The Revolution, Consciousness Ascension

In the 1980s, “life coaching” emerged as a field and profession built on the foundation of sports coaching. With coaches now working professionally in every corner of the globe, life coaching has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry with immense popularity.

As a fast-paced and growing metropolis, there is an increasing demand for life coaching. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re taking an essential first step on a new journey of self-fulfilment. Understanding where life coaching came from and how it evolved is a fascinating and important piece of the profession’s history and helps you appreciate how it varies from other forms of therapy.

Where Does the Term “Life Coaching” Come From?

Since the 1830s, the term “coach” has been used to refer to any kind of instructor. Coaching may be a newer academic discipline, but its foundations may be found in several countries’ old, more established fields. For example, many branches of psychology and other fields are referenced in the study of life coaching, along with the human potential movement of the 1960s, leadership education, adult education, and personal growth.

The life coach profession was established in the 1980s, and its popularity soared in the 1990s and 2000s. Although early life coaches would have mostly concentrated on life planning, the profession has expanded to include helping clients with other aspects of their lives, such as relationships, money, career, health, and happiness.

The Start of The Life Coaching Revolution

The field of life coaching is attributed to financial planner Thomas Leonard, who was instrumental in its founding and growth in the late 80s and early 90s. For approximately three years, Leonard consulted every available method and sought advice from anybody who would provide it to solve the puzzle that was his own identity. Unfortunately, this approach failed, and he sought to try something entirely new. To uncover parts of himself that he had kept hidden from everyone, including himself, Leonard enlisted the help of a third party to examine him with introspective inquiries. By reflecting back to Leonard (like a mirror) everything Leonard shared with him, his personal coach was able to help him see himself for who he really was.

As a result of his findings, Leonard’s profession evolved progressively from full-time financial planning to full-time development of the tools that would form the foundation of life coaching methodology. He called it “life-planning”. Within a short time, he had developed coaching abilities that were complementary to but distinct from those used by therapists, mentors, and consultants. He began sharing his knowledge and tools with other professionals, and the life coaching revolution began in full force.

The Expansion of Life Coaching into The Business World

In the 1990s, firms began downsizing, outsourcing tasks to independent contractors, and altering employees’ perspectives on their positions. Now, as opposed to staying in the same profession until retirement, people are more likely to switch occupations at least three times throughout their working lives.

Retaining valuable employees through regular education programs saves money that might otherwise be lost due to staff turnover. But usually, it ends up being that training is not adequate because once employees return to “business as usual”, they forget what they have learned. Life coaching aids in consolidating and reinforcing the knowledge gained with professional training, prolonging its impact.

The emerging trend of businesses taking on smaller workforces, which eliminated the need for middle managers, also saw a leadership vacuum. Professional and personal coaching helped workers cope with their stress and time constraints. That vacuum is filled by business, executive, and coaching, which, unlike traditional forms of training and advising development, maintains a continuous dialogue with staff members.

Unlock Your True Potential with Life Coaching

Life is multifaceted; therefore, it’s only natural that life coaching is too. Through personal development comes professional development, and with that in balance, everything else starts to fall into place. Unfortunately, it’s not always simple to pinpoint precisely what you want out of life.

Many individuals have a clearer idea of what they don’t want than what they do want because most people either don’t attempt to set goals or actively work to avoid doing so. A life coach is a professional advisor who helps you define your life’s purpose and remove the roadblocks standing in the way of realising it.

As a qualified hypnotherapist, professional, personal development life coach and specialist, my role is to provide you with the assistance you need to make permanent modifications to your lifestyle. We will work together to develop a personalised strategy for growth and development that will provide you with the resources you need to succeed. Looking for life coaching? Reach out today and let us take the first step on your journey to success.