into building their practice.
On top of that, remote coaching allows you to work with clients across a wide range of time zones and industries. There are many different types of life coaching, including career coaching, wellness coaching, relationship coaching, and more, so you can choose the approach that is most interesting to you. It’s a very versatile career where no two clients are the same.
But of course, it can be scary to give up a stable job and make a big career change, especially when you aren’t sure how much money you’ll make as a life coach.
The truth is that income and finances look different for every coach, depending on their unique situation. However, with dedication, there’s plenty of potential for financial success and stability. According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the average annual income for life coaches is $52,800.
You Want To Work for Yourself and Build Your Own Business
When you start a life coaching business, you’re no longer an employee — you’re an entrepreneur. This allows you to be your own boss and design a business that suits your lifestyle. Your business decisions are all up to you, and the sky’s the limit on what you can achieve.
Life coaching offers freedom that you won’t find in many other careers. Your coaching business can grow and adapt with you as you navigate various life changes.
However, this career also requires an immense amount of dedication and commitment to succeed. You’ll need to hone your self-discipline and build a business strategy with long-term stability in mind.
You Want To Make an Impact on a Global Scale
With the help of the internet, life coaches can connect with clients from all over the world. You can use your coaching skills to help people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds and see your work make an impact across the globe.
Online coaching can help you reach clients that you never would have met in real life, allowing you to grow your business to new heights. As a life coach, you can also host workshops or participate in speaking engagements that help you expand your audience. It’s an excellent career path for ambitious individuals who want to see their work change lives.
You’re Ready for a Career That Challenges You To Grow
If you’re feeling stuck in your career, life coach training can give you the push you need to get out of the rut. Becoming a life coach will help you grow both professionally and personally. This career path requires ongoing self-reflection and learning, and you’ll need to develop the ability to navigate complex situations with care and sensitivity.
Jay Shetty Certification School helps aspiring life coaches develop these essential skills. With our life coaching certification program, you’ll develop your professional coaching skills through a structured curriculum with a focus on proven science-based methods. You’ll also develop the business acumen necessary to thrive as an entrepreneur.
What It Takes To Be a Great Life Coach
While life coaching is incredibly rewarding, it takes more than just a passion for helping others to be a good coach. You’ll need specific qualities and skills to thrive in this career path.
Successful life coaches are highly empathetic and are able to connect with people from a variety of different circumstances and backgrounds. They’re also very resilient and able to navigate the ups and downs that come with running your own business. On top of that, coaches must develop excellent communication skills, which help them build a rapport with clients.
That’s where life coach training and certification programs come in. When you start your journey toward becoming a certified life coach through the Jay Shetty Certification School, you’ll get the structure, tools, and ethical guidelines you’ll need to develop these skills and provide effective coaching services.
Is Becoming a Life Coach Right for You?
Life coaching is more than just a job. It’s a meaningful, fulfilling career that helps others make positive changes in their lives and supports your own personal growth. If you’re interested in becoming a life coach, it’s important to reflect on whether this career path aligns with your strengths, values, and long-term professional goals.
At Jay Shetty Certification School, we provide a structured, supportive pathway to becoming a life coach. Through our courses, you’ll build confidence, master proven real-world coaching techniques, learn essential business skills, and build authentic relationships with mentors and other aspiring coaches.
Ready to start your coaching journey? Book a call today to learn more about our certification options.