Matthew Ferry's Blog

How do you pick a life coach? I think that the main thing you need to do is decide what exactly you want to get out of the life coach process. For example, my specialty in the process is happiness and peace, and then utilizing that to be an action. But that’s not everybody’s specialty. I have a friend’s whose specialty is post divorce. I have other people whose specialty is career advancement. So, it just depends on what it is that you’re trying to accomplish.

When you’re getting ready to choose someone as your life coach, I highly recommend that you spend some time talking to them and discovering what they have actually done. What have they achieved or accomplished in the realm that you are trying to improve upon?

So, for example, I have spent my life, a hundred percent focused on how to get happy. I don’t want to wait until I achieve to be happy. I don’t want to wait for my kids to grow up before I’m happy. I don’t want to wait to get thin before I’m happy with my body. I don’t want to wait until my spouse gets out of the funk that she’s in before I’m happy. I don’t want to wait. I want to be happy now. I’ve spent my life discovering what it takes to be happy. How do I do that and simultaneously be incredibly successful at the same time?

So, that’s my specialty, being happy and successful at the exact same time. So, when you’re looking for a life coach you want to ask a lot of questions. Ask him/her, “how do you do what you do?” Ask him/her what kind of credentials he/she has, what’s his/her background and what makes him/her an expert? Ask him/her all about the process.

You know, one of the things that I think gets in the way of people having a great life coaching experience – and believe me, I’ve had some bad ones – is that the coach doesn’t actually follow a particular system. Following a system produces a result. If you look at any business – and life coaching is just a business – any business that is successful is a business that’s following a particular system. And then they’re doing that system over and over because the system predictably creates the results that people are paying for.

Life coaching is the same thing. Make sure that the life coach you pick is following a system. You want to make sure there is evidence that it works. You want to talk to other people that have done it and make sure that you actually can get the results that you want. You know, there’s a lot of new people who are in the life coaching industry that are just getting into it, and they are people generally who get in it because they have felt an incredible desire and get a kick out of helping people. And they have the thought, “Well, you know, I want to make this my business, my life.”

I understand. I did the same thing. And I would recommend that you go with someone who’s been doing it for a long time. I’ve been coaching people since 1993. I’ve coached more than 8,000 people. So, you want to find someone who has credentials. Right now, I’m coaching 120 people. I’ve got a great depth of experience. I know exactly what it’s going to take to get you unstuck and into a state of happiness.

When you’re talking to the people out there in the world, because I might not be the right coach for you, make sure you really dig in and get them to explain why they are good for you. Good luck to you.