Most professional and Olympic athletes have personal coaches to help them cope with competition and play their game to their maximum potential.

In fact, the better they become and the more elite their status, the more they need and rely on their coaches! Why? Because the higher they go, the more critical their moves become. Personal feedback becomes more important for avoiding mistakes. The bottom line – the coach gives them the competitive edge!

A Process, Not a Routine

The concept of using a coach to enhance or improve some aspect of one's life or career is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance, as well.

Corporate executives are using coaches to further their careers. Actors, singers, and those in the performing arts have long recognized the vital part that coaches play in the development of their careers. Regardless of your career or personal pursuits, there is a coach who can help you to reach your goals, that much sooner, that much more easily.

Deb Giffen, an editor and producer, has coached many high achievers in many different professions. "The fundamentals of coaching others stay the same from person to person, almost independent of what the student is trying to achieve," says Giffen. "That's why I can help one person in one field, and another person in another even if I personally don't have a background in those fields."

Life Coaches

A life coach differs from a career coach in that you do not meet with the life coach to accelerate your efforts in pursuit of some particular goal. Rather, the life coach imparts to you wisdom that he or she has learned along the way. Such wisdom presumably will improve your life in general and may or may not specifically help you in pursuit of particular goals.

While the notion of using a life coach is not as widespread as employing a coach in general, don't let that stop you from finding someone who can help achieve your goals in all aspects of your life.

A Rose by Any Other Name

Life coaches come in a variety of names, such as counselor, advisor, and the
generic term coach. Don't confuse this with seeing a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, or
psychological counselor. If you feel the need for such assistance, by all means seek out these professionals.

The life coach or counselor, however, isn’t necessarily licensed or certified. Rather, he or she provides much of the same type of direction to you that a mentor might provide, but the process is more formal. You meet with the life coach at regular intervals and pay a fee. You might be given exercises that you're supposed to complete between meetings.

Whether you're an athlete, an author, or a business professional, coaches can be a valuable resource, accelerating you and keeping you focused as you strive to meet your goals.