Then she said, ... "but I never found the need until now!!"
People tell me relentlessly that learners never choose a topic or goal for their sessions. With some techniques, though, it is exhilarating when they do naturally take that control.
People tell me relentlessly that "Learners never choose a topic or goal for their sessions". I acknowledge that it can be a long slog for some to feel safe/comfortable to do this. With some techniques though, it is exhilarating (for both ADI AND Learner) when they do naturally take that control.
That is what happened today - even though D does have substantial pre-existing anxiety issues, which does have a massive impact on her when discussing session topics and when giving me feedback and reflections. D was vocalising her Goals with ease (mini goals within the session).
She chose a route, telling me she would focus on her mirrors (even naturally chatted about what happened and her massive achievements).
I asked her which version of the route(s) she would take.... and she even volunteered for a hill and roundabout that has been her nemesis for some time!! She grinned at herself when naming her route!!
The thing that I had never mentioned (Risk agreed) during her 'mirrors' session was 'blind spots' [or "life saver" checks as I would prefer them to me named].
It would have been overload - and as it was, D expanded her initial Goal to include the mirror named Gertrude too!
Once all agreed and she prepared to move away - she did the most significant blind spot check announcing;
"I'm checking over there because I can't see the alleyway in the mirror... and I know I'm supposed to do that anyway. All my other Instructors moaned at me about them.... but I never found the need until now!! Now I totally get it!!
It helps my anxiety to be honest!! To know what is happening around me! I feel so much safer!"
She was so efficient with her mirrors during the whole session and even added blind spots in almost every instance to boot!
Another part of her session was the Pull up/Reverse on the right which she had never attempted before... the observations were impressive too... so natural!!
She initiated an "action" to solve a safety risk.
She then voiced ways to "maintain" the new behaviour and cited a reduction in her anxiety levels which would help anchor the new behaviour because it made her feel safer and in control.
It is true, though - the learning was there because she initiated the action, the purpose and factualised the rewards!
What a day!
I loved it!
Source & reference
Title and publication date/time verified directly against the original FionaDrive WordPress Posts screen. Verified title: 'Then she said, ... "but I never found the need until now!!"'. Verified publication date/time: 19 March 2025 at 23:21. Historical image: WordPress attachment ID 3573 at https://fionadrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image.png (not re-hosted; provenance/content/reuse pending review). This record was reconciled from an existing BlogPost previously migrated under the temporary title 'A Facebook Post From One Year Ago Behavioural Change at work...' with an incorrectly inferred publication date of 19 March 2021; the title, date, and body have been corrected to the verified WordPress version. WordPress block comments and presentation markup removed. Learner retained as D throughout, exactly as Fiona recorded. D's direct speech preserved verbatim within blockquotes. References to D's anxiety preserved as part of Fiona's historical account; no diagnoses, psychological explanations, treatment advice, CBT/exposure terminology, neuroscience or medical claims added. Fiona's historical coaching terminology preserved (learner-selected goals, agreed risk, reflection, self-directed action, maintenance of behaviour). Fiona's wording 'life saver' checks preserved as she wrote it, including 'as I would prefer them to me named'. No relationship to any current Workshop/Product, no explicit historical relationship exists.
Want to talk about this?
If something here resonates with your work, Fiona is always happy to continue the conversation.
Talk to Fiona