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by Jeanie Tavitas-Williams/EXPRESS-NEWS STAFF WRITER Claudia Zapata: A coach can boost you in life's game Web Posted: 10/04/2004 12:00 AM CDT Ever feel as if life is passing you by, that you're standing still and not doing the things you've always wanted to do? Learn a new language, get in shape, try gourmet cooking, travel to a foreign country. You'd really like to do these and other things, but who has the time? With a little coaching, maybe you. "Why put things off? Why not create the life that you want right now?" asks San Antonio-based professional life coach Kimberly Smith-Martinez. "This is your life; live it with purpose," she says enthusiastically, and suddenly I'm nodding, thinking of my own "want-to-do" list. Smith-Martinez, a licensed psychologist, says she began coaching as a way to balance her own life. Professional life coaching, a relatively new field, is akin to being a plumber who fixes messy leaks, she says. "Think about what drains you on a day-to-day basis. A life coach helps plug up the drains." It's not therapy, she clarifies. "It's not about the past and recovering from trauma." While psychological referrals are there if needed, life coaching is for "basically healthy individuals who are stuck." And "everyone feels stuck at some point," she says. She describes a real disparity between our values and the way we're living our lives. "And we're much more satisfied if we're living our values." Setting priorities is inevitably part of the process. "Learning how to say 'no' to things is the first step in taking care of yourself. Saying 'yes' to what you want to be saying 'yes' to avoids anger and resentment," Smith-Martinez says. Change is not easy, she admits, but "what's most striking is it really only takes minor shifts." Adria Martinez, Smith-Martinez's 28-year-old stepdaughter, had dreamed of living in Paris since she was a young girl. Encouraged by her stepmother, she began working with a life coach, and five months later applied to an immersion program at the Sorbonne. She starts this week. Smith-Martinez offers a free initial consultation. You can even lie on a couch — just not in her office. One of the unique aspects of life coaching is it takes place entirely over the phone and via e-mail. Lynn DiMuro, a client from New Jersey, finds the method both convenient and comforting. Although coach and client have never met, DiMuro says she felt an instant connection. "She's so positive, supportive and encouraging — really caring." A self-described compulsive eater, DiMuro's goals are to develop healthy eating and exercise habits. She says her coach encourages her to note her successes, and she does. "I hate exercise, and I've joined Curves and started walking. I started taking vitamins. And I've committed to finishing my graduate degree in May." Just the things she's always wanted to do. As originally published, this article contained an error. To find a local life coach, contact the San Antonio Professional Coaches Association at (210) 832-9076 or www.sapca.org. To contact Kimberly Smith-Martinez, call (210) 736-2021 or visit www.drkimlifecoach.com. Claudia Zapata's column appears Mondays in S.A. Life and Thursdays in Conexión. claudiazapata@satx.rr.com |
