Systems for Success

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.

What would make it easier to do the right thing?

What would make it easier to do the right thing?

I love these new signs on the gates in Bushy Park!

I’ve spent years trying to open them the wrong way, or from the wrong side - and now I can get it right.

For my husband they are irrelevant (just look at the hinges!), but for me they are a game changer.

It’s a small prompt that makes it easier for me to do the right thing - and it’s nice to know it wasn’t just me who could use the information :-)

What can you celebrate with a "Well done" list?

What can you celebrate with a "Well done" list?

This post sparked to life in conversation with a brilliant coaching client. There were so many big changes to celebrate when we looked back!

And just as importantly, smaller ones too, which they had decided to capture in a weekly “Well done” list.

I loved this idea SO much!

I know how much it helps to look back - if we don’t pause for perspective, it’s easy to miss our progress - and this sounded like a fun way to do it.

Would you like to express yourself more clearly?

How do you feel about owning your “I”?

Sharing your perspective, your preferences, your priorities?

Communicating what you need in the moment - or what you’re looking for in the longer term?

Or are you hoping that your expressions, actions or work will speak for you, and the other person will figure it out for themselves?

The gift of supervised play

The gift of supervised play

Last week I spent a joyful afternoon making a Christmas wreath in the kitchen of the brilliant Annie Jenkins.

It was both wonderfully organised and completely free - the best kind of supervised creative play. The time flew past, and we all left with a completely different wreath - no two the same size, shape, or mix of colours, each brilliantly festive.

What a gift.

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…

The power of a support system

The power of a support system

The first half of May has mainly been about the Lake District, first on a family trip, and most recently at the Fred Whitton Challenge in Grasmere.

It’s an event that my husband has done solo for the last few years, first as a rider and most recently as an artist, but this time I went with him.

What a gift.

Time in a gorgeous location, a fun shared experience, a super friendly event with incredible community spirit, the loveliest people - plus, witnessing the true power of a support system.