When do you need a life coach?

As a new kid on the block, life coaching as a discipline is widely misunderstood and at times undeservingly criticized.
Many people out there who could really thrive with life coaching support don't seem to find the coach they are looking for, this is a shame and something that needs to be changed. I won't get into the reasons for this but I will say that they are diverse, they include a lack of professional accreditation, an agreement on what exactly is and is not coaching, who is capable of being a reputable coach, how is one to decide what represents "good coaching", how is success measured as well as a plethora of strong marketing hype that can confuse the heck out of everybody and create a fog over the whole area.

I would like to pose some basic questions that will help you out there focus and come to the conclusion that it is coaching you are looking for and not one of the many other kinds of support offered everywhere.
As in many areas of human support, there is always going to be overlap between different modalities, with the most important thing being not the modality but the individual who you will be working with.
Things that are unfortunately amorphous and definitely not the kind of resume stuff you will see will always be critical: the power of the relationship, the "chemistry" between the parties and the style of conversation and thinking that is very particular to each and every one of us. Nevertheless, here is a list of ten questions that should give you a feel if it is coaching that you should be considering:

Are you feeling stuck and "not moving" in terms of things you say you would like to do and are not actually doing them?
Coaching is great for helping find those "sticking points" and propel you into action.
Action, in general, will always be strongly correlated with good coaching.

Are you having great difficulty in making decisions?
Check in with coaching, it can be enormously helpful in getting clarity on what you feel about things and getting your own thinking clear with yourself?

Are you feeling "all over the place", chasing a different idea every day but not actually pursuing any of them? Focus is a key point and a strength of coaching.

Are you in need of some "big picture thinking" in developing a vision that will pull you forward into the future?
Check into coaching and its power to trust in the future and inspire actions to create that future.

Are you feeling lonely in your thoughts, ideas, plans and decision-making?
A good coach is a great partner to team with you on your most important "project", whatever that may be.

Are you feeling that you are deep "inside your comfort zone" and believe that to get outside the comfort zone is what you need? Check into getting a coach to give you feedback and support to get that courage you may need on your side.

Do you feel a lack of knowledge on how to access, leverage and utilize different resources and networks? Coaching can be a great asset in building resources for your benefit.

Are you in need for someone to keep you accountable to dates, actions, deadlines and goals? Definitely, coaching should be on your list of support you might need.

Are you feeling that you want to go from "good" to "great" on the results you are getting from a certain aspect in life?
Coaching is a great catalyst for self-improvement.

Do you want support that will be inherently short-term (several months on the average) and not have to worry about financing a long-term support framework?
Coaching is by nature a short-term, goal-focused support modality.

There are more points, of course, but I trust that after you have reflected on the questions above you will have a good feel if getting a coach is what may be in order.
How to go about finding a coach is already a different subject, Whatever you do, please do remember the world of George Eliot, as these are the words that have moved me from the inside ever since I discovered coaching some 14 years ago:

"It is never too late to be what you might have been".

In Hebrew, we toast each other with the word, "lechaim!", which literally means "to life!" In my book, coaching is a pursuit of the heart, "life coaching" is coaching for life! Lechaim to you and your journey up ahead!