The question in the header for today’s newsletter was about “what do you want more of from me?” However, as I shared some of the highlights from the last 25 years of my work I realised you would also find an answer to the question, “How do I get more of what I want from my life?” by reading these highlights.
I’ve been reviewing all the Landscaping Your Life (LYL) IP developed over the last 25 years and have been blown away by the number of ideas, models, tools, techniques, and insights I’ve shared over that time.
I thought, therefore, that I’d share 7 of the highlights as I invite you to input into, perhaps not the next 25 years, but certainly the next 10 years. Highlights included in this newsletter:
Which of these was your favourite - or perhaps you think I’ve missed something that was a LYL highlight for you? If so, do tell.
Or perhaps one of these speaks to how you’re feeling at the moment, and may provide the perfect insight you need right now – I’ve added a coaching question for each highlight to help with this.
Coping, Not Flourishing Guide
Interestingly I’m going to start with the most recent IP shared and that was my 'Coping, Not Flourishing' guide that I developed after realising many of you who love my work aren’t stuck, nor do you have a problem – that is you’re coping very well thank you – you’re keeping on top of things - you’re just not flourishing.
The guide was written sharing a recent insight I had about how to corral my energy in the most effective way, which didn’t involve stopping doing anything, just amending when I did what.
You can >>sign up to get a copy here.
Coaching Question: What tweak in your schedule for the day will have the biggest impact on your energy?
Mention of not flourishing has me wanting to go off in 2 directions for the next insight – but I had to pick one.
Your Prescription For Wellbeing Journal
The idea of a prescription came as I developed the content for an agenda item on wellbeing for a team away day.
The premise is that physical health isn’t the only thing we can write a prescription for – we can do it for any mindset, feeling, or even goal. Which means, for example, you can have a prescription for: Sleep, Confidence, Calm, Getting things done, Focus, or even Organising an event.
With a prescription not only including a reference to remind us of what we can do to help, but also inviting us to write down what to stop doing that is getting in the way of us making progress.
One of the best things about the prescription is that once it’s written, you can amend, add, and refer to it in the future - because I don’t know about you, but when I’m out of sorts, I often forget what will help to get me back in of sorts.
You can find out more about the prescription format and the journal I’ve published.
Although the following video is my favourite LYL video and it’s on this very subject, so I can’t help but share it again, and it also takes you to my LYL channel, which, whilst it hasn’t made the top 7, is something I love to do.
Coaching Question: What’s on your prescription for wellbeing? And more importantly, what are you doing that’s not helping?
How to Have a Flourishing Team
The other direction of travel from the 'Coping, Not Flourishing' guide was a session I facilitated about how to have a flourishing team – there’s a copy of the PDF summarising the 7 keys you can download >>here and even a recording of the Landscaping Your Teams in Turbulent times session.
The 3rd key feels aligned with the theme of the other highlights shared so far, and can be applied to us as individuals as well as for team members.
Coaching Question: What can you do to feel more resourceful before pushing forward on a subject you’re currently feeling out of sorts about?
What this and the next highlight have in common is my love of nature metaphors for sharing insight and seeing situations from a different perspective, and, of course, is the premise that Landscaping Your Life was built on.
Buzzing With Life
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referred to this list in coaching sessions.
If a lack of get-up-and-go and motivation may be contributing to your lack of buzz for life, then you may find the PDF with more details helpful. Download it >>here.
Coaching Question: What’s the difference that will make the most difference to get you buzzing with life?
Landscaping Your Life Walks
No LYL highlight list can exclude the Landscaping Your Life walk because it features in so much of my work – whether in 121 coaching, as part of retreats, or team vision or development days.
There are more detailed instructions to undertake a LYL walk available, and yet the premise is simple: identify a situation you’d like insight about; go for a walk noticing the patterns in nature; once you’ve completed the walk, apply the patterns to the original situation.
This visual representation of one LYL walk aligns really well with the theme of flourishing because the situation was one where the person’s mojo for life had upped and left them!
Coaching Question: Which of the 10 patterns in nature from the summary above offers the most insight for a situation you’re wanting to feel more motivated about?
Words Have Power
This highlight is more a theme that underlies much of my work – because our language tells us so much – either because of the metaphor contained within the words we use and their ability to provide insight (see final highlight), or because the reason we’re stuck is because of the words we’re using.I was blown away during a 5-day mindset challenge I delivered a few years ago when the day 1 activity about defining the goal became a 5-day activity in itself.
Posts I’ve written on the subject of the impact of simply amending the words used to describe the current or future intended situation have included:
Coaching Question: What words are you using to describe your goal, and what alternate words would be more inspirational? (Note: check every word one by one and make changes)
Can’t See The Wood For The Trees
The final highlight feels a little like I’ve left the best to last – although only because it’s been such a rich thread through all my work.
My book, Can’t see the wood for the trees – landscaping your life to get back on track, was published in 2018 and explores the metaphor within the idioms we use when we’re stuck and don’t know what to do, to get back on track.
The book provides antidotes when you’re using 11 common idioms to describe the current situation.
Since then, I’ve written/recorded or videoed, for example, whilst treading water; walking back and forth through the tunnel to see the light at the end of it; struggled uphill and much more to bring the idioms, and their in-built solutions, to life.
There are a number of favourite images from these explorations, including: talking to a brick wall, head in the sand, juggling balls, and pushing the same boulder up the same hill are top!
Coaching Question: What idiom describes the situation you’re grappling with, and how can an exploration of the metaphor provide you with insight currently hidden from view?
I can’t believe a single poem never got mentioned – perhaps I’ll make that the theme of my next newsletter – although any poems associated with idioms are included in the index of idioms shared earlier.
Which reminds me of my initial question, “What do you want more of?” - as I plan for the future, what would you like to see more of from me, or less of, for that matter.
Alison x
And I will leave you with the words of an imagined tree and what it would say about me…
If a tree could speak about Alison, it might say:
"Alison is like a steady gardener of the soul, helping people prune what no longer serves them and nurture new growth.
She listens deeply, just like I do when the wind whispers through my leaves, and she guides others to stand tall and rooted, even when life feels like a storm.
She understands my language - the metaphors hidden in my branches, roots, and rings - and shares my wisdom with those who need to see their own forest clearly.
If you’ve lost your way, Alison will remind you to pause, breathe, and trust that new shoots are always waiting to grow."
What would you say about me?
