If you are reading this and other articles about being ready for coaching, chances are, you’re ready for a coach. The type of coaching you need may differ based on the stages of your life, career, and circumstances, but if you are thinking about coaching as a means to results, you are more than likely ready to experience it.

When you enter into a coaching relationship, you are putting yourself in a position to grow, shift and change. To do this, a few things must be true

1. You authentically want to grow, shift or change. It’s not just a nice-sounding idea that you had, or something you do because others are doing it. You have a clear, desired outcome for your coaching relationship.

2. You are willing to enter into conversations with an open mind. Coaching explores options, consequences, and new approaches to things. If you are open to it, you can discover amazing things.

3. You can be upfront, honest and vulnerable. Holding back in your coaching will only limit your results. Also, a good coach should be able to tell when you are holding back and will push you to say what is not being said. You and your coach are a team. If you find the right coach, you can be assured that they will hold your confidence in the highest regard and without judgment.

4. You are willing to do the work. This is important because the value of your coaching is driven by how much you are willing to put into it.

5. You are ready to be held accountable for your words and actions. Coaches make great accountability partners. They can also help you understand why you are not getting to things that you have committed to.

Working with a coach who is well-matched, aligned with your vision, and happy to push you a little more than you are generally comfortable with can yield great results. Come coaching journeys can last years, while others only a few months. If you think you are ready to take the first step towards coaching and can say yes to the points above, you are ready.