Intentional Generations

Intentional Generations Coaching, workshops & retreats for people + workplaces wanting to make change & impact in their life

Highlights of the last week (more reflections to come soon) - attending the Auckland Writers Festival and attending Tech...
25/05/2026

Highlights of the last week (more reflections to come soon) - attending the Auckland Writers Festival and attending Tech Week events about neurodiversity and AI, plus Julia Pahina's incredible 'The Frictionless Trap: How AI Changes our Cognitive Capability'

If you're a leader, business owner or anyone interested in big societal changes, ethical decision making, finding hope in the current 'polycrisis' (thanks Luke Kemp for introducing me to this term), what AI is doing to our brains, the impacts of our current decisions on future generations and early-in-careers, I highly recommend following these people and/or reading some of what they put out:

Karen Hao (book: 'Empires of AI') - I believe this is essential reading for all leaders and people using AI
Luke Kemp (book: 'Goliath's Curse') - Luke synthesises 5000 years of history and talks about power, the downfall of democracy and what hope we can find in our current Western societies
Dr Lucy Hone (book: 'How Will I Ever Get Through This') - brilliant speaker on change, grief and resilience
Julia Pahina - FIBRE FALE Co-Founder. Brilliant recent webinar about cognitive debt, cognitive atrophy and risks to future generations and early-in-careers of using AI unintentionally
Te Hiku Media - an example of an ethically created AI company in our very own New Zealand!!

20/05/2026

My heart goes out to Wellington and Wellingtonians who've received the announcement yesterday that 8,700 further jobs will be cut in the NZ public sector. This figure is on top of the estimated 9,500 public sector roles already lost since March 2003, according to Radio New Zealand (based on Official Information Act enquiries).

Job loss, job insecurity, precarious work and financial uncertainty don't just affect the individuals. It affects their wider whanau/families, community and the broader economy.

Pasting below some of a well-written post from Wellington Alive's Facebook account:

"Behind every public servant job cut, the ripple effect felt cascades across cafés, restaurants, bars, retailers, tradies, construction firms, landlords, suppliers and small businesses throughout our city. Wellington’s economy is deeply interconnected. When thousands of incomes disappear, confidence disappears with them.

In 2013, John Key famously remarked that Wellington was “dying.”

In 2026, it feels like it is being slowly strangled.
..If 10,000 jobs were being stripped from any other region in New Zealand, there would be emergency meetings, recovery packages, regional support funds and ministerial concern. In Wellington’s case, the Government itself is the assailant.
..The chilling effect on the local economy will have started the moment today’s announcement was made.

No public servant in their right mind is going to book a holiday tonight. They are not shouting friends coffee, planning a renovation, replacing a car, or spending freely at local businesses. They are tightening belts and preparing for the worst.

That fear spreads quickly.

For Wellington businesses already grimly hanging on after two bruising years, today’s announcement will land like a hammer blow. Many owners who have been hoping for recovery will now be wondering how much longer they can survive.
..A capital city cannot prosper while its economic foundations are systematically dismantled by its own Government. A city cannot survive indefinitely on resilience alone. And right now, Wellingtonians are being given very little else to hold onto"

Wellington friends: if you need to get away for a bit and recharge, I always have a spare bedroom in Auckland. If you need someone to connect you with the Auckland market or look at your CV or LinkedIn, let me know. You're not alone. My heart goes out to all of you x

Kia kaha / stay strong

Celebrating a win in consistency: three years ago I made the commitment to be consistent with three habits (1) exercise/...
29/03/2026

Celebrating a win in consistency: three years ago I made the commitment to be consistent with three habits (1) exercise/movement, (2) meditation and (3) language learning. Yesterday, the cheeky Duolingo owl told me this commitment had paid off by reaching 1000 days of language learning :)

The photo is a screenshot of my my iphone's notification centre yesterday: I have greyscaled my phone to make it less attractive/distracting, choose which notifications to have come through and see my 3 habits that I want to track on it:
(1) Les Mills celebrating commitment,
(2) Insight Timer (meditation/mindfulness) app and
(3) duolingo (language learning)

Why am I sharing this here?

Because I believe that so many people underestimate themselves and their regular efforts.

And, particularly in Australasia, with our Tall Poppy Syndrome, it can be so easy to celebrate our colleagues and our loved ones but much harder to acknowledge and celebrate ourselves, especially for the little things.

