Tag Archive for: coaching

Why I journal every day

Last week, I started a new chapter in my life with Aviva, joining the People Transformation and Talent team in Perth.
As a Leadership Facilitator, I’m part of a small team delivering an exciting new programme called “Lead the Way”, a people solution designed to shape and support leadership for the future.
In my first few days, as I’ve met with new colleagues, both individually and as a group, one theme keeps coming up: curiosity.
It’s something the CEO herself has mentioned constantly as I’ve listened to her messages.
It’s something we all seem to share.
One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked is, “And what do you like to do?”
That’s led me to share something quite personal: my passion for journaling.
Since January 1st, 1978, I’ve kept a daily journal.
That’s over 17,000 + entries and it tends to surprise people, because it’s not exactly a common habit.
But for me, it’s a practice that has grown more valuable with time.
There’s something powerful about taking a moment each day to write down what matters.
It’s a place where I can treasure up the things that I’ve seen and heard.
The more I write, frequently, the more insights come.
Thoughts that might otherwise drift away take shape and stay with me.
And occasionally, it becomes even more useful than I expect.
That reminds me, last week, two friends asked me about a specific date in 1998. They needed a bit of detail from that day; I’d better check my journal for them!
Journaling helps me pay attention.
It’s where I record the things that mean the most in life.
It’s part reflection, part record-keeping and part therapy.
Many have written today about how journaling can benefit your mental health.
And it’s one of the most consistent sources of clarity I’ve known.
The best time to start journaling was yesterday, the next best time is today!
What’s one moment from this week you wouldn’t want to forget?

Lighten the Load

Last Saturday, I climbed Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh for the third time this year – this time, with my good friend Kai.
We’d originally planned to tackle Ben Nevis, but time and fitness made us rethink, so Arthur’s Seat it was.
We travelled over to Edinburgh on the bus, catching up on our latest news.
As we walked along Princes Street and down the Royal Mile, the summit in the distance felt manageable, familiar even.
Kai had brought a heavy bag with him, and I asked, half-joking, “Are you planning to carry that all the way to the top?”
He considered my question, then, sensibly agreed to stash it in the gorse for a couple of hours.
No point in hauling all the extra weight up a hill if you don’t need to.
That small moment stuck with me.

The Life Lesson

When you’re climbing, literally or metaphorically, what are you carrying that you don’t need to?
As leaders, coaches, or just people trying to move forward, we all take on things that slow us down.
Extra responsibilities, assumptions, doubts. Life has taught me that sometimes we need someone beside us to ask the obvious question: Do you really need to carry that right now?
Our route changed early on too.
Recent gorse fires had closed the path I’d taken on previously and rockfalls had made it unsafe.
In the moment, we adapted and took another way up.
It was unfamiliar, but just as scenic, pausing a couple of times when the incline got a bit steeper.
Reaching the top, it was packed with tourists soaking up another glorious blue-sky day!
Coming down was much easier. We picked up Kai’s bag and found a good spot for lunch.
We travelled home on separate buses as Kai had some things to do in Edinburgh, but I found out later, that like me, he’d fallen asleep on the bus within minutes – exhausted!
Sometimes the best coaching happens in walking shoes, halfway up a hill, with the sun on your back and a friend beside you.
The walk reminded me of a few leadership truths:
• Plans change, be ready to adapt and adopt an agile mindset.
• You don’t have to carry everything all the time.
• And sometimes, the best support you can offer is a quiet nudge that says, “You can let that go.”
What load are you carrying that’s no longer serving you?

A new chapter

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Leadership Development Facilitator at Aviva!
Day one (yesterday) was all about collecting my new IT kit, getting set up, and (most importantly!) receiving a very warm virtual welcome from my new colleagues.
I’m really looking forward to collaborating on impactful leadership development programmes over the coming months with them all in Perth.
And yes… the thoughtful wee welcome biscuit that arrived in the post was the perfect finishing touch! It was much appreciated and enjoyed! 🍪⭐
I’ll still be doing a little bit of coaching and leadership work through my own company, plus all the other voluntary work including the FORB Foundation.
Here’s to learning, growing and making a difference together.

From Rolls to Rest

My wife and I enjoyed a mini tour and a wee wander through some of Scotland’s iconic spots yesterday with Carter Hunsaker and Izaak Bevell.

Driving on the left was tricky for our guests so I volunteered to take the stress away for them for the day and allowed them to relax in the back seats.

Our journey passed by Knockhill and onwards through Glendevon, arriving at the world-famous Gleneagles Hotel and Golf Resort.

I thought it would be nice to show them some of the rolling fairways, the luscious greens and the grand hotel.

But for these two dear American friends from our Belgium and Netherlands days, it was all about the wheels and the choppers!

From a gleaming 1960’s Rolls Royce parked proudly out front on the double yellow lines, to rows of shiny sports cars that looked like they’d just rolled off a movie set, and a helicopter preparing for an afternoon flight, they were in their element.

