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A lot of things have been said about the importance of setting goals to achieve results. That's where clarity, goals, and balance come in, because all of these elements contribute to optimum performance, and the ability to get what you really want out of life. A personal coach will help you set the best goals for your particular state.

The role of a personal coach is to help individuals clarify their thinking, set and achieve their goals, realize their dreams, and create balance in their lives. Hiring a personal coach to help identify and achieve desired results is a relatively new phenomenon. There are now approximately one hundred personal coaches in the Greater Vancouver area, up from a handful in 1998.

There is a difference between a personal coach and a therapist. Therapy is designed to focus on the past and help you correct problems that occurred as a result of past events. A coach looks to the future, and to help you maximize your skills and knowledge so you can achieve everything that you can.

The personal coach does not give advice. We're always more committed to a plan of action we ourselves have created, than to a plan created by someone else. Instead, personal coaching helps the client identify what he or she most wants to be or do and helps them build on their strengths and create a plan of action.

Accountability to an objective third party is one of the key factors in getting measurable results and significantly improves the odds of achieving success. It has been estimated that only 20% of individuals who pursue fitness programs achieve their goals; of the 20% who succeed, more than 80% have had the benefit of guidance from a coach.

Using personal coaching can be beneficial for anyone who wants to achieve their goals. Virtually all athletes have coaches, and it is increasingly common for professionals and executives to have coaches as well. Many corporations have now implemented coaching programs as an integral part of their management strategy of human resources.

The coach asks simple, important questions. What is the greatest challenge you face? What do you want out of your career and your life? What do you deal with that you want to improve? What concrete steps will you take? Coaches need regular feedback to be effective, and want you to think about what they say outside of their sessions.