5 tips to make the most of a life coaching session
Coaching is a partnership between two people: you and your coach. While the coach is the one who’s trained to help you achieve results, these won’t happen if you rely solely on your coach to do the work for you.
When there is total commitment and openness from both people, you’ll see some transformational results. So here are some things you can do to maximise the benefits you’ll receive from a session.
1. Be open and curious
As with anything new that you’re doing for the first time, you’ll get the most out of coaching if you come with an open heart and mind. A curious attitude and a desire to learn more about yourself and others is a surefire way to ensure you have a great session. The session is what you make it, so make it a good one by going into it in without expectation and plenty of curiosity.
2. Allow time before and after the session
Coaching can be mentally challenging, so to get the most out of a session it’s vital to be in the right headspace before you start. The amount of time you take is entirely up to you, and the more sessions you do the more you’ll get a feel for how long you need to prepare, but initially I suggest taking about 15 minutes before your session start time to get everything you need, consider what you want to focus on (see the next point!), and get into a calm and relaxed state.
Similarly, it’s a good idea to allow 15minutes after the session as well, instead of rushing off to your next meeting or commitment. This will enable you to fully reflect on what you learned, jot down any questions or feelings that came up, and possibly to take an action that you set yourself during the session.
3. Know what you want to focus on
Formulate an idea of what you’d like to talk about, and what you want to change or achieve in the session. Without a clear topic or focus, you can spend a lot of time in the session figuring out what you want to talk about, as your coach can’t decide that for you.
This doesn’t have to be crystal clear, but if you can tell your coach something you’d like to delve into and what you’d ideally like to be different by the end of the session, you’ll get so much more value from an hour than you would had you come to it unprepared.
Some examples of things people may choose to focus on in coaching sessions could be:
I want to feel more confident going into a difficult conversation I need to have next week.
I have been offered a new role and want to figure out if I should take it.
I’m struggling to see eye-to-eye with my partner on a specific issue and I’m not sure what to do about it.
4. Have a note-taking device handy
Whether you’re someone who likes to write things by hand, type out your thoughts, or prefer to use AI to transcribe, make sure you have your method of choice ready to go.
You may not need or use it, but if you do, it’ll be right in front of you and you won’t waste valuable coaching time searching for a pen and paper.
5. Prepare to be challenged
Coaching reveals new insights and opens up different perspectives, which can often be challenging. Your coach will ask powerful questions you may never have been asked before. Be open to honestly acknowledging what’s going on for you, and changing your mindset if needed. This is where the real value of coaching lies.
Preparation for a life coaching session is vital to ensure you get the most out of it. By following these tips, you’ll be in a great place to make meaningful changes and gain new perspectives in your very first session.
Note on images: All the images in this blog post are my own, taken from trips around Aotearoa (New Zealand), with the exception of the image beneath point no. 4, which was taken by the talented team at WEDARE.