Mission Imperfect: navigating life with coaches Kirsty and Kathryn

If you’re still carrying around a label from school reports, or what your parents used to criticise/praise you for as a child, then this episode of Mission Imperfect could be perfect for you! We’re talking about the labels we apply to ourselves: where do they come from, and how do they affect us? We get a bit carried away with expanding the question, but it’s basically: What are the first labels t...

To be frank, this is basically us saying that the stuff we talk about matters, and so we aren’t going to apologise for repeating ourselves. So there! Along the way, we talk about why repetition has a bad reputation (not, we agree, without justification), and point out how incredibly useful it can actually be. Today’s question: How has repetition helped you in your life? Find us here: Kirsty: www.k...

This week’s coaching bitesize tips, tools and techniquesepisode is designed to support you as an antidote to that troublesome second-guessing that we discussed last week.   We’ve 4 practical tips for your to try to build thatself-trust muscle – and keep flexing it! We’d love to know how you get on if you give them a try – hopefully repeatedly – and see if it reduces the inclination to second-guess...

Second-guessing can be sneaky, and when it’s more obvious,very frustrating. And yet it’s something we are all probably familiar with unfortunately.   This week we are discussing why we can find ourselves doingit, and how it looks in practice – from saying ‘I don’t know’ (when perhaps we do!), overthinking, seeking reassurance from others, changing our minds frequently and replaying past choices. I...

Last week we asked you ‘ what do you want for you? ’, and this week we are back with a coaching bitesize episode with some tips, tools and techniques to try for when whatever the ‘thing’ is just seems out of reach.  Often there are some very real obstacles in our way to overcome (e.g. finances); sometimes there are some obstacles that we are imposing, or exaggerating, that we can also take steps t...

Now, or next or at this stage of your life? It’s a pretty important question to ask, right?!  You can place the emphasis on almost every word in it to get a truthful and useful answer: what is it exactly you want? (It doesn’t have to be a ‘thing’ either); is it really something that you want (not what others want for you or what you think you should want); for you (be selfish!), and that’s relevan...

Following on from last week’s episode about getting wound up, this week we’re offering tips, tools and techniques for winding yourself down…without ever being told (by yourself or anyone else) to calm down. It turns out that there are a surprising number of tips, tools and techniques for winding down that begin with A. Who knew? If you find that pleasing, then you’re going to enjoy this episode!!...

If you’ve ever found yourself getting majorly wound up by something you rationally know is ridiculously minor, then this is for you! We discuss what’s going on when our emotions are not just on a different page to our logical minds, but in a totally different book (although we agree that stationery is worth getting wound up over), and offer some suggestions as to why on one day a cold cup of coffe...

Last week we spoke about waiting for the right moment… which frustratingly doesn’t always come of its own accord.  It means we have to sometimes make a move and face uncertainty to get anywhere. We don’t like uncertainty but it is possible to move forward, with doubt, and reduce that discomfort as we go.  We have 3 tips for you to help you ‘leave the waiting room’  - please do let us know how you...

We’ve all found ourselves in situations where we are waiting for the right moment. Problem is, will that moment always just arise and announce itself conveniently for us? Probably not! Waiting can be wise, keeping us from potential discomfort, but it can actually create discomfort of its own – and the longer it continues it can get harder to stop waiting!  We discuss why we play the waiting game,...

Making assumptions about what people are thinking and feeling based solely on our interpretation of nuances of behaviour and manner can lead to lots of wrong conclusions and misunderstandings. So, following on from our episode on the perils of mindreading, this week - in a more or less bitesized episode - we’re offering you tips, tools and techniques to stop mindreading. Find us here: Kathryn: ⁠ww...

You may not think you have psychic powers, but the chances are that you’re doing a fair bit of mindreading. Don’t believe it? Then join us for this episode to see if you recognise any of the ways of jumping to big conclusions on very little evidence - and the problems that doing so can cause. As well as the important question “What the hell’s going on if Kathryn or Kirsty refuse a biscuit?”, we in...

