{"id":234734,"date":"2024-09-12T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paperbell.com\/?p=234734"},"modified":"2025-06-30T15:58:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T14:58:58","slug":"life-coaching-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paperbell.com\/blog\/life-coaching-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Life Coaching Tips Even Seasoned Coaches Forget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every life coaching business is unique. But our challenges? Not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we get stuck with a client or feel overwhelmed by our everyday \u201cbusiness as usual,\u201d we often blame ourselves. We feel like an impostor and question whether we are right for the job. After all, if we can\u2019t keep it together, how can we help our clients do the same?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when we forget something important\u2014coaches are humans too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you ask new or seasoned life coaches, chances are that they have all struggled with the same problems at some point\u2014and probably still do from time to time. A life coaching business has its own set of challenges, such as dealing with difficult clients or marketing yourself as a professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ve gathered some evergreen advice to help you enhance your life coaching business and let go of any roadblocks holding you back from growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life Coaching Tips to Improve Your Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Listen to What\u2019s Not<\/em> Being Said<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the golden rules of life coaching that helps you get out of the rut when you get stuck with a client\u2019s progress. As humans, we\u2019re brilliant at fooling ourselves\u2014so much so that we often fool our coaches too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay attention to the \u201cwiggle\u201d that might show up when your client says one thing but deep down feels another. It\u2019s the perfect opportunity to throw in a follow-up question on the subject. Ask them what future their current decision would paint for them. Or simply ask them: How do you know?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More often than not, elaborating on the question will help them differentiate between their own truth and the one they picked up from someone else. If it\u2019s not serving them, they can now let it go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Comfortable With Silence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When our client is quiet, it\u2019s tempting to ask another question to stir the conversation forward. But moments of silence usually indicate that the wheels are turning in your coachee\u2019s head. They might be having an aha moment or reflecting on what you\u2019ve just said. From the outside, this might just look like staring into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give them some space and time to process their new insights. Perhaps they\u2019ll return to you with an important revelation that neither of you had thought of before. Taking a moment of silence once in a while also creates more trust between you and your client\u2014a safe space where they have permission to share their raw thoughts and feel confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[ Read: <\/em>Are You Using All 5 Of These Coaching Styles In Your Practice?<\/em><\/a> ]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overcome the \u201cI Don\u2019t Know\u201d Obstacle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d are perhaps the three most dreaded words your coachee can answer to your question. So where do we go from here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, a moment of silence is usually all you need to give space for your client to reflect further. If that doesn\u2019t work, you can simply ask them, \u201cWhat if you did know<\/em>?\u201d or \u201cWhat do you reckon<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another solution is to rephrase the question and ask it in a different way. Always aim for open-ended questions, especially when you\u2019re trying to get your client unstuck. If their answer is short or you sense that there\u2019s more beneath the surface, you can help them with the simple follow-up question, what else<\/em>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life Coaching Tips for Dealing With Difficult Clients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Set Firm Boundaries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The earlier you set your ground rules in your coaching practice, the less likely you will need to deal with difficult clients. To avoid last-minute cancellations, ask for advance payments and set a 24-hour cancellation policy. You can also determine a grace period for being late to sessions to ensure your time is respected. These rules should, of course, go both ways so it\u2019s a fair game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also find that some clients message, call, or email you in between sessions. It won\u2019t seem like a big deal to just get back to them quickly, but you\u2019ll soon find yourself giving free coaching through chat and wasting a lot of time and energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do decide to be available for accountability or follow-up conversations between coaching sessions, set clear parameters for how this works, and make it a part of your packages<\/a>. This way they\u2019ll know how soon you\u2019ll get back to them and what they can expect from you. You\u2019ll also make sure you\u2019ll get fairly compensated for your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you include your terms in your coaching contract<\/a> and talk them through with your clients during your discovery session<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[ Read: <\/em>How To Create A Legally Binding Coaching Contract From Scratch<\/em><\/a> ]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is It Really About Them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before you dismiss the discomfort or the lack of progress you experience with a client as their negative behavior, have a reality check with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you communicated your boundaries clearly when they hired you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you triggered by something personal that bubbled up in you while working with this client? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you trying to control the direction of the coaching conversation at the cost of giving your client what they really need?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are probably the hardest questions to ask yourself as a coaching professional, but they are also the ones that will make you grow in your career the most. So be honest with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you find that you\u2019ve done everything you could and things just don\u2019t work out between you two, don\u2019t hesitate to make the hard decision and\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn to Let Go<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Being accommodating to keep a client relationship that\u2019s draining your energy is never worth it. Ever. It will affect your personal well-being and your work with other clients too, so it\u2019s better not to let it drag on for too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some potential reasons you would want to fire a client<\/a> are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n