By Coach Manny A.
Parenting is not about keeping your kids with you forever, and the same applies to coaching. Just as Yoda teaches Luke Skywalker to rely on his own abilities and Mr. Miyagi sets the expectation for Daniel (son) to fight his own battles, the goal of a coach is to guide their clients towards autonomy.
A good coach provides more than just exercises or diet plans – they help their clients understand who they are as a person, and how to make decisions that align with their values and goals. While the coach-client relationship is often intimate and meaningful, it’s important for the coach to encourage autonomy rather than dependency. When a client becomes overly reliant on their coach, it can be emotionally difficult for both parties when the time comes to move on.
As a coach, my ultimate goal is to teach my clients everything they need to know to make decisions independently. I aim to share the inner workings of my thought processes, so that they can understand what is expected of them and begin to connect the dots themselves. I’m not here to be indispensable – my clients choose to work with me because they want to continue learning and growing, not because they feel lost without me.
Ultimately, my success as a coach is measured by my clients’ ability to take back control of their health and wellness, even if I’m not around to guide them. If they feel empowered to make decisions and maintain healthy habits without my support, then I’ve truly succeeded. On the other hand, if they struggle to stay motivated or fall back into old habits without me, then I’ve failed to instill the autonomy they need to succeed in the long run.