Every person differs in attitude, belief and vision for her life. Most of them may have clear and definite goals set for their growth. However, many struggle to design and accomplish their goal due to a lack of clarity in identifying the obstacles holding them back. These obstacles could be either personal or societal. However, understanding and managing our own emotions and others' emotions play a vital role in making a strong foothold both in our personal and professional lives. The world is blessed with skillful life coaches who can contribute life changing moments in people’s life. Dr. Anju Chawla is a life coach with her niche crafted in studies of Emotional Intelligence who wants to make a difference in people's lives. She wanted to do more than an HR executive’s role. Anju has traveled the journey of a lecturer with multiple institutes in Delhi, giving training and conducting FDPs and MDPs. She did not stop there. Her quest for the results was insatiable and therefore used to get involved with people to figure out what is their biggest botheration in moving ahead, leaving behind baggage from past or worrying about future.

Anju is of the opinion that everything boils down to emotions and how intelligently people recognize and regulate their emotions.

Anju has authored a book titled “The Emotionally Intelligent Coach”. Soon after completing her PGDM, she embarked the corporate journey with the BPO division as a recruitment officer cum employee grievance officer. In a brief conversation with her, Anju Chawla talks about her career journey as a life coach and how she navigated through hurdles along the way.

“I am blessed to get opportunity to connect with a lot of resourceful people who have trust in my credentials and value my work”

While establishing your own space in the life coaching domain, how has been the journey so far? What have you learned?

After acquiring a post-graduation diploma in Management studies, I started my career as an HR professional. During my initial days in the HR domain, I realized that I could use my skills and ability to work for people in a way other than stereotypical. Talking as a life coach, I believe that life has a lot to teach. With whatever little that I have learned, I don’t try to impose it on to my clients. I always reach out to my clients with an open heart, without any prejudice or judgments. I listen to them with complete coaching presence, and that is how our rapport builds.

As a coach, I would say one must find a niche as per their skill and will. It has to be scalable and profitable too. Most importantly, one should have the learner’s attitude towards the same. There are many other branches which could benefit our career building. NLP has given me a peripheral benefit, while Design Thinking helped me with a lateral benefit. While I combine them, I am in a strategic position to ask questions and interpret them. Being an assessor in emotional intelligence, it has given me a lot of comfort.

A self-made person, especially a solopreneur, cannot escape the hurdles along their way to success. Tell us about the challenges you have met and how you turned them into a benefit.

Hurdles have their way of teaching. Life coaching is still in its infancy in India. Being a solopreneur, I do not have an organizational address to back me. And being a gigster since 13 years has taught me the value of authenticity, commitment punctuality (Principle of ACP). My name is my brand and hence finding my ways to build recognition has been unconventional. I am blessed to get opportunity to connect with a lot of resourceful people who have trust in my credentials and value my work.

How do you perceive the present scenario of the life coaching industry? What do you think?

During the initial days as a life coach, people used to care less about my guidance due to my short height and young age. But, I was firm with my professional etiquette.

All the bodies and institutes where I got my training pieces have also been the right vendors. I leverage my abilities in listening, questioning, and coaching presence, along with my knowledge of emotional intelligence and NLP. It further helped me in getting the best outcomes for the client.

Is essential for coaches in this period?

In light of the pandemic era, the life coaching industry is expected to become more in demand. However, the coaches should not fall prey to compassion fatigue. Instead, they should have the right balance of empathy since they pass through the same situation and environment as everyone. I find serenity in the number of hours I have completed in coaching people. For me, satisfaction is the outcome that has been reflected through coaching sessions. Life coaching is here to grow leaps and bounds, and to have balance of empathy is essential for coaches in this time.

Dr. Anju chawla

As an internationally certified Emotional Intelligence coach, Anju Chawla has her focus laid on emotional empowerment of Gen Y and Z so to positively impact their performance, productivity, and personality. Her mission is to spread emotional literacy. She has trained and coached doctors, CAs, engineers and corporates.

Recognitions:

• Associate Certified Coach – International Coaching Federation

• TEIQ & PPA Certified Assessor – Thomas Assessment (India & SAARC Region)

• NLP Coach – ABNLP

• Licensed Master Trainer EI- International Association of Professional Coaches, counselors & therapists (IAPCCT)