Press Pause: And turn challenges into opportunity

by Stephen MacDonald

Life is full of transitions - some chosen, some unexpected, some forced upon a global pandemic, relationships starting and ending, the arrival of a new family member, children leaving home, stepping into a new job, redundancy, the loss of a loved one. However significant or mundane, such events all have one thing in common. They represent a moment for us to press pause, reflect on our reality, and make changes that will help us unlock our full potential and live a life of fulfilment and purpose. I have had the privilege of coaching clients across the globe - including senior business leaders and high performers - through times of change. Whether their 'press pause' moment has been work-related or personal, I have found that most people struggle to leverage the opportunity out of these transition points. By the time they come to me, they are often frustrated by their inability to break their old patterns and truly step into the life they are striving to lead.So I wrote this book - as a guide to navigating change. By dividing the process into clearly defined steps and posing a series of key questions, I want to offer a structured and mindful approach to the self-reflection we all go through during a life transition - something that can often feel confusing, frightening or challenging. Press Pause provides a clear and positive path to identifying what is important to you, so that you can prioritise those areas in your life that you wish to recalibrate.My aim is to help you overcome the obstacles that are preventing you from moving from one phase of life to the next, so that you can start living the life you want today.

140 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2023

About the author

Stephen MacDonald was a British actor, director, and playwright best known for his play Not About Heroes, which explores the relationship between World War I poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. Originally trained as an actor in Birmingham, he later built a significant career in Scottish theatre as both director and artistic leader. MacDonald directed at the Leicester Phoenix Theatre before revitalizing the Dundee Repertory Theatre in the early 1970s, championing new plays by contemporary Scottish writers. He later served as artistic director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, where he continued to focus on historically rooted drama.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at a tough time during a couple transitions (death of a loved one; restructure at work facing possible redundancy) and it was a great support to help coach me back on track and reflect on what I wanted, where I was going, what I valued, and where I should be going to live in line with my values. I will tell all my friends about this book. It was also quite funny I thought… maybe I like Dad jokes…

[Jo Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great process to work through after assessing all areas of your life or after a specific challenge. It gives you a process to determine what you really want and take control of the direction you will take.

Clever use of the pause icon in the title and cover of the book. It is just missing a downloadable check list of the questions.

Highly recommend this easy and engaging read to reflect on your own journey through life.