Those following me on Instagram (IG)* will know that once a week I post a quotation that holds some meaning for me. No explanation, no context, just simple words along with an acknowledgement to whomever originally spoke the words. I enjoy sharing these quotations, because each one has impacted me in some way and at some point. It’s a personal …
For this post, I unashamedly share someone else’s words. Mavis Karn worked with young offenders in the United States and on leaving her job wanted to give those she worked with a gift. She recalls not wanting to give socks or some other trivia, so instead she wrote this letter and gave each individual a copy. The secret that Mavis …
Dear Reader… Don’t be put off by the opening paragraph if you hate exercising and feel uncomfortable being physically active! This blog is to you, with love and understanding from me… Being physically active has always been an important part of my life. Climbing trees, learning to swim and riding my bike through puddles, are all fond childhood memories. It …
YouTube is fast becoming my first choice of viewing, ahead of television. And in particular, I enjoy the TED talks (Talks in Education), which first aired in 1984 under the slogan of ‘ideas worth spreading’. One of my all-time favourite TED talks is ‘Are schools killing creativity?’ by Ken Robinson. I’m not alone – this particular TED talk, from 2007, …
One of the aspects I enjoy most about my work as a coach, is creating projects which allow me to serve my community. Dare to Dream is such a project. I describe Dare to Dream as a place to dream, to explore and to discover. It’s an opportunity to speak your ideas into the world; to receive feedback and encouragement; …
Coaching modalities are often based around goal-setting. Those goals are usually tangible targets such as a new car or a dream holiday. Or they might be about getting a promotion, or earning more money. How about losing weight or building a toned physique? My coaching philosophy isn’t about tangible targets, although that’s usually the starting point for the client. Let …
Out of all the wonderful, talented individuals I have had the privilege to serve, a particular group stands out. I have coached a significant number of teachers who have either recently left the profession, or who are in the midst of asking themselves whether or not they should stay or go. Recognising that this appears to be a dilemma affecting …
Having made a public declaration that I was going to take action (see Breaking the cycle – Part 1) I left matters to simmer gently – not from a place of lethargy, but more from the day to day end of year clutter. Christmas 2018 came and went. In the New Year I began browsing the iheart website, live-streamed to …
Five years ago, I attended a small conference for primary school teachers, which had children’s well-being as its theme. A number of school colleagues shared interventions, that had been put in place in their schools, in an attempt to address the rise in mental ill-health amongst children. We heard that children, some as young as seven, were exhibiting signs of …
Someone asked me the other day what sort of coach I was. I think they were expecting me to say I had a particular specialism – careers or relationships perhaps. However, I don’t consider myself as having a niche as such, so the question got me thinking. How should I describe what I do? Well, to start with, I work …
