I Can't Live Without My Life Coach
Posted by anastasia on 01-09-2006The New York Times, reg. required, ran a piece about a new survey in Jane magazine that basically said women in their 20s are hiring life coaches. Even though I'm in my 30s, I just hired a coach to help motivate me to finish my book on time. Basically someone to impose and enforce incremental deadlines as I attempt to juggle maintaining this blog and my full time job. This isn't the first "coach" I've worked with. I've had personal trainers, psychotherapists and even a financial "counselor" to help me work through my emotional issues around money.
I blame a lot of this on Oprah and reality TV — I mean she sort of pioneered the model by having a personal chef, fitness trainer, money guru, space organizer guru and whatever Dr. Phil was. Then you have all of the reality shows where personal trainers help obese people lose hundreds of pounds ("Biggest Loser") and become their good "friends," you have home makeover experts who turn your crappy house into your dream home, gay guys who dress your hopelessly fashion challenged boyfriend… It's like we've become a culture of people who can't seem to do anything ourselves by sheer willpower and in the process created a whole industry of people who will help you get it done. Not that there's anything wrong with that…
January 9th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
Reminds me of South Park's "Jared Has Aides" episode.
(Is it sad that I've commented twice in a week about South Park on your blog…?)