The Rise of the Life Coach
An American professor called Anthony Klotz coined the term ‘The Great Resignation’ to explain the ongoing trend (in the U.S. initially) of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs, from spring 2021 to the present, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been described as a sort of ‘workers’ revolution’ against bad bosses and unsupportive companies, in the face of overwhelming burnout.
The events of 2020-2021 have fundamentally changed the way many people are thinking about their future. When it comes to the intersection of work, home and wellbeing, a global community of people have reached their limit.
While many in society think they don’t need help and can go it alone when it comes to improving their lives, plenty are leaning on the services of a new breed known as the ‘life coach’. Like a personal trainer for your mindset, in hiring a life coach, an individual is seeking support from both a personal and professional perspective, to enable them to define and take charge of the vision they have for their lives.
Think life coaching is a passing fad? It’s not. This massive industry is valued at over $1 billion in the States alone and predicted to reach USD 1.34 billion by the year 2022. (Source) It is also the second fastest-growing industry in the world with an average yearly growth of 6.7%. (Source)
As using a life coach has become a lot more mainstream, people from all walks of life are discovering they’re a terrific aid in times of great transition – like the global pandemic that’s making us all re-evaluate many aspects of our lives. But the re-evaluation can be a whole mind and body makeover. As a flood of people experience massive internal conflict, the crossover between fitness and coaching to support mental health and enjoy a healthy, balanced lifestyle (both physically and mentally) is blurring.
Many fitness coaches start out focusing on complex fitness and nutrition practices but come to realize their clients need help with life and mindset issues as well. It would be a rare fitness or wellness coach who has not addressed their client’s questions around ‘Who am I outside my relationship?’, ‘I hate my job, should I quit?’ or “What am I doing with my life?’
In Auckland, New Zealand, local hero to thousands The Brown Buttabean (aka Dave Letele) blends motivation and support with fitness and nutrition to help his community get healthy. Like many fitness professionals, Buttabean recognizes that well-supported mental health and a growth mindset are key to helping people achieve their health and wellbeing goals. The strength of each is the pillar holding up the whole structure.
Living a happier, healthier life is ground zero for everything we preach at IIFYM. We’re all about better decisions around health, wellness, and nutrition, while correcting course for those who have an unhealthy relationship with food. Like fitness and nutrition coaches, life coaches are helping people achieve success through clear guidance, goal setting, and focus; key elements intertwined with fitness, physical activity, and most of all – mindset. In fact, the best life coaches are incorporating all of these.
If you’re a fitness trainer or life coach (or a mixture of both), who’s found themselves nodding at the examples above, or the Buttabean story, check out our sister site MacroActive. MacroActive is home to thousands of the world’s top fitness and wellness trainers – it’s a place where like-minded individuals like you can deliver on your passion for helping others and take it to a whole new level. It’ll show you how building your own platform can help you positively impact more lives and mirror back to your clients their potential to manifest a better reality.
As more of the global population wrestles with their personal ‘What’s next?’ the time has never been more right for a supportive partnership to reframe lives into their exciting new chapter.
