LifeCoach
LISA VALLIN LUNDIN, SWEDEN
LOVING MY WORK – MORE A LIFE STYLE
Introduction
Love for other things than human beings are often related to hobbies which we do without thoughts of financial compensation. In regard to the work area one common definition of loving our work is that we could do siuch a weork without being paid. But what about having a work which we love and also get paid for.
Here is such an example.
CLC – THE NEW -CERTIFIED LIFE COACH
THE COACHING PROFESSION OF THE FUTURE
Background to the topic
Scandinavian International University together with the International Coaching organization ICC has started a new type of LifeCoach education “The New ICC Certified Life Coach”. It is based on the ICC Coaching education but is open for all coaches. CLC is adding the Long Life developmental model (continuous improvement) to the traditional 5 session problem based coaching. CLC has also changed the philosophy of the ”ordinary” Life Coach by adding the models and methods of Mind Training (Mental training, Mindfulness, etc) to the Coaching tools.
Lisa belonged to the first group and in this article she will describe her experiences so far and why she is so in love with her work.
Presentation of Lisa
Lisa is educated by Skandinaviska Ledarhögskolan, Scandinavian International University and Svenska Näringsakademien. She is an ICC Coach, an ICC Team Coach, an ICC Life Coach, an ICC Executive Coach, a Recovery Coach, a Hypnosis Coach and a Dietitian and Health Coach. Also, a Licensed Mental Trainer and an NLP Trainer. She is also a former theatre producer and TV actor especially known for her humorous roles and has also during some years worked as a standup comedian. She is now developing a course in “Humor and Health” together with Lars-Eric Uneståhl and Dan Hasson.
Introduction
Working as the new Life coach is one of the most evolving, challenging and rewarding professions I can imagine. Working with motivated people who want to experience and enjoy a good life through goalsetting and programming the future, creating Life motivation and Life joy beside solving eventual problems on the way. As new Life Coaches we work with the whole system and with all areas of life. Coaching in all areas and often more than one person in the system in life is really is a leverage and give extra ordinary results.
Love is regarded as the most important emotion of all and the love of working as a Life coach is really a road to happiness, not just for me, but for all those clients who’s getting a life of more fulfillment and wellbeing. The feeling after having seen how CLC can change the whole life not only temporarily but with sustainable effects during the whole life make me very humble and very grateful for the opportunity to have such a job. It brings inner glow and meaning to every day.
” Ordinary” coaching
Let me say that I also enjoyed my former profession as an ”ordinary” coach. With the help of my coaching questions my clients found insights, realized their goals (often short terms) and could identify the resources needed to reach the goals and solve the problems.
As an ordinary coach, I worked with problem focused clients who´s actions were based on the clinical model and where the main goal for the client was to find solutions for their problems. My contacts with the clients were short-term (often 3-5 sessions), after which I did not see them, if they not eventually came back with a new problem.
Working as a coach in a coach process about 3-5 times is similar to a dance. A client want to change something and you as a coach invite the client to the dance of change. Its like a mental waltz, foxtrot or line dance. What dance depends on the rhythm of the client and results the clients want to have. And step by step are the clients ready to really use their own skills, insights and can dance on in life.
Something was missing, looking for alternative
Even if I enjoyed this way of working there was something missing – the long term relation. I also looked for an alternative to the clinical model, which has been dominating in medicine, psychology, therapy as well as in coaching.
I looked for an alternative to the “fix the problems” attitude after which the client often continued to live in the same way as before with new problems to appear after a while. I was looking for a more meaningful way to help clients way to live sincere and create the life of their dreams and the health and relations they wanted. I found that through my job as a CLC. It was like a fulfilment of the known book ”From Good to Great”.
From Good to Great
I love to dance and taking the dance with a client as a metaphor we can replace a single dance together (as an ordinary coach) with a whole dancing night with place for all the different dance styles, even the mental tango, samba, classic ballet and hip-hop are now on the agenda. And you may dance with other people from the system as well, colleagues, partners, children, parents, sisters, etc. That’s the dancing when you are a CLC as the process and the system is extremely important in life coaching. Change happens in several areas and on several levels in the system and simultaneously by working with the CLC Excellence model – from Good (Acceptance of the Present) to Great.
Based on the background in Mental Training and Mind developing techniques a CLC can combine the ”ordinary coaching techniques” with mentoring and guidance. The actual training programs are made by the client her/himself but the coach can offer a very important and long-term feedback and support.
.As a CLC I feel a little like the old house- and family- doctor, who could follow a person, company or a family through Life and often became an irreplaceable mentor/friend in life besides the professional part.
Another interest area of mine is humor and it has been easier to use ”developmental humor” in my work as a CLC compared with the ordinary more problem related coaching because we can follow up after a long time and see the value of developing humor as a skill in life.
As an CLC I seldom has to look for more clients, as my contract with the clients extends over years and sometimes throughout life. I have also clients with contracts, who can contact me whenever they need and are prepared to pay good money for that security.
In addition, getting the advantage to be with the client throughout life and together work long-term with development towards excellence creates motivation and meaningfulness also for me as a CLC. To be able to live the vision every day through the daily mission creates Flow, Motivation and Meaningfulness.
I love my work and I love the development it brings to me and my clients every day. I´m living my dream. Living my vision and mission. I´m living in my Paradise every day! And it’s a blessing to be able to coach clients to their own kinds of paradises in Life!
In summarizing, these were some of the things that has given me a new and still more rewarding coaching profession and I am quite sure that this profession will spread like wildfire throughout the world.
Lots of love to you!
Lisa Vallin Lundin