Coaching by Kieran

09/09/2026

“Work harder” is not a system.

Many students know what they should be doing, but struggle to turn that knowledge into a repeatable way of working.

That is why I use the idea of a Student OS: a simple personal system for capturing information, clarifying the next action, planning study, reviewing learning and adjusting what is not working.

It is not about building the perfect timetable.
It is about helping students become more capable of managing their own work.

Start with one question:
Where does your current system break down?

That is usually the best place to begin.

01/09/2026

One bad day can quickly become a conclusion about who we are.

A difficult conversation becomes, “Nobody likes me.”

A poor performance becomes, “I’m not good at this.”

A rejection becomes, “I’ll never be good enough.”

But the event is real. The conclusion is often a story added
afterwards.

Try asking:
What else could be true?

Then separate:

- What happened?
- What am I assuming it means?
- What do I actually know?
- What is my next useful move?

This is not about forcing positive thinking. It is about making room for accuracy before turning one difficult moment into an identity.

28/08/2026

Maybe it is not a motivation problem

Before asking how to motivate a young person, study where motivation already happens without a reminder.

They may avoid revision, exercise or applications—yet willingly spend hours playing golf, creating videos, gaming, drawing, researching an interest or speaking to friends.

That is useful information.

Ask:

What is present in the activity that already works?

Choice?
Visible progress?
Friends?
Challenge?
Skill?
Feedback?
Fun?

The useful question may not be, “How do I create motivation?”

It may be: What could the harder activity borrow from the thing that already works?

24/08/2026

The parent–teenager stand-off

The parent thinks: “I know they could do more.”

The teenager thinks: “Stop telling me what to do.”

Both may want progress. The problem is often the pattern.

Tell → remind → ask → let them plan → review

Stepping back does not mean withdrawing support. It means changing the kind of support you offer.

Instead of: “Have you done it yet?”

Try: “What is your plan?”**

The long-term goal is not for parents to become less involved. It is for young people to gradually become more able to direct their own next move.

21/08/2026

Some young people can achieve something difficult and still describe it as “decent”.

But one mistake can stay in their thoughts for hours.

Confidence does not only grow from achievement. It grows when we notice what happened, interpret it fairly and remember it for the next challenge.

Try asking:

**What did you actually do? What quality did that require?**

Specific evidence is often more useful than generic praise.

I’ve written about building an Evidence Bank for confidence—one small piece of evidence at a time.

20/08/2026

Caught this from the window this morning 🌈

A decent reminder to look up once in a while.

Definitely wasn’t leaning halfway out the window trying to get the photo.

14/08/2026

Before you remind them again, ask one question

Something I have noticed in coaching: young people often know what they need to do.

The difficult part is starting without somebody else carrying the responsibility for them.

Parent knows they need to revise, train, send the email or tidy their room.
Young person knows too.
The reminder comes. Then another. Frustration builds.

Before the next reminder, try asking:

**What do you think you need to do next?**

Then leave a little space.

The aim is not only to get one task done. It is to help a young person practise noticing, deciding and starting for themselves.

Where could you replace a reminder with a question this week?

13/08/2026

It’s a challenging job market at the moment, particularly for young people trying to secure their first job, apprenticeship or early career opportunity.

Simply doing more applications isn’t always the answer.

I’ve been thinking about how young people could approach the job search more like an experiment:

Where is everyone else competing?
What could I do differently?
What evidence makes me worth noticing?
What could I show rather than just tell?
What does the data say is actually working?

That could mean approaching employers directly, tailoring different versions of your CV, building an evidence bank, following up properly, tracking applications, or testing a different route rather than repeatedly doing what isn’t working.

I’ve pulled some of these ideas together into a simple Job Search Lab PDF:

Apply → Experiment → Track → Improve

It’s designed particularly for young people navigating jobs, apprenticeships and early career opportunities.

If you’d like a copy, comment below or send me a message and I’ll happily share the PDF.

12/08/2026

You don’t control whether you win.

You do have some control over how you play.

I’ve been thinking about an idea from Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments, where he describes the Stoic view of life as a game involving both skill and chance.

That feels remarkably relevant today.

You can prepare brilliantly for an interview and not get the job.

Build a good business and have the market change.

Do your best as a parent and still watch your child make their own choices.

So when the result is uncertain, where should we put our attention?

I like these four standards:

Play well — prepare and pay attention.
Play fairly — don’t trade away your principles.
Play wisely — choose perspective over impulse.
Play skilfully — keep improving what the situation requires.

You can still care deeply about winning.

Just don’t let the result become the only way you judge yourself.

What would playing the situation in front of you well look like today?

I explored the idea further here

I have been returning to one idea from Adam Smith’s *The Theory of Moral Sentiments*.

10/08/2026

How should we play the game of life?

I explore this in my latest article,

I have been returning to one idea from Adam Smith’s *The Theory of Moral Sentiments*.