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What can I get from coaching that I can’t get from self-help books?

CATEGORIES: General News

Jan, 1 2014

People need guidance at different stages of their life. Many prefer to seek advice from their family members when they face any problem. But if the situation is too fragile and beyond their capacity, they consult either professionals like life coaches or read self help books. Both these industries have recently grown in popularity. Today, thousands of life coaches are out there helping people to improve their lives. Similarly, hundreds of self help books are available on market with same intention. A survey suggests that each year U.S. citizens spend more than $11 billion on self-help books. But what is the better option between the two? Which one is more effective for an individual, a life coach or a self-help book? Generally, coaching seems a far better option than a self help books and these are the few things that we can get from life coaching but not from self help books. A self help book is directed towards general public and there is a possibility that it may not meet the requirements of each and every individual. Life coaching, on the other hand, involves individualized approach and specifically deals with the problems of a person. Selection of a self help book depends on your own liking and thinking. You might get carried away by the hype a book has got and buy it. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the book will work for you. There are many times when people select a right book for themselves but do not follows the instructions properly. They stick with them for a while and then back to doing what they were doing before. So there is no one to blame or held accountable for this carelessness. But if a person hires a life coach, he is more likely to follow the directions in a proper manner. A coach works beside a client and keeps him on track. Since a life coach costs more than a self help book, a person will take him more seriously. He will be more eager to bring positive changes in his personality and will make strenuous efforts toward an objective. In most of self help books, the writers share their personal experiences and own devised strategies. These strategies are not scientifically tested and lack authenticity. So applying these unverified strategies may have negative effects on an individual’s life. On the other hand, a life coach is a trained professional who does have many techniques and methods at his disposal and can suggest alternate solutions if required. Only that person will seek help from a self help book who is already in some kind of trouble. So it will make a person even more disappointed if the outcome is not too much encouraging or not what he was hoping for. But in coaching, the professional is always available either physically or online to guide and solve problems. Therefore, more often than not the client will end up getting desired results. Self help books do not provide a time frame when the transformation is going to happen. Whereas, a life coach knows exactly when changes will take place.