Your Coaching Journey: 4 stages of life transformation

Working with a life coach for the first time can feel like moving through a jungle: it’s a new experience with too many unknown paths. But life change is a direction, not a destination. If you think of personal growth as a continuous process, your journey will be less frustrating. Besides, you’ll have a coach with a clear roadmap to help you improve faster and guide you along the way to ensure you don’t get lost.  

Life coaching is a structured process, and knowing how it works will give you a better understanding of what to expect. So without further ado, let’s break down 4 phases of the life coaching framework.

How does life coaching work?

To start with, all coaching sessions are strictly confidential. You can rest assured that your information will remain private and won’t violate your rights. Your coach is the only person you will open up to and work with from start to finish.

As for the frequency of coaching sessions, it will depend on the complexity of an issue you’re trying to solve. Plus, your level of readiness and desire to commit also counts: coaching is not a one-sided process, so you’ll need to be involved to make changes work. 

Some clients are fine with weekly sessions, while others meet their coaches biweekly or even once a month. Either way, you’ll decide on your meeting schedule with the coach personally. Also, you’ll be able to adjust session days when needed, but it’s always better to respect each other’s time and stick to an agreed schedule. 

Stage 1 - Discovery 

The first stage is an introductory meeting with your coach. It’s the time when you will get to know your coach better, and vice versa. This session lasts for up an hour and helps you get off to a great start by means of a friendly conversation. 

How to prepare for your first session?

The best thing you can do at this stage is create a list of questions to evaluate the person you’re about to work with. Here’s what you might need to know in the first place: 

1. Your coach’s qualification/trainings and key areas of practice;
2. Their years of professional experience;
3. Their work values and principles;
4. Reasons behind their aspiration to practice coaching;

Most of the time, coaches pick up the baton and reveal this information while introducing themselves, but feel free to keep this checklist in case some parts are missing. Also, it’ll help if you note down some information about yourself, like your hobbies, life values, limitations and plans for the future.   

What does the first session look like?

The primary task of your coach is to set the right tone for your first conversation. Welcoming atmosphere, friendly attitude and politeness help to break the ice and build a pathway to fruitful cooperation. 

Then, the coach will ask a few questions about you to get a general idea of you as a person. There will be questions like what brought you to coaching and what are your dreams or objectives. Also, they will ask about the obstacles standing in your way and what you expect to achieve with coaching. 

If you don’t have any clear goal or don’t know how to set it yet, don’t worry. The coach will ask the correct questions and listen to your inner voice. This way, you will start working on what really matters to you.     

Hint: Stay honest and open both with yourself and the coach throughout the whole coaching process. This will give your coach a more detailed understanding of how to help you improve.

Stage 2 - Investigation

If the first session went well, it’s time to dive deeper into the essence of your issue. During the second stage, you’ll discover exactly why something – or someone – blocks your potential. You might not get a quick answer, which is fine. The coach will navigate you by stimulating self-exploration and reflection to help you articulate the root cause of your problem. Then, you will visualize the ideal environment you want to thrive in without existing barriers.  

Once you know where you are and where you want to be, the coach will discover opportunities for growth, determine your direction and set a blueprint of progress. You will have 2-3 sessions at this phase, and after each meeting the coach will send you a follow-up with key insights and the objective you’ll reach together. 

Stage 3 - Execution

The next series of coaching sessions is dedicated to bringing the action plan to life. For this, the coach will crystallize your intentions into several realistic and actionable goals you will work on gradually. They’ll also provide continuous guidance to make sure you follow each step systematically. So you can address the coach in between sessions for additional assistance or clarifications.

Overall, the point of the execution stage is to help you develop a habit of staying accountable and bring you closer to your aim.  

Tip: you’ll be able to change the coach if your expectations won’t be met. Simply ask our support team to set you up with a different specialist anytime.  

Stage 4 - Effective life management 

The last stage is the most pleasant part of your coaching journey. By this time, you will have eliminated major setbacks and limiting beliefs that slowed you down. That will be the point of distancing from your past self and allowing your new self to thrive with new habits and confidence. And most importantly, you will reach the level of fulfillment you’ve been striving to achieve. 

But to maintain the positive dynamic and not let your progress fall, you’ll need a few more check-ups with your coach. They will evaluate your situation, make corrections to the ongoing growth strategy if needed and give extra motivation to keep your zing going. Because just like in sports, the progress has to be consistent, and your coach will be there to support you.  

The best time to change is now

Life coaching is that sort of chance that turns the tides in your favor. If you go through all stages of transformation and don’t give up halfway, you will see the progress unfold in front of your eyes. And knowing this will give you even more energy to go ahead and keep growing. 

If your life needs a makeover, a life coach at RiseSpace will give you all the instruments so you can use them as a driving force for change. You’ll work with a lifestyle mentor whose passion to help matches your needs to be heard and guided. The end result will be a new you – happier, better and stronger.