Got lots of money but little purpose? Feeling sort of empty inside? Well, I’ve got just the thing for you: a “mindful adventure”. (Did that phrase make you want to throw up a bit? Yes, me too. But please let us mindfully adventure together to the next sentence.) According to Condé Nast Traveller, extreme life coaching is the latest luxury travel trend. Anxious one-percenters are apparently paying small fortunes to get dropped in the middle of the wilderness with a team of life coaches. The idea is that you take a bored rich person and get them to battle the outer elements while going on an intense inner journey.
Wellness in the wilderness is all well and good, but you know what kind of trailblazing journey I would recommend to these people? A journey to their accountant to explain that they would like to pay their fair share of taxes. I’m not sure there is any better sign that you have more money than is good for you than forking out $265,000 to go camping with a life coach. Indeed, I would spend money to avoid a scenario like that.
But perhaps I am in a minority. We live in a golden age of woo - and life coaches seem to have become all the rage. A few years ago every other woman you met seemed to be a yoga instructor; now she is a yoga instructor and a life coach. Sometimes she is also a wellness coach or a fitness coach or a career coach or a beauty coach or a sexuality coach or a money coach. Personal coaching is a multi-billion-dollar market and one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. And while life coaches are loved by billionaires and celebrities, they are not just for the very rich; they come at a variety of price points and cater to various demographics.
One reason there are so many coaches is that there is little regulation. You do not need a licence to practise and you can purchase one of many dubious coaching certifications from the comfort of your couch with just a couple of clicks. But there is also demand driving that supply. Which is not surprising when you consider that we millennials are constantly being fed the idea that we should follow our passions, live our best life, and love what we do. There is a constant pressure now not just to be successful but to be fulfilled. YOLO!
So can life coaches help you live your best life? The short answer is: maybe. I know people who swear by life coaches. But while there are good coaches out there, there are also plenty of charlatans. I have a friend, for example, who spent $200 (£160) an hour with a life coach, who told her that, if she is feeling sad, she should nap and eat ice-cream. Ultimately, I think it is probably worth remembering that if you can afford to hire a life coach – even one who just tells you to eat ice-cream – you are probably living a better life than most. Just take a moment to be grateful for that.
