Seize the Carpe!

Flipping through channels over the holidays, we stumbled across an endearing BBC show called "Miranda." I was immediately drawn to the awkward, yet lovable, main character played by Miranda Hart.

Weeks later, I scoured the internets and finally figured out what I've been calling the Life Coach episode was season 3, episode 4, "Je Regret Nothing." The part I'll be referencing for the purpose of this blog post begins about 15 minutes in, if you want to check it out.

Here's a fun meme to give you the general idea.

In this "Miranda" episode, I was struck by how ridiculous(ly) they portrayed the character above, Tilly, who decides to become a life coach. Fresh from a one-weekend course (PSA: legit certification programs take several months if not a year or more to complete.), Tilly starts impulsively "coaching" all of her friends against their will—without bothering to ask their permission or seek any kind of buy-in—and it leads to some very funny one-sided conversations.

At first, I was tempted to be offended by the common misrepresentation of life coaching portrayed on the show, but I also had to laugh, because it mirrored my own initial perception of what one was.

The show got me thinking about how Life Coaches are largely misunderstood (or at least they were in 2013 when Je Regret Nothing aired), even as awareness re: the benefits of coaching continues to grow. Admittedly, I came into the field with some of my own assumptions. I had my doubts that it could be a serious career. Little did I know I would become a Life Coach! I've just been hesitant to call myself one.

True story: life coaching is at the foundation of who I am as a Career Coach. Why? Because career is deeply intertwined with the rest of life and living. What one does for a living filters into every other aspect of one's life.

Today, I noticed an acquaintance's post that he "got another eye roll" after calling himself a Life Coach. Yeah... that's why I've been reluctant to adopt that label. But...

Life coaching is awesome! It is truly life changing. I've felt a shift in my own attitudes and energy over the past year as I've learned about—and been on the receiving end of—coaching, and I am proud to be a Certified Professional Coach. It is the best thing I've done so far, and that miraculous combo of coaching and getting coached has made me a more effective human being.

If I can make my clients' lives easier by lightening their burden, offering a listening ear, along with some perspective and accountability, while helping them shift their energy in positive and constructive ways, then I am all about it.