Part II: An Interview With Book Writer/Communicator Jill Farmer

Yesterday, Jill Farmer talked about her new book "There's Not Enough Time," ...and other lies we tell ourselves. Today, she goes into what it means to be a Life Coach.

Patch.com: How does one become a life coach?

Jill Farmer: There are a lot of ways. From masters degree programs in psychology all the way down to hanging your shingle out and calling yourself a life coach.

I chose what many would consider a pretty rigorous program for certification through Martha Beck, Ph.D’s courses at Harvard. She is considered by many as the preeminent life coach in America.

She has what I consider an outstanding training program and I liked it so much I became certified as a Lifetime Master Coach.

Patch: How far do your clients range?

I have clients in St. Louis and all over the country. Most of my work is done over the phone. A lot of my work is with groups. I do seminars and workshops and a lot of key note speaking to organizations. 

Patch: This career has taken you way beyond the world of television.

JF: It has. I always say television was great. Buy television felt a lot like college. They were some of the best years of my life, but I feel like I graduated into a new area. Having said that, I use a lot of my skills to integrate into my business. I use a lot of video for my clients. The writing skills were wildly helpful as my life unfolded. It was time to move into a different realm and this was what I was meant to be doing.

Some times being an entrepreneur is not the most secure way to go financially but it has its own form of challenges and what helps me to go.

Patch: Isn’t working in TV a dream job for many?

JF: It was and I was able to walk away from that. A lot of people thought I was nuts for doing that. The reason I left TV turned out to be somewhat of a false premises.

If I could just change the circumstances of my life, I would get this jackpot/windfall amount of free time. Having said that, the decision helped me to make that journey back to myself. I think it turned out in my life’s journey to be the most authentic gift I could get and what my life was meant to be.

Patch: Is it OK to drop everything and go bike ride for four hours?

JF: Most definitely. What we now know from a brain science perspective is that when our brains are over fried they are inefficient. So anything that allows you to reboot or reset your internal computer allows you to have more focus, be a better resource gatherer, have a better feeling of accomplishments and be a better problem solver. We have to make time for regular breaks and have some fun too.

Patch: Now that you’ve written this book, is your life more efficient, productive and meaningful?

JF: Yes, no question about it.  My life is far from perfection, but I am far more content and focused. Now, every single day brings me a new challenge and new joy. I am enjoying more powerful, rich, enjoyable experiences. Sometimes, I just need to shut off all that noise, then get back to the place I need to be.

My dream is to have hundreds of thousands of people who feel like they have enough time, and not always have a need for more.

Patch: Did I miss anything?  

Please do check out my website.

Patch: Where can someone get a copy of the book?

JF: Books are available locally at Barnes & Noble; Amazon.com; Ladue Pharmacy and Main Street Books in St. Charles. Ask your neighborhood book seller because they can get them on request.