“No” may well be a complete sentence, but it’s a hell of a lot easier to keep giving a fake “Yes” than to suddenly switch to just saying “No”, isn’t it? Following on from our episode on Thinking No, Saying Yes, this week we’re offering you tips, tools and techniques for Thinking No, Saying No - when you want to. Find us here: Kathryn: www.kbmindfulcoaching.com        Kirsty: www.coachingbykirsty.c...

How often do you find yourself thinking no but saying yes? What makes you do it and does it get you what you want? And how does this relate to cold water swimming and a viral Biscuit Appreciation Society? Join us for this week’s Mission Imperfect to find out! Today’s question for you to consider: ‘What most often causes you to say yes when you’re thinking no, and how do you feel about it?’ Find us...

In this week’s special episode, coaching takes the biscuit! What’s as good as coaching, and loved just as much (if not more) by us? Biscuits! We may have mentioned them once or twice in other episodes but we’ve decided they deserve a focused episode on their own: What makes a good biscuit? The downsides of biscuits (e.g. shrinkflation and ‘chocolate-flavour’ coating), Superior biscuits, To dunk or...

What really is within your control - and what isn’t? Tricky one, but luckily in this week’s coaching bitesize episode, we have the ‘spheres of control’ concept to take you through to help you decide and answer that question for all of life’s situations and challenges. There’s more than we often think outside of our control, and it can be draining and frustrating to try and shoehorn more within our...

Control is one of those words that can invoke quite a strongreaction – neither  ‘control freak’ nor  being ‘out of control’ have especially positive connotations to them do they? But we actually can benefit from accepting some of our lackof control, which we explore in this week’s episode. Our wish to have control often stems from a desire for safety and trying to manage uncertainty (completely un...

A reset may imply ‘delete and start again’ – but it doesn’t have to be this drastic! This week we are discussing the benefits of having a reset: when, how and the signs one might be a good idea. We have a few questions on reflecting on your current reality and six core life ‘components’ that could form part of your chosen reset. The only golden rule is honesty and some self-compassion!  Today’s qu...

Last week we were talking about the possibility of getting better at feeling good enough, and this episode provides practical tips, tools and techniques to help you to stop being such a tw*t to yourself and start recognising what’s good about you. If you find this useful and want to dig deeper into the right ways for you of making the changes you want to make, then get in touch to find out about o...

In a world where we have more scope than ever before to compare ourselves with others, the chances are that there is some way - ok, let’s face it: probably many (many) ways - in which you don’t feel good enough. In this episode, we’re looking at how that happens and considering the possibility that you can learn to see yourself differently and get better at feeling good enough…if you truly want to...

Following on from last week’s episode on ‘If it works for you, it works!’, this episode provides practical tips, tools and techniques to help you to: recognise what matters to you ;  follow your own path, rather than allowing others’ views to divert you,  avoid creating dependence on external things to create the change you want in your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. If you find this useful and...

If you’ve ever wanted to try something that you think might help you, only to have people around you be sniffy about it because it “doesn’t work” or “it’s not scientifically proven”, then this episode of Mission Imperfect is perfect for you! We discuss how something can work for one person but not another; the power of belief (hello, Placebo Effect), and how the Universe will persist in working ev...

Following on from last week’s episode on motivation, this episode provides practical tips, tools and techniques for what to do when your motivation has gone AWOL. From asking a different question (as opposed to ‘ why can’t I just do this?! ’), to effort and working with your motivation preferences, we’ve got you covered! If you find this useful and want to dig deeper into the right ways for you of...

Why do we act / behave / do what we do? Well there’s a million-dollar question! But our motivation has a lot to do with it – it is our driver to move from thought to action. So of course it can be problematic when our motivation seems to vanish! This week we talk about sources of motivation, which can be different for all of us, what’s tricky about motivation and how we can try to understand it be...

This coaching bitesize episode provides practical tips,tools and techniques for creating and using a ‘wheel of life’.   It’s a popular exercise, and we talk you through how to doyour own, and more importantly what to do with it when you’ve done it!   If you’d like support interpreting your wheel (or evencompleting it in the first place!) or setting intentions for the year, do consider getting in t...