And when they weren’t admiring the motors, they were soaking up the view from the deckchairs like Lords of the Manor!

Somehow – I was able to squeeze in for a photo too!

Their grins were as wide as the 18th fairway!

Onward Travel

On to Crieff, the Sma Glen, the Falls of Braan, the Hermitage and a wee shopping spree in Pitlochry all followed on, to make for a fun day out.

Heading home, these two young, vibrant, and energetic lads – simply couldn’t stand the pace.

After all the excitement of the day, no sooner had we left the car park in Pitlochry, that both of them were fast asleep in the back seat of the car!

After 7 European countries in only a few weeks, the two of them were out cold.

And you know what? I was glad to see it.

Because they had soaked up everything: the landscapes, the luxury cars, the helicopters, the history, and the fresh Scottish air.

They gave the day their all. And their batteries had officially hit zero.

Leadership Lesson

It reminded me of something I often overlook in leadership and coaching: we can’t expect sustained excellence without building in space to recharge.

Too often, we glorify pushing through.

But smart leadership recognises that our energy levels are finite.

Taking time to simple recover isn’t weakness… it’s wisdom.

So next time your team’s running on empty, or even just quieting down after a big win, don’t fill the silence.

Let them rest.

Let taking a pause do its work.

Because that’s where the reflection happens.

And that’s where growth sticks.

Even a Rolls Royce needs downtime between drives.

The Power of Being Heard

Recently, while running a virtual learning session for an organisation, a particularly thorny issue surfaced.
Several participants raised it at once.
Supportive comments began to fill the chat and thumbs-up emojis followed.
It clearly struck a chord with everyone.
I slowed down and paused.
My first instinct was, how can I help fix this?
But in that pause, something clicked for me.
I looked at what was happening, not just the words being used, but the energy in the room (even a virtual one).
I realised we’d created something important: a psychologically safe space.
And in that space, those participants weren’t actually asking for solutions, nor were they looking for me to jump in and fix anything.
They simply wanted to be heard.
And I mean 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 heard.
That moment reminded me of what I’ve learned again and again in coaching: people don’t always need answers.
They often don’t need you to solve their problems, how could you really anyway?
What they need is to feel understood.
To know that someone is genuinely listening, without judgement or a checklist of fixes at hand.
This is empathy in action.
Not the soft, fluffy kind that gets tossed around far too easily, but the grounded, humankind.
In that space we stop trying to solve everything and instead sit with people in their reality.
We listen not to reply, but to understand.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer isn’t a solution.
It’s simply our presence.
What gets in the way of your ability to just listen?

Defining Experiences

Over the weekend, we spent time with a dear friend, Phenix Kline, and her husband, Sam, who we met for the first time.
They were visiting from California.
It has been 11 years since we first met Phenix, when she was a full-time missionary in Dunfermline.
She visited our home regularly back then, always with warmth and a quiet strength.
As we talked and reminisced, Phenix began sharing stories from those visits – small, seemingly ordinary moments to us.
But to her, they weren’t ordinary at all.
They were defining.
She remembered the feelings, the kindness and the impact, those moments had upon her.
The was one story in particular she shared about a pivotal leadership session I had facilitated for her and a number of her colleagues at the time.
I’d walked into the room with a whole bunch of leadership and personal development books and talked about each of them 1 by 1.
That moment, along with a few others had shaped her life in ways we never knew at the time.
It reminded me of something important: We often have no idea which parts of our lives will leave a mark on others.
And that is particularly the case, not only in the facilitation of a leadership or coaching session, but also in our day-to-day friendships and conversations.
We often learn so much in our quiet, everyday interactions.
And yet, they can echo for years.
What small moment have you been part of lately that might matter more than you think?

Shoulder to Shoulder

Life is complex and human beings are complex.
In my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life and from a host of different nations and cultures.
Subsequently, in the various professional and voluntary roles I’ve enjoyed, I am a witness to the happiness and joy life can bring for many, along with the problems and challenges that come along too.
In so many ways, our life can be good, great even – and then in an instant, it can be filled with disappointment, grief, anguish, misery and pain.
There is one thing I know for sure, and that is life will intermittently bring challenges to each and every one of us, arriving when we least expect them, in good times or bad.
We all experience difficult times in our lives, and then we must endure for a while.
Yet, in the trials, there are frequently many opportunities for growth and learning.

