The notion of a personal coach has become very trendy these days. You can go to a gym and hire a personal trainer to put together an exercise routine, develop a diet plan and guide you through your routine. You can hire a coach to teach you how to sing, dance or act. You can hire an aviation instructor to teach you how to fly. Whatever the discipline, there is undoubtedly someone who can and will train you in it. Do you want a coach? Do you need one?
Why do people choose a coach? Let me suggest some reasons. First, if we are beginners choosing a new activity, it may be because we are keenly aware of our lack of knowledge and want to confer with someone who knows more than we do. Second, we recognize that the activity is important to us in some fundamental way and we want to attain a certain proficiency. Third, we may take up the activity on our own, become disappointed with our early results and seek out someone who can shorten our learning curve. Whatever the reasons, it is important to clarify for ourselves why we are considering a coach and what we hope to gain from the relationship.