Small Steps

Are you stuck in a Zip-Boing loop?

Are you stuck in a Zip-Boing loop?

One of my most memorable coach training days was focused on Improv skills, and during it we played a number of games to stretch us in all kinds of ways.

One in particular really stayed with me. We stood in a circle and moved imaginary energy around and between us - accepting it and passing it on (Zip) or rejecting it and sending it back (Boing).

It took me back to a few university drinking games (with fewer after effects!).

At one point the energy got stuck in a Zip-Boing loop - bouncing back and forth, trying to move and then being blocked, over and over again.

The only way for it to get moving again was for someone to make a change, release the energy and break the pattern.

And, of course, it’s the same in real life.

Do you need a study buddy?

Do you need a study buddy?

I’ve had this book on a shelf for many years - one of those that I felt I should read, and wanted to read, but couldn’t seem to get around taking it off the shelf and starting.

And then, a month or so ago, the Time To Think approach came up in conversation with a friend. She was a huge fan, and hearing her perspective really inspired me.

Even better, she offered to be my study buddy.

Are you at the start of a big change?

Are you at the start of a big change?

Sometimes, the way we think about ourself or our life can change in an instant. A remark, a conversation, an idea, can throw things up in the air and rearrange them in a different way.

We suddenly see with startling clarity - what’s not working, what needs to change, exactly what we want or where we need to be.

It’s absolutely brilliant! Now we know!

It can also be utterly overwhelming.

Are you constantly being interrupted?

Are you constantly being interrupted?

It’s hard to focus when we’re constantly being interrupted.

Notifications, messages, calls, meeting invitations, people popping in for a chat and not realising we’re listening to or working on something.

It’s frustrating - we never get a chance to get into what we need to or want to.

If only there was a way that we could get some quiet focus time…

Oh wait. There are lots of ways!

What helps you keep going?

What helps you keep going?

It’s been over 4 months since I started Couch to 5k and I’ve just completed the final run of Week 4 for the 5th time.

Can you tell it hasn’t gone to plan?

It’s really not been the consistent, steady process I hoped for when running and I started dating again. There have been false starts, frustrating setbacks and ever decreasing motivation.

At the start of the year, I hit a low. What was the point? Was it even worth keeping going when it felt this hard?

The gift (and process) of a labour of love

The gift (and process) of a labour of love

Back in August last year, I shared a photo of an abandoned creative project - a large pile of painstakingly cut fabric strips. The skeleton of a patchwork quilt.

Making one was a long-held dream that felt so exciting in theory, but not in reality.

Luckily for me, my mum offered to take the project on, and a couple of weeks ago she delivered the finished article in person.

It’s absolutely gorgeous.

What changes would make your everyday life a bit better this week?

What changes would make your everyday life a bit better this week?

There are 2 things making my everyday life a bit better this week:

#1, a new fan | Oh how I love it - and Claire Pedrick for the recommendation and the wise words that accompanied it.

With temperatures in the UK hitting over 30 degrees recently, my west facing coaching space and me have been feeling the heat. I really needed to make some changes. This fan is super effective, portable, and the colour puts a smile on my face.

#2, an index box | I often draw something during a coaching session, and have compiled a number of postcards over the years. Useful coaching prompts had turned into a messy pile that was hard to find things in. Now they have a home and the neat organisation makes my heart sing.

The gift of a path to follow

The gift of a path to follow

On Saturday my lovely adventure buddy Penny and I did a beautiful 7 mile walk through various green bits of London, some of which were familiar to us and some not.

We’ve walked a lot together before - mini adventures finding our own way from home to Buckingham Palace, and from Battersea Park to home.

This time we followed someone else route - a section of the Capital Ring - where there was a particular way to go and markers to help us stay on track.

Do you need a filing system?

Do you need a filing system?

I started writing a weekly reflection back in October 2022. As well as sharing them here, I created a blog page on my website where they all live.

The vision to was to create a useful resource, both for me and others. A kind of library - a place to store and structure what I was writing and learning about, for the benefit of me and anyone who wanted to access it.

Except I never put a filing system in, so it became less of a library and more of a disorganised and increasingly large pile!

If only there was a way of grouping and organising them to make them searchable. Ah, Categories and Tags - the things I’d ignored since the start…