Gavin Smithen

One of the things I notice in coaching conversations is that people don't always start questioning their direction because something has gone wrong. Typically, things have gone well for a long time. They've built a successful career, taken opportunities as they've come along and assumed greater responsibility. Each step has created the opportunity for another. That's a good thing. Ambition and momentum can take us a long way. But they can also make it easy to keep moving without...

One of the observations I've made, both in my own life and across numerous coaching conversations, is how quickly pushing for more can become the default. We achieve something we've been working towards. We hit the target. Get the promotion. Finish the project. Solve the problem. For a brief moment, it feels good. And then, almost immediately, our attention shifts to “What’s next?” Or “I should have done that better.” I recognise this in myself. For much of my career, I was...

One theme that shows up regularly in coaching conversations is how much time people spend dealing with their own thinking. Not just useful thinking, like solving problems or making decisions, but the thoughts that replay old moments, question your ability, or jump straight to the worst-case scenario. For many people, this internal noise becomes part of the pressure they carry. It doesn’t mean they’re doing anything wrong. Their mind just rarely switches off. This month, we'll take a...