Whether you call this building our positivity bias, or learning to celebrate and appreciate the little things, or finding the 'glimmers' in life... the little things do matter.

So, what's something (small or big) that you're celebrating today? 🙂

This is a fun AI trend (note: could be a fun activity for a team meeting!) - "Create a caricature of me and my job, base...
08/02/2026

This is a fun AI trend (note: could be a fun activity for a team meeting!) - "Create a caricature of me and my job, based on everything you know about me"

I asked ChatGPT to create 2 versions of this using two different images as my work varies depending on the month and season.

There's nuances missing and I believe it's 'over-perfected' my appearance BUT I do like that it blends my approach to work:
combining research-backed organisational psychology and neuroscience insights into leadership, team development and coaching with the 'heart' / human skills / empathy / emotional intelligence needed to embed the learning and desired change.

If you've done this trend, what caricature did ChatGPT create of you?

One of my mantras / sayings that helps me on the days (or weeks) where nothing is going to plan and my energy is low is:...
04/02/2026

One of my mantras / sayings that helps me on the days (or weeks) where nothing is going to plan and my energy is low is: Get up, Dress up & Show up... Every Day... no matter what that looks like. Note: this isn't in a Kim Kardashian "no one wants to work anymore" way 😅... [more below]

Get up, dress up & show up means something different each season / week / day.

It takes into reality that sometimes that looks like getting dressed up, heading into the city for meetings or facilitating a workshop (or, more likely, online these days) and being the 'sparkly energy' version of me...
and sometimes it looks like getting out of bed, showering, putting on comfy clothes and going for a walk around the block before returning inside and reading a book / doing a paint-by-numbers / calling a friend or cuddling the cat.

This is something that I believe is missing in the online world that showcases 'my daily grind', 'follow me for my 4am morning routine' and hustle culture.

From knowing some of these people, they're not all happy and many are a few weeks away from burnout. Then, there are the rare cases of people who actually can survive on 3-5 hours of sleep (note: it's a very small percentage of people according to the data).. Note: they're the exception, not the rule.

So, if you've raced into 2026 and already feeling tired or that you need a break... why not allow yourself that?

In Aotearoa New Zealand we've got a 3 day weekend coming up and I'm planning on giving myself the rest my body and mind are craving. Part time work and part time study mean that my brain feels like it's kicked back into overdrive and I'm definitely feeling some mental fatigue already.

Kind reminder: we can be tired or fatigued for different reasons (e.g. mentally tired, emotionally tired, physically tired or for another reason). Give yourself permission to rest when you need it :)

P.s. I'll link a TED talk below that talks about the different types of energy and the different types of rest we need to replenish these. I'll also put a link below to my resource library that contains free resources around 'My Energy Audit' and 'The 7 Types of Rest' :)

04/02/2026

🎁 The Intentional Generations February newsletter has hit mailboxes today & includes a surprise free downloadable resource for subscribers :)

This newsletter's theme is about 'recalibration'.

i.e. just like planes flying in the sky, we also need to check in with how we're doing and course correct on a regular basis ✈️.

In the newsletter I've included:
❓ some of my favourite reflection questions
🎁 a free downloadable resource to help with reflecting on satisfaction or balance with the important areas in one's life
✍ an article about the benefits of journalling
💡 a link to our 2026 workplace workshops, webinars and programmes

📣 Interested in receiving updates like this? I'll put a link to subscribe to the newsletter in the comments below :)

Here's the number 1 habit that is recommended by counsellors I know that helps create a sense of structure and healthy c...
22/01/2026

Here's the number 1 habit that is recommended by counsellors I know that helps create a sense of structure and healthy coping during times of uncertainty and anxiety -

Ritual.

Recommendation: have 1 ritual everyday that you do when you're in a time of uncertainty, anxiety or transition that creates a sense of certainty.

Doing this in the morning to get a sense that the day has 'started' is also really healthy.

Even better? If it's out of the house and 'in community', i.e. around other people.

Examples:
💡 Going for a walk outside (over time you see familiar people out walking & get to befriend them / their dogs)
💡 Going to your favourite local cafe and taking some time to set your priorities for the day, do some journalling or learn something
💡 Go to your local gym and do some form of movement that is enjoyable for you
💡 Connect with a loved one over the phone or an accountability buddy who's in a similar situation to you and talk about how each of you are doing, what your goals for the day are and what you feel challenged by

I'm doing this everyday too since the year started - moving my body and then going to my favourite local cafe to do some strategic tasks and writing amongst the energy and noise of other people.

