How easy we forget all that we have done!

It’s so easy to forget what you’ve achieved. So much can happen in a week, that you can simply forget about it unless you take the time to reflect! It’s strange how this works and as a coach I am often supporting those I work with to reflect, remember and celebrate their hard work - or even if they feel they have not worked hard, celebrate them showing up!

So here I am on a Sunday evening, thinking hey Rob, not much has happened this week, perhaps I won’t share a post, but before I do that, I’ll just check out my diary. And at that moment it all comes flooding back and I realise what a whirlwind of a week I’ve had - and perhaps that’s the reason I think not much has happened, as it’s gone rushing by!

The week started with an adventure in the world of Virtual Reality platforms for coaching. I am part of a coaching team that is exploring how technology may impact coaching and how we might use VR to play its part. I am super excited about this project and even hoping to teach new coaches about the use of tech, as part of a University module next year as a guest lecturer.?

This was followed by a beautifully open and honest conversation about diversity with the ACTO Europe Board. We shared our own challenges and experiences, asked questions, shared our unknowing, and grew as a group through our discussion. This reminds me of the importance of open dialogue, of honesty, of striving to understand others and in turn understand the self more deeply.

Later in the week, I was able to join the presenters, facilitators, technicians, and coaches of Ivy House as they presented the Life Leaders programme, something I will be working on later this month. It is amazing, no... inspiring, watching an incredibly well-oiled machine in action. The way they seamlessly hand over to each other, supporting the participants as well as the team while staying so full of positive energy. And once it’s over you are left buzzing with an excitement for life. Love it!

Then of course there was the recording of the first episode of my Fan the Flames podcast. Full of excitement, energy, mistakes, and technical issues - all part and parcel of working online from home. And while it is a bit rough around the edges, I feel there is a certain charm to that, or perhaps a realness, an honesty of two people having a conversation without any glitz and glamour!

Let’s not forget my big news of partnering with Johan van Bavel’s coach training company ‘intension’ to deliver their ATCP coach training in the UK next year. I am beyond excited to get back in the training room once more. Over the years, although I have loved leading a team, I have missed coach training and now I have the opportunity to step back in the room, delivering in-person coach training. Whoop whoop.

Finally, my week closed with a series of one-to-one conversations with coaches, practitioners, and trainers. Having control over my time enables me to spend time just in conversation without an outcome in mind, just the space to talk about our work. It has to be said that this is more than conversation, it’s a topping up, an energising activity. A space to inspire and be inspired. I would highly recommend finding or creating time to have those kinds of conversations that lift you up and leave you buzzing full of ideas, thoughts, and plans.

Wow, so that was a week and a half, and there I was thinking that not much had happened. I wonder how often we do this, and how important it is to take the time to take stock, reflect and celebrate our efforts.