Optimism - Stefan’s Week-Notes 18/01/2025
Inspired by the weeknotes of friends and coachees including John Fitzgerald, Steve Messer and Nour Sidawi - I thought I'd give it a go.
Inspired by the weeknotes of friends and coachees including John Fitzgerald, Steve Messer and Nour Sidawi - I thought I'd give it a go.
Here's a dive in to the happenings of the past week. I start with what I’ve been up to, to frame the week and then the successes.
Why? Because it's easy to look into the dark rather than the light; isn't it?
Hope you enjoy it; comments, observations and thoughts welcome.
What have I been up to?
(Question inspired by @James_ Arthur_Cattell week notes).
Mentoring
This week I held a number of mentoring sessions for my friend and founder @angela_mclelland on our digital boost programme; on behalf of Liverpool city region.
Key themes coming out in the sessions? The strength in being you, knowing your worth and communicating your needs with others.
I also held a mentoring session on behalf of the 93%club, who are “transforming what it means to be state educated in britain”.
Working with a leader in the diversity and inclusion space we looked at developing further her strategies for understanding the ‘rules of the game’, and meeting her own needs whilst meeting the needs of her organisation.
Coaching
Digital Leader - focused on ending digital poverty - chatting influence and the politics of stakeholder engagement.
Transformation and Change Director - focused on the humans within change - chatting optimism and resilience.
Head of Transformation - focused on sector change - chatting resilience and cycles of thought and behaviour
Rest - This week I did:
A number of walks around the local village, around 4KM each night - they are really clearing my head before bed.
Play - This week:
Board games with my daughter this week at the Ventnor exchange over a very tasty lager and watching new episodes of the repair shop. Perfect.
A fabulous weekly brew up with my mate and endurance athlete Jason Hayles - cycle out; crew up a coffee/tea on a cap stove and chat - perfect.
Sustenance
Friends - This Week:
Arranging to travel to Christchurch with my mate Jason - to go and watch multiple world record holder and endurance athlete Sean Conway on his speaking tour; we’re gonna cycle there and camp out on the way back - we’ll miss the last ferry.
Cant wait for the adventure - plus I’ve been coaching Sean and he’s just sent me a stunning video testimonial - be nice to meet him face to face.
Exercise - This week:
Yoga and plenty of neck stretches
Cycling:
3 hour 48 mins of Endurance Sprints and Sweetspot hills - yes please.
3 hour social ride - with the Adrain’s Bike Shop cycle crew - good times and PB’s.
Tomorrow - I have a gruelling 2 x 4-/20s + 6min FTP ride (sounds hideous).
First run in 2 years - one song on one song off. A note of work to do before I can run with Steve Messer or Colin Banno-Thornton
Family - This week:
Some great chats with friends over the phone and via WhatsApp this week - feeling loved - you know who you are.
A weekend planned with Will and Vera; Sunday is Vera’s birthday - 7 going on 17 - love her so.
This Weeks Writing
This week I enjoyed writing a piece called Work: A Thriving Planet: The Vision exploring my vision for a thriving planet - a little further.
A snippet “I see a powerful network of leaders united by a shared cause: creating a thriving planet. By harnessing our collective strengths and insights, we can facilitate transformative change that resonates throughout our communities. This will be fuelled by innovative concepts like Doughnut Economics, emphasising the balance between societal needs and ecological sustainability, alongside the leadership principles found in works such as “Dare to Lead” and “Legacy” by James Kerr”. You can read it here.
I also wrote a piece called “coaching tools what would make now the right time” on when is the right time for coaching including some useful questions for reflecting on when is the right time for ‘anything’.
Last Sunday
I also write a piece reflecting on turning 48 - called “embracing 48 - a birthday bridge to my 16 year old self . I’ve had some lovely feedback for it.
Testimonial
This week, I was delighted to share my 2nd ever video testimonial.
📹 Last time, I had the pleasure of hearing from Diane Lightfoot, CEO of the Business Disability Forum.
This time, it's from the incredible Darren Cole, a Team GB age-group triathlete who has proudly represented the Isle of Wight on the international stage and has coached multiple athletes to achieve the same success. If you only watch the first minute, it’s absolutely worth it to witness how he seamlessly talks and runs simultaneously—it’s truly impressive! 🏃♂️💬 .
An aspiration of mine, to coach elite athletes, since I read the inner game by Tim Gallwey and trained as what we called 'a pure coach'. He's an awesome triathlon and running coach too; connect here: https://lnkd.in/gcZfry7A
This moved me.
What's been good about this week?
This week has been a wonderful week of connection; some wonderful chats and some great coaching sessions.
The element which stands out most about this week is the recognition I have, of the desire, of those I coach wanting to help me build my coaching practice.
My coachees want more of my followers on social media to experience the Stef they get in coaching sessions and that make me happy. Single sentences, quick parables and questions that get to the heart of the matter with grace.
This sharing from my coachees, feels empowering and encouraging and I’m going to be mulling over it, over the next few weeks, as I consider how to do more of that and less detail; which is a tendency when I sit down to write.
What am I grateful for?
This week, I am grateful for the miles i’ve placed into my legs and the freedom of thinking time and space thats given me.
Sadhguru said that “When your mind is full of assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs, it has no penetration, it just repeats past impressions”.
