There are many ways to define life coaching. Wikipedia defines it as a professional partnership between coach and client that supports growth (intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and/or physically) "through the use of requests and powerful questions from the coach, and commitment and responsibility of the client." Coachville says that coaching is "inspiring an individual or team to produce a desired result through personalized teaching, expanding awareness and designing environments." The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says a coach is "part therapist, part consultant, part motivational expert, part organizer, part friend, part nag - the personal coach seeks to do for your life what a personal trainer does for your body."

What do I think coaching is? I feel coaching has a lot to do with desire - with identfying needs and desires unfulfilled, and helping achieve them by offering attitude-changing new perspectives. Coaching is the art of helping people to develop their abilities to recognize and reach their goals. It seems paradoxical at times, but it is playing and stretching your boundaries and having fun, in service of doing the work that needs to be done to get you out of your own way and moving toward a challenging, vigorous life - on your terms, serving your values, and fulfilling your soul.