Coaching and Leadership

That’s where coaching and leadership come in.
As John Wooden said, “A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life.”
I’ve seen this in action countless times, not just on playing fields, but in workplaces, communities, congregations, and moments of personal crisis.
One of my most vivid memories was sitting quietly by a dear friend’s side in hospital.
I didn’t have the right words, and maybe there weren’t any.
But I listened. I was present.
And in the stillness, they turned to me and said, “Thanks for being here, you give me confidence.”
That moment reminded me that leadership isn’t always about grand gestures, rather, it’s often about showing up, holding space, and helping others believe in their own strength.
Coaching is about helping people find clarity in the fog, and strength they didn’t know they had.
Leadership is about creating an environment where people can thrive, even when the road is rough.
While we can’t always control what happens, we can control how we respond and with the right support, people are capable of amazing resilience.
Life’s challenges are inevitable.
But with guidance, encouragement, and shared purpose, they can become the very stepping stones that carry us to our next best chapter.
Who in your life right now might be waiting for you to simply show up, listen, and help them believe in their own strength?

Doorstep Deals

The doorbell rang.
A stranger stood there offering milk delivery.
I replied “we don’t use milk, rather oat milk” …
Thinking that would be the end of it.
He paused.
Smiled.
Then said, “we deliver that too.”
A minute or two later I signed up.
And now twice a week, a glass bottle of oat milk appears on our doorstep.
No plastic, no fuss, just a thick, creamy bottle of local oat milk that tastes better than anything off the supermarket shelf.
It’s a small, nostalgic thing, that takes me back to my youth and hearing the clinking of bottles in the early morning.
Back to when the milkman was part of everyday streel life, quiet, consistent and reliable.
And now, in 2025, it’s happening again, only this time, it’s oat milk!
And here is the sales leadership lesson.
In the moment I positioned my “no” statement…
He listened, adapted and offered something I actually needed.
Just a person, building trust, one doorstep at a time.
This oat milk delivery isn’t just convenient; it’s a small reminder that progress doesn’t have to mean forgetting the past.
I’m off to put out my empties…
What old idea might you bring back, and do better?

The Oscar Shift

On Saturday, Monic and I headed to Glasgow bright and early for a very special first: our first all-day grandparent babysitting assignment – a full 12 hours!
A whole day with Oscar, something we’d both been looking forward to with excitement (and maybe a touch of nervous anticipation too).
From the moment we stepped through the door, it was full-on Oscar time.
Playing, singing, reading, pushing him in his pram, feeding him (yoghurt was a clear favourite), changing nappies, carrying him around, and watching him explore the world from the speed and freedom of his walker.
He’s not crawling or walking yet, but that didn’t stop him from finding his way into every corner of every room.
Somehow the cat litter tin storage box was his favourite thing to get into!
There must have been something about the lid and the noise it made every time he dropped it on the floor…😁
He was in great spirits all day, smiling constantly, curious about everything.
That said, we really enjoyed the short reprieves during each nap time to catch our breath. 😴
By the time we returned home, we were surprised at just how tired we felt – exhausted!
I was deadbeat.

Life Lessons

After reflecting, we realised it wasn’t simply the physical busyness, rather, it was the constant alertness.
We were on guard the entire day, watching for hazards, anticipating needs, and making sure every moment, he was safe and happy.
It’s the kind of attention that takes energy.
And it got me thinking, that this is true far beyond babysitting.
In family life, leadership, coaching, mentoring, or any relationship where we care deeply, real commitment isn’t passive.
It’s active.
It means staying engaged, noticing small signals, and anticipating the next step before it becomes a crisis.
Being “on guard” isn’t about fear, it’s much more about caring, being ready, and fully present.
Where in your life right now would greater alertness make the biggest difference?

The Power of Networking

A few days ago, out of the blue I received a message on LinkedIn…
“It’s great to meet you. I’m a friend of Brian J. Grim and he mentioned your name to me when I told him I’ll be visiting Scotland. I’ll be visiting the Dundee area this weekend!”
That was the beginning of my association with Robert.
He simply reached out.
We had a few back n forward messages on LinkedIn and established that due to various meeting commitments we could meet for lunch in Edinburgh.
We’d never met before in our life, yet we had so many mutual connections, shared interests and values, it just felt like a good idea to sit down and chat!
And I’m glad we did.
We met up a couple of days ago.
It was extremely uncanny about our life’s similarities, personal interests and general like-mindedness!
We talked about everything from social media, BYU, religious freedom, faith, coaching, leadership, goal setting, career development, and a whole host of personal friends and professional colleagues in our network.
We enjoyed our 90-minute conversation together so much, we determined to keep in touch.
And what is the lesson?
Don’t underestimate the value of reaching out—or saying yes when someone else does.
Just one single message can spark a connection that grows into something meaningful.
In today’s world, relationships and networking are crucial.
Networking can and does open doors.
Take the time to connect.
It has been my experience that the true value of networking lies in the quality of relationships rather than in the number of connections we might have.
Ideas and opportunities arise in our conversations every day and spread through people so quickly now.
And all of it – support, insight, inspiration, often begins with a simple hello and someone reaching out.
Its been my experience that you just never know where a single connection might lead.
That is the power of networking.
Who’s someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to?
© Copyright 2024 Daryl Watson. All Rights Reserved. Registered in Scotland, Company Number SC473068