Honesty, I fluctuate from feeling optimistic about the year ahead to being confronted by the uncertainties, weather events and news headlines. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by the heavy rain we've experienced over the last week(s)!

Having a ritual of movement -> being in community & 'getting my thoughts in order' has helped with the fluctuating thoughts and emotions I've experienced about the start of this year.

The bonus? Getting to bump into lovely and intelligent locals like Steph Richardson while doing it!

I'm curious: do you incorporate ritual(s) into your daily life? And, how do they help you?

On Sunday we held our first Quarterly Planning and Connection session for alumni of the RYLA Oceania Elevate programme....
18/01/2026

On Sunday we held our first Quarterly Planning and Connection session for alumni of the RYLA Oceania Elevate programme. This was a really special event as we're also celebrating passing a milestone of now having over 100 alumni of this leadership retreat programme :)

Ben MacNevin did an excellent job of facilitating the session as always, with great engagement from participants, celebrating different achievements together and sharing challenges and insights. Huge kudos to Rebecca Fry for her vision for these sessions and the trust she has in the team :)

Ben asked me to share some reflections that might help participants when they reflected on their Wheel of Life and goals.

This is what I shared:

When we reflect on 'where we are at in life' (e.g. using the Wheel of Life tool) it can create different reactions within each of us. For some of us we may be feeling relieved or that the balance is how we'd like it to be. For many, it may be confronting, challenging or provoke big emotions (particularly after a challenging 2025).

No matter how you're thinking or feeling about where you're at in life / how you think you're doing, have self compassion.

Most people think of self-compassion as soft and gentle, but self-compassion has two sides to it, as defined by Dr Kristin Neff's research. Self compassion can be fierce as well as tender.

The tender self compassion: this is the self compassion that's helpful when we're in a challenging period of time and maybe we only have capacity for getting through each day or week. It's treating ourselves with gentleness, soothing ourselves during a difficult chapter and allowing ourselves the grace and space for caring for ourselves and our loved ones. It's the self compassion that says "today it's okay to have some time to be like a potato or to have a duvet day, then tomorrow I'm going to take one small step towards my intentions or goals".

Then, there's fierce self compassion, like a "mama bear" defending her cubs. This is the self compassion that involves keeping promises to ourself, doing the 'nice' or 'kind' action rather than the easy action and taking action in alignment with who we are and our needs. It involves self-advocacy, setting boundaries and taking wise action. It's the self compassion that says "yes, bed is really comfortable right now yet I'll feel so proud of myself once I keep the promise to myself of going to that exercise class".

Both of these are vital for balance, with tenderness providing comfort and fierceness offering motivation to meet needs and stand up for ourselves, preventing complacency or aggression.

No matter how this year has started off, what type of self compassion do you need to give to yourself (or others) today?

p.s. Image is from Kristin Neff's website:https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/KN_SYW_Fierce-map.pdf

Celebrating: one of the programmes I help to co-facilitate as a volunteer alongside the incredible Rebecca Fry, Benjamin...
14/01/2026

Celebrating: one of the programmes I help to co-facilitate as a volunteer alongside the incredible Rebecca Fry, Benjamin MacNevin & Parris Smith (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards RYLA Oceania Elevate programme) has been recognised for its impact and featured in the Rotary International Rotary Downunder magazine! We're on pages 34 - 40 🙂

'Elevate' is an intentionally designed leadership retreat for emerging and established leaders across Australia and New Zealand. Last year we had 35 leaders between the ages of 23-43 attend the 4 day programme in Sydney!

Learn more about this wonderful and high-value programme at the links in the comments below 🙂

16/12/2025

🎁 Our Christmas Present for everyone is here: NEW free resources to use to help reflecting on 2025 and planning or thinking intentionally about your life & career in 2026 🙂🎉

Intentionally Design Your Thriving 2026 is here and available to download from our resource library just in time for Christmas. This is one of our most popular resources and gets great feedback every year 🎉

Do you know someone who could use some support with reflecting on the year and deciding what they'd like to do next year? Feel free to share this post (or the link in the comments below) with them 🙂

p.s. Put "thriving 2026 please" in the comments below and I'll send you a direct link to the resource 🎁

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