Now Thats What I Call Coaching 1 - Space to Think

Sleeve Notes

When did you last give yourself an hour or two to stop and think?                       

Reflective time is as important as active time, perhaps more so as it can help

you to shape truly effective outcomes.

Side 1 - Benefits

• Pause the world when you need time for yourself.

• Declutter your thoughts.
  

• Reflect on successes and move forward with them.
  

• Opportunity to learn more about yourself and others.
  

• Improves personal & professional performance.
  

• Your thinking and ultimately actions will have more depth, breadth & quality.
  

• Reduces anxiety & stress, especially when sharing your thinking with others.
  

• Consideration of different perspectives.

Side 2 - Tips

• Block out dedicated time and make thinking time intentional & purposeful.
  

• Find a ‘thinking partner’ to share your thoughts with.
  

• Walk and talk it out, if you can.
  

• Take one subject and talk it through. Come away with one thing you are going to do differently.
  

• Talk to a Coach - Part of the Coach role is to facilitate a reflective listening environment, so you can talk through your thoughts at a pace that works for you.
  

• Where possible, leave space for thinking between busy times.
  

• Start with an hour a week and build up as required.
  

• Invite others to do the same. It helps to feel connected and offers solidarity.
  

• Remove distractions.
  

• Anticipate interruptions. Let others know when you'll speak to them, ahead of time.
  

• Do thinking time when you are at your best...Mine is in the morning.

Side 3 - Hits

• I’m going to put ‘busy’ in my calendar - If people want to know what I’m doing, I will happily tell them and why. The most important thing though is to have an hour for myself to regroup and re-energise my thinking.
  

• I will see thinking time as what it is. Time to be creative, productive progressive & energising.
  

• It will help me to ask/challenge myself…Why? Why I am doing this? Why is this the best way? Why will this be motivating/helpful/add value for me and others?
  

• I will manage my time better if I stop to manage myself and my thoughts first.

Side 4 - One Hit Wonders

"OK, I’ve got some time this week, I’ll put an hour in."

Challenge

Why not make it a daily or weekly thing, whether that be alone or with others.

Isn’t it important to know you have given due consideration to things as much as it is important for you to take time for yourself?

"I’m too busy to stop and think."

Challenge

So you’re happy to keep going until you burn out then?

How can you reframe thinking time as being productive?

"People will think I’m not doing anything."

Challenge

How do you know this to be true?

How can your thinking time help you to do things that support productivity & performance?

The Download

Space to think is not an indulgence, it’s absolutely necessary. If we keep jumping from one thing to another, we’ll run out of oxygen very quickly and what good is that to our health, wellbeing and the people and things that are important to us.