Nowadays life coaching has become probably more popular than ever before in the human history. Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, Jim Rohn, Eric Thomas and Les Brown are some of the most famous ones. Some of them may earn $100,000 or more for one weekend of training. Then there is private life coach who is also making $1,000/hour. They are charging so huge money…
That’s why we’ll discuss today: Is life coaching a scam or really useful? Fasten your seatbelts and let’s go!
Life Coaching in Action – The Story of a “Guru”
There was one young man who wanted to be very successful and he knew this guru who had achieved huge things during his life. The young man went to this guru and asked, “Can you teach me to become successful?” The guru said, “If you want to learn how to become successful, see you tomorrow at 4 a.m. in the beach.”
The young man thought, “I don’t want to be a lifeguard but… I will come because this guru really knows his things.”
Next morning they met on the beach and the guru said, “Let’s walk to the sea.” Then young man started to think, “This guru must be crazy! But I still want to be successful.” So they walked to the sea until their hips were in the same line with water.
The young man said, “And what next, guru?” Then guru immediately grabbed young man’s head and forced it below to the water. The young man couldn’t breathe! The only thing he wanted to do was to get back over the water to get some fresh air.
The young man started to fight back with his full power and energy until he was able to take his head above the water and breath. Then he asked the guru, “Why on earth did you do that? Did you try to kill me!?” The guru replied, “Of course not. I am teaching you how to become successful. Now. Answer me, what did you think when you were below the water?”
“Did you think about the baseball match? Did you think about some of your favorite TV-series? Did you think when could you use Facebook for the next time?”, continued guru.
The young man said to the guru, “No. I thought none of those things. All I wanted to do was to breathe. I didn’t have time to think about TV-series of Facebook feed.” Then guru watched young man deep in his eyes and said, “That’s today’s lesson for you: When you want to succeed as bad as you wanted to breathe, then you will be successful.”
Even though this was a bit extreme example of life coaching, it illustrates how it could work with a successful guru.
What Are the Benefits of Life Coaching?
1.Life coaching can help us to reach our true potential. Many people think, “I can’t do this or I can’t do that.” They may have limitations in their minds that they themselves or someone else has put into their minds. Life coaches will tell that you can really achieve more than you have thought.
Les Brown’s mentor (can be called also as a life coach) Mr.Washington said the following phrase when Les thought he couldn’t achieve anything because he was labeled as educable mentally retarded.
Les, don’t let someone’s opinion of you become your reality. You can do it!
That changed his life and little by little he started believing he can do great things during his life. Later, Brown started coaching other people worldwide and became one of the most influential motivational speakers in the world.
2.A life coach can teach something that we didn’t realize. Before I thought that I will live my life like this: go to school, have a degree, get a safe job and have a mortgage. Then pay the mortgage for 30 years and work in the same job forever. I started listening to different life coaches and I realized that it’s not the way I want to live.
I realized that I wanted to do something big during my life. I started looking for ways to build my own business which could make a difference. I found out that building an online business is a wonderful choice if I don’t want to have a normal 9 to 5 job.
3.Life coaches can show an example. I believe that the best life coaches are those who have done something you that you would like to achieve. Let’s say that you want to lose weight. Then I would pick a life coach who has also lost weight. If you want to build a successful online business, I would choose a coach who has himself built a successful online business. Then he knows what he is talking about.
What Are the Dangers of Life Coaching?
1.What if a coach is not good? Let’s say that somebody declares, “Now I am a life coach and I will make $250/hour for my services.” Then he creates a great story on how he changed and how he can change your life too. Then you take 4 one-hour lessons and realize that you just spent $1,000 on a coach that didn’t even know what he was teaching.
In my opinion, it’s very very very important to analyze carefully, who is teaching you. Do you really want to become like him? Are you really ready to pay for his service?
2.Ultimately high fees. There are weekend seminars that can pay even over $5,000. $2,500 for one day. Isn’t that “a bit” too much. Okay, maybe you will get one idea that will change your life forever but you can get the same idea also for free. There are hundreds of expensive teachings on Youtube. Once, people paid so much to get into these seminars and now we can watch them for free.
