Time for some R & R!

Britannica Dictionary definition of R & R:

rest and recreation; rest and recuperation; rest and relaxation

 

 

For the past couple of years, we have used this time of the year to take a proper break from work – taking advantage of the quiet time, when most of our clients and partner organisations also enjoy holiday breaks.

This year we decided not to take the whole of July off, as we have some exciting events coming up in August and wanted to spend the...

Continue Reading...

Connection, Community and Compassion.

Monday was a great start to the week. In the morning, we had our mid-point review with trainees in our Getting to Grips with Group Coaching programme and it was fantastic to hear what they have been inspired by, what they shared to inspire each other and how they intend to develop their own group coaching courses and programmes. They have two more modules to navigate before we conclude towards the end of March, and Michele and I are so encouraged by what they bring to the sessions.

And in the...

Continue Reading...

The Fallow Field

As we draw near to the end of another busy work year, Michele and I were reflecting  on what we can learn from our chosen business name: Acorn Principle Plus.

The metaphor has been the inspiration behind the new community we are nurturing, from Acorns to Oaks and, to go deeper down this route, we are intentionally becoming more aligned to the changing seasons in our approach to our work; something we will explore further over the coming year.

Nature has much to teach us about...

Continue Reading...

When Heart and Head Become Friends

People who know me know that I love learning.  In fact, my thirst for learning often takes me into weird and wonderful journeys of discovery such as: why we do the things we do, even when we don’t want to, what we are capable of under extreme circumstances and how the thoughts we think have the power to change the very shape and structure of our brain.

One of the most life changing areas of learning fell into place when I read ‘The Coach’s Mind Manual: Enhancing...

Continue Reading...

Neuroleadership - ILM's Edge Magazine Interview with Michele Armstrong.

Neuroleadership: What is it and how it can help you to become a better leader

Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:21 AM In the first of our blog series on neuroleadership, Edge chats to Michele Armstrong, managing director of Acorn Principle Plus, on how neuroleadership can benefit managers.


Can you give us a brief overview of what the term neuroleadership actually means?
Neuroleadership was a term coined by David Rock, CEO of Results Coaching Systems, in 2006. It grew out of a need to understand more about...

Continue Reading...

What might happen if you decide to live? (Revised July 2022)

Isn’t it amazing how a short, 10 minute video can change your whole perspective and reawaken ghosts of the past? Ted Talk: “Draw your Future” by Patti Dobrowolski had this effect on me recently. Not because the talk brought new knowledge or fresh wisdom but because it ignited in me some heartfelt memories of some very powerful visions that I’ve been privileged to encounter. As a Coach (and trainer of coaches) I use vision in different ways with coaching clients and...

Continue Reading...

Yearning for Open Spaces (August 2022)

When I think about what I missed most during lock-down a few things come to mind: going to the cinema, seeing live music or going to a restaurant with friends.  These things are great, and I love that I can do them again. However, they are all forms of entertainment and the good feelings they generate don’t tend to last much longer than the activity itself.

The thing that I really missed was getting out into the middle of a wood, on top of a wide-open hill or next too (and often...

Continue Reading...

Momentum Through Vision

Like a lot of people, I am gearing up for a return to work following a break in the usual routine over the festive period. It has been good to have a change of pace, to relax a bit more and not be defined by alarm clocks and deadlines.

However, as I anticipate reengaging with work, I also want to make sure I don’t just fall into the kind of habits I was looking for respite from towards the end of December – you know that busy, plate spinning, not-enough-hours-in -the-day kind...

Continue Reading...

Be here now

Uncategorized

Ah! It's here again... Spring!

I love this time of year. I don't know what I like most; the moving further away from winter or the moving toward summer?

It's like mindfulness in a sense: BE HERE NOW!

The over-arching principle of our social cognitive brain does the same thing... it drives us to move away from threat and gravitate towards our preferences - the things we find more rewarding. So, in a way, it is a natural phenomenon to find ourselves turning our backs on those aspects we would...

Continue Reading...

1000 City Miles, 2017. Done!

 

Finally, I’ve finishedthe last few miles on the last day of the year, and it feels great to have completed my 12 month goal: to run 1000 miles around the City of Edinburgh, Scotland.

My first run, on January 1st 2017, was a slow 6 miles down the Almond River and along Cramond prom.  I did the same run yesterday (although a bit quicker – I’m still a plodder but my pace has improved over the year). As for covering as many of the streets, roads and paths of...

Continue Reading...
1 2
Close

50% Complete

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest blog and Acorn updates straight to your inbox.