We live in a fast paced and complex world with much uncertainty. Technology, politics, environmental and social issues provide a backdrop to daily life that can feel extremely stressful. How can you look after yourself in a way that enables you to enjoy your life and feel able to make a positive contribution to the future prospects of your family, neighbourhood, country, and beyond?
Read MoreWe have different seasons in life – what was best at one time can’t remain the same always. If you’re aware that you can’t or don’t want to do what you’ve been doing for another 10 – 20 years, this story of transitioning from corporate life to a path of purpose and passion is an inspiring and interesting read.
Read MoreSo, you’re feeling frustrated with where you’re at or ambitious for new / different / better. You know life and work can be more satisfying and you have more potential than you’re using. You may be conscious of years passing and it’s dawning on you that “someday” is in danger of passing you by. It’s time for a new chapter.
Read MoreI have recently been in a period of major transition, moving to a new house and location. This new chapter was prompted as they sometimes are, by an unwelcome life event, the unexpected end of my relationship. Although that happened 18 months ago, it took me a year to be ready to start visioning a different future and start creating my new chapter. My confidence had been knocked, and for a good while I didn’t know what I wanted.
Read MoreWhat big (or small) dream have you got inside? To give it a chance to become your inspiring future you’ve got to get it out, dust it down and show it to the light of day. A couple of years ago, Jazz musicians Rachel and Paulus did just that. They shared their big dream with me: to open a Jazz club in Nottingham! Read on for the rest of their story…
Read MoreIt’s the time of year when even though we should be slowing down and snuggling up (think hibernation) Christmas brings added demands and expectations on us and our time. On top of everyday pressure to be successful that we normally live, a lot of people are in the overload zone.
Read MoreFeel your feelings, they’re the way markers to a New Chapter that thrills you. This theme is coming up a lot this week, so I’m trusting that it’s important to share. It’s appeared in the content I’m consuming, with my clients and it started in my own experience.
Read MoreOften, you reach a point in your career where you begin to feel confused or stuck. You know that you want to make changes but it’s difficult seeing the way ahead. Sometimes, the difficulty is not seeing any other options or possibilities. Sometimes the difficulty is seeing too many, so many that you don’t know which way to turn.
Read MoreBeing propelled by expectations often delivers results - indeed, we can achieve great things when we are fuelled by expectation and driven to deliver a particular outcome. However, there can come a point when the results we create in this way begin to feel a bit hollow.
Read MoreExpectations often get in the way of us doing what we want to be doing and living the lives that are most delightful to us. But we can do something about expectations – invariably they are thoughts and beliefs rather than actual cast in stone conditions.
Read MoreIn my time coaching professionals, I’ve identified several factors that commonly keep people stuck in work roles, and even careers, that no longer suit them. Although for the individual this trap feels real and limiting, there are always options, but it can be difficult for them to see the possibilities themselves.
Read MoreFor many hard-working, caring professionals, mid-life (40’s – 50’s) is a common time for questioning the status quo. Energy levels change and domestic, and work situations do too.
The prospect of one or two decades more in the same work environment or having the same day-to-day experience, may not seem desirable or even practical.
Read MoreI was hugely touched last week when one of my wonderful clients, Sadaf, shared the following story with me. It’s a poignant reminder of how multi-layered the coaching process really is – from the big life changes that are more easily noticeable, to the subtle shifts that we may not fully understand until life happens and we’re tested.
Read MoreOver a year into my own coaching practise, one word is coming to me over again and that is intuition. I’m beginning to see that helping my clients reconnect with their intuition is the vital ingredient.
Read MoreFEAR. It’s almost the only thing that I help my clients with. Of course, I help them get clear about their values, what makes them tick. I help them create an inspiring vision for their career and life stage. I help them widen horizons, explore possibilities, test options and develop action plans that deliver the results they dreamed of. BUT, what I really do is enable them to bust through their own fears. Once they’ve done that, the other stuff is easy.
Read MoreIn this video, I'm talking about time - because, in my experience, it really relates to the satisfaction and dissatisfaction that we feel in our work, life and career. It's really important to me that I feel I'm doing something satisfying and enjoyable with my life. In the video, I share some of my personal experiences around this and share some questions to get you thinking about what it means for you.
Read MoreWhat I now know in practise in a way I used to know only in theory, is that work life balance is a choice. It doesn’t feel like a choice when you face a to-do list as long as your arm and are perhaps in overdrive. When your calendar is booked up for weeks ahead and you are the lynch pin to the many responsibilities you have on your plate right now. However, it is a choice and you have the power to slow down and create more time for you and the things you are currently missing out on, the moment you choose to.
Read MoreIn the first stage of my career I started and grew a creative business. I ran it for fifteen years. For most of those years I was passionate about and committed to my work and business. I enjoyed the many challenges, got a buzz out of pushing beyond my limits on a regular basis. I thrived on developing specialist knowledge and expertise. I felt empowered by the responsibility and the status this work afforded me.
Read MoreA lot of my clients arrive at my door feeling tired, jaded, over-burdened or worse. They are suffering burnout. It’s understandable. They are passionate, capable people who have been working hard for decades, delivering value for their employers, colleagues, businesses and clients, and doing their very best for their families, friends and the communities they are part of.
Read MoreOverdrive is a habit of relentlessly pushing oneself towards goal posts that move further away, usually across most aspects of life. There’s always a new achievement to reach for. Good enough isn’t a thing for someone stuck in overdrive. It has got to be the best. Rarely, if ever, do over-drivers own their successes and achievements. They’re usually too busy focusing on what’s still to do, what’s next, and on the aspects where their performance fell short.
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© Sarah McNicol 2024