This quote makes me mindful that when my mind is full of assumptions, conclusions, and beliefs, it just goes in circles, repeating the same old thoughts. But when I go cycling, I find that the physical activity helps me let go of that mental clutter. As I ride, I can really feel the energy moving and clearing my head. It helps me be more present and aware, rather than stuck in those repetitive thoughts. Cycling gives me a chance to think more clearly, see things differently, and understand myself better without being weighed down by past experiences.
Thats what I believe my coaching does for those I serve and is in part what informs my wonderful book choice this week.
Social media gratitude…
This week I am grateful for the recent posts of Mark Homans; recently made Head of Social Impact for Santander - for whom - I played my last corporate role.
A post he put out on ‘understanding social mobility’
The picture which accompanies - here to the left - reminded me of the start in life I had, like many others and the part I would like to play, through my coaching in helping to make ‘people rising’; easier.
Some of his words “Social mobility is vital for a fair, thriving society. It brings fairness, reduces inequality, and creates opportunities. It also fosters economic growth and social cohesion. To build a better future, we must ensure that everyone has the chance to move up, regardless of their background”
Please have a look at his POSTS and consider following him on linkedin. He gets things done; I like that a lot.
A former coachee of mine, it was an honour and a blessing to have been able to work with him.
What could have gone better?
This week; I had a bit of a wobble.
I’m closing and emptying my little boat gallery to free up space in life to focus upon whats most important and to free up energy. I will also be moving home in February for a larger space for me and the kids to share when they come over to stay at the weekends. this involves a lot of logistics, packing, tidying and sorting as well as re-decorating the place I’m in and the place I’m moving into.
Now dont get me wrong, I know I dont need to do itv all at once - but I was a little overwhelmed - especially as I have a business to run and nurture.
A very dear friend of mine spoke some sense to me and as a result I reached out to two of my mates who are now gonna help me get some of the DIY jobs sorted and I feel a lot calmer.
So what could have gone better? Overwhelm - what helped? Sharing the load. Funny that.
What am I reading? (looking forward to)
This week I thought I;’d talk about a book I am looking forwrad to reading; a book I have Neary bought myself a hundred times; it’s "Coffee First, Then the World" by Jenny Graham.
Received in the post as a birthday present by one of my dearest friends; the book is described like this “With infectious wit and honesty, Jenny brings readers into her remarkable Round the World adventure, as she takes on four continents, 16 countries - and countless cups of coffee. Her journey swerves from terrifying near road collisions in Russia and weather extremes in Australia to breathtaking landscapes in Mongolia and exhilarating wildlife encounters in North America. Tight on time and money, she resorts to fixing her bike on the fly, sleeping on roadsides and often riding through the night to stay on track and complete her mission.
As she battles physical and mental challenges to race against the clock, Jenny gradually opens up to the joy of the adventure and all its daily discoveries. She gives in to her impulse to connect with people, making friends with strangers across the globe and embracing new cultures”
She sounds like me. But she’s ridden round the world. i’m slowly but surely making my way around it through my coachees too.
CAn’t wait to read it.
What am I wishing for?
This week, I am wishing for calm; calm as I face into all these moves and restorations of places I’m moving from and into. I know that the sessions I have booked in next week will act as beautiful oasis’s amongst it all.
Don't worry people - you’ll get the best of me.
After all - I am a coach; I don’t just ‘do’ coaching.
A Last Word - Optimism
This week, my word of the week is Optimism
For me, optimism is a game-changer in coaching. Whether in sport, business, or personal development, a coach’s positive outlook can inspire clients to believe in their potential, even when faced with setbacks.
This week, I worked with a coachee who had catastrophised some challenging circumstances and was considering leaving their organisation, despite the work they deeply enjoyed. Together, we explored ways to regain optimism and shift their perspective. We began by looking at how their current role met their needs, then identified four guiding affirmations to help reframe the situation. We also discussed Caroline Dweck’s “Three P’s of the Drama Triangle” (Personalisation, Pervasiveness, and Permanence) and how to use them to move away from a fixed mindset, which in turn lean into strategies that foster resilience.
As a coach, my belief is that the growth we gain from leaning into challenges and lessons is where life is at. This mindset encourages optimism, persistence, adaptation, and confidence and in turn empowers clients to push beyond their limits and perform at their best.
Optimism isn’t about ignoring reality—it’s about believing that growth is always possible. A positive perspective transforms potential into achievement.
Thank you
Stefan
Thank you for reading my week notes; Questions…
For now, let me leave you with 3 questions, based upon the above. I hope they are useful.
How do you recognise your own worth in both personal and professional relationships, and what approaches do you find effective for expressing your needs to others?
In what ways can you nurture a sense of optimism in your life or work, particularly during challenging times, and how might this perspective change your experience of setbacks or difficulties?
How do you prioritise your connections and relationships in your life, and what steps could you take to strengthen these bonds while also balancing your personal ambitions and responsibilities?
If you’d like some help answering those questions get in touch via my contact page here; or via stefan@stefanpowell.co.uk
Have a great weekend all.
Stefan
Enjoyed reading this? Consider doing one of these:
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I’ll continue this in 4 to 5 Thursdays time when I continue the topic of ‘Rest” in my Thursday Journal.
Book an inquisitive session with me to find out more about what I do and how I do it or run a challenge or thought you have passed me.
For now; thank you
I am…
An executive coach who specialises in helping good people lead great things.
Good people care about others, our planet and beauty. Great things are changes for the betterment of society and all that lives within an around it.
It sounds big and fun - it is.
I'm also an endurance racing cyclist and a go. getter.
You can read more about me and what I do; how I work here