I love the Back-to-School Season. During my high school years, I always looked forward to the fall issue of Seventeen magazine featuring trendy fashions. Sadly, the wooly sweaters and furry boots were not exactly Florida appropriate!
While I could happily squirrel away with a stack of books, learning with others has many benefits. Collaborative learning experiences expand our social networks and help us to keep exercising important mental muscles, such as listening, focusing, and empathizing.
In 2020, I went “back-to-school” by enrolling in an executive coaching certificate program at the University of Cambridge. My virtual classmates brought the perspectives of living on four continents and working in a wide variety of professions, including manufacturing, media, and medicine. Several of us continue to meet and share how we are applying what we learned. We have had many a head-scratching conversation together, and I know that I gained much more from that process than I did simply reading my textbooks.
As the youngsters head back to the classroom, how might you continue actively learning, and where is the opportunity to do so with others?
Take this two-minute survey to consider what going back-to-school could mean for you.
Recess for Adults
While we are on the topic of school, let’s not forget the importance of recess. Regardless of our age, engaging in playful activities allows us to relax and recharge while also challenging us physically and mentally.
Making time for play can stimulate the creativity we need to solve professional and personal dilemmas. It allows us to reconnect with a time when we had less responsibility and stress, activating positive neurons in our brains.
You may already know that my latest favorite recess activity is collage — cutting and pasting with abandon!
Feeling a lack of energy or overwhelmed with daily obligations? Email me (ann@lat38coaching.com) and we’ll explore how to create a space for recess in your life.
Quiet Quitting: Myth or Reality?
Have you heard about this phenomenon called “quiet quitting?” It’s a reference to just doing what you need to get by and is typically talked about in reference to the workplace. But it’s just as likely we may be “quiet quitting” any organization where we’re feeling burned out. We might even be “quiet quitting” in a relationship that no longer seems rewarding.
This month I’m looking forward to moderating a panel of fellow coaches as we talk with executives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Women in Government Relations, and I’m certain this will be one of the topics we’ll explore. I hope to provide some food for thought on when the urge to “quiet quit” might be an important sign that it’s time for change.
If motivating yourself or your teams to show up with intention and purpose seems particularly challenging these days, I have been there, and I can help! Reach out today and we can discuss what to do when a quiet quitting mindset sets in.
Text me at 202.207.6915 to schedule a call.
Visit the Latitude 38 Executive Coaching website for more resources.