“But you don’t get the emotion if you watch it on Youtube.” Well, it depends on. Maybe you don’t get the authentic experience. But what if you watch it together with a couple of friends who are also interested in the same subject? You can get the emotions even without being in the real place. And by the way, one emotion is not going to change your life but consistent actions day in and day out will.
“But you can network with other people.” Are you gonna pay $2,500/day for the opportunity to meet people that you can contact on the Internet and then meet for free?
Private life coaching sessions can be also extremely expensive. I wouldn’t pay $10,000 for an hour. Why wouldn’t I just have good friends who can motivate me and I will motivate them? Okay, these sessions can be very valuable but be careful that you will not be ripped off.
Conclusion – Is Life Coaching a Scam?
Life coaching is definitely not a scam. It can be very encouraging and eye-opening to have some lessons from people who have achieved something worthwhile. Having success in life culminates in my opinion in two steps:
1.Know what to do.
2.Do it.
For the first one, we need to learn something new. And for the second one, we need discipline and motivation. Many people know what they should do but still, they don’t do it because of fear, lack of discipline or for some other reason. Life coaching can, for example, help.
I have noticed that many people would like to earn more than what they are earning right now. If you would like to make money online, I can recommend you this step-by-step training. It won’t make you rich overnight but it may solve all your money problems in the long run.
What do you think about life coaching?
No one can teach you how to become successful. Guru might give teach you how to do certain things, however, it is you who has to attempt. If you don’t attempt, you will never become successful.
Thanks for sharing an important lesson from the “Guru”
You are right that nobody can make you successful unless you don’t want it yourself. A guru can teach you how to become successful but you need to make it happen yourself always.
I find it absolutely ridiculous when people pay thousands of dollars to listen to a guru who will teach them how to be successful when you can easily find it somewhere else for free. There are tons of videos on Youtube that teach you how to be successful, and its all free.
That’s a good point.
On the other hand, I believe that paid success conferences have their place. I have noticed that when you participate something and you see other successful people in real life, it has a big impact.
I guess life coaching is like any business out there; many are legit, but there’s also those who care nothing for your well-being and just want to separate you from your money. What do you think is the most important thing to look for when trying to find a life coach that’ll really help you?
That’s true. There are honest people in every industry but also some scammers. So, life coaching isn’t different in that sense.
I would consider 3 things at least:
1.Has the life coach achieved something great himself? What are his merits?
2.Has he already helped other people? (It’s a different thing to succeed yourself than help others to succeed.)
3.Is the price reasonable compared to others.
Wow those are some extreme high prices for a life coach. Do any of them offer online services? if so, how much are they? Have you heard of Bob Proctor? I prefer to read books because I’m cheap and can refer to it often. I do see the need for a more personalized approach to teaching life lessons.
I tried an online coach for body building one time. I lasted 6 months and paid over $1200 and achieved no results. You end up getting lost in their extensive client list and they don’t have much time for you. Thanks for this.
Hello,
There are life coaches online and their prices vary a lot. Some of them charge probably only $10/hour (in Asia) but the most expensive ones charge thousands of euros per hour.
I have heard some teachings from Bob Proctor. But I need to admit that I don’t accept all “Law of Attraction” -things that he is teaching. But for sure he has some valuable lesssons too.
Thank you for sharing your experience also about bodybuilding coaching. I hope you will find better coaches in the future.
-Roope
Hello,
This is an interesting article. I have 2 friends who became (overnight) life coaches. Still thinking if they are the right fit for that, because they basically didn’t achieve anything “special” in their lives. yes, they are alive and have food on the table, one of them is married and other one not. But, they are “life coaches”, sending invitations to go to their seminars etc… i assume you need to have a strong credibility for something like that.
Hi Bob,
sounds very interesting. But I think that, actually, that what many life coaches are. At some point they decide that they want to teach others. It would be better that they first achieve something themselves.
One guy started giving “Real Estate Investment” -Seminars after buying a few houses. He was a little bit sweating when he saw that some guys in the audience have tens of houses.Well, until this day he has bought more than one hundred houses and has become very successful real estate investor! 😉
The same happens many times in “make money online” -business. Some people fake it til` they make it.
Wealthy Affiliate training is made by very successful online millionaires who really can teach how to create a successful online business.
-Roope