S5E2 Bringing ICE - Developing Intention, Clarity and Ease

In this reflective episode, Jenny Cole gently guides you through the ICE process—Intention, Clarity, and Ease—to help you step into 2026 feeling aligned and purposeful. With thoughtful prompts and practical exercises, this session invites you to consider how you want to show up in the year ahead, what matters most to you, and what habits or stories you’re ready to let go of.

From identifying a personal intention or "word of the year" to naming your core values and giving yourself permission to choose ease, this is a calming reset designed for educators seeking a more intentional path forward. Whether you're listening from the beach, the garden, or your commute, this episode is your space to pause, reflect, and gently plan your next step.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome back to Positively Leading: the podcast. I'm Jenny Cole—leadership coach, recovering principal, and champion of tired but determined educators—and your personal guide to starting the new year with a clear head and a full tank.

I’m recording a series of short summer episodes that you can listen to while walking, at the beach, or in the car driving kids to places you don’t want to go. They’re designed to be short and reflective. If you’re listening on your own, I encourage you to grab a pen and paper so you can pause and record your answers along the way.

If the last year felt like riding a rollercoaster you didn’t sign up for, you are not alone. It’s been full-on and flat-out for so many people in education.

Today, we’re not diving into theory or heavy content—this series is about reflection, planning, and getting intentional for the year ahead. It doesn’t matter if you’re listening in January, March, or August—it’s always a good time to take a breath and reflect.

We’ll be working through a process I call ICE: Intention, Clarity, and Ease. I’ve run this as a webinar before, and it really resonated—so I’m bringing it here for you. You won’t have slides, but I’ll guide you through it.

To begin, I want to start somewhere unusual for me: with regret. Now, if you know me, you know I’m relentlessly positive—I focus on strengths, what’s working, and what’s going right. But in the past decade, with so much change and disruption, we’ve all had moments where we’ve been less than our best selves.

You may have made a decision you regret, snapped at someone, missed something important, or let your boundaries slide. You might still be thinking about something that didn’t go as planned.

Take a moment to reflect: If you could do something over again, what would it be?

Dan Pink’s book The Power of Regret helped shape this idea. We often beat ourselves up, promising to “do better next time.” But I don’t want you to write a goal to fix yourself. Instead, I want you to look back and say: I’m just a human being, with good intentions, doing the best I could at the time.

You were under pressure—emotional, time, and task pressure. So if you can, place your hands on your heart or simply hold your hands together. Give yourself a moment of compassion. This is what Dr. Kristin Neff calls self-compassion, and the research is clear—it matters.

Say to yourself:
There was so much out of my control this year. I showed up every day and did the best I could. I am human. I am fallible. I am worthy of love and belonging.

Self-leadership is the foundation of all leadership. If we can’t extend grace to ourselves, how can we extend it to others?

Avoiding regret can be a strong motivator, but true growth comes from moving toward something aspirational. That’s where intention comes in.

Let’s explore the ICE process.

Intention
Instead of setting rigid goals, we’re going to set intentions—positive words or phrases that reflect how you want to show up or feel this year. Not performance goals, but personal anchors.

Examples might be:
Ease, clarity, confidence, creativity, balance, calm, simplicity, empowered, nurtured, abundance, joy, freedom.

What word comes to mind for you?

For me, this year the word is clear. Not clarity—I’ve had that before—but clear. I want clear desks, clear spaces in my calendar, and fewer piles of stuff. As a natural collector and self-confessed hoarder, I was feeling buried. So clear became my intention.

What word resonates with you? What do you want to feel more of?

Clarity
Clarity is about values. When we live in alignment with our values, things feel authentic and at ease.

Consider: What matters most to you? When do you feel most like yourself—most joyful, grounded, and whole?

Your values show up in all parts of life. They might be equity, kindness, freedom, creativity, family, growth, balance, honesty, or collaboration.

To help uncover them, try this:
Think of a really good day—what made it so?
On a great day, I might say: I walked with my husband.
I connected with students.
I collaborated with a team.
I felt useful, creative, or calm.

Now turn those into value statements.
I value connection.
I value collaboration.
I value peace.
Don’t overthink it. Just find the feeling behind the action.

What two or three values guide how you want to live and work?

Ease
This is about letting go—of habits, expectations, and stories that don’t serve you.

Give yourself permission. Try writing these sentences:

• I give myself permission to do less of…
• I give myself permission to let go of…
• I give myself permission to do more of…
• I give myself permission to be more of…
• I give myself permission to set boundaries around…

What do you want to stop forcing? Where do you want to soften? What are you ready to walk away from?

Tiny Habits
Now let’s bring it down to something simple. Choose one tiny habit you can start that aligns with your intention.

Examples:

• I will take a daily walk without my phone.
• I will leave space in my calendar each Friday afternoon.
• I will ask for help when I need it.
• I will pause when self-doubt creeps in and choose a kinder thought.

One tiny shift can create big momentum. What’s your first step?

Check: Does your habit move you closer to your intention?

So if your word is clear, does your habit reflect that—like decluttering your desk once a week?

Thank you for joining me for this ICE reflection—Intention, Clarity, and Ease. I hope it sets you up for a meaningful, intentional 2026—or whenever you're listening.

I’m Jenny Cole, leadership coach and CEO of Positively Beaming. If you’d like to explore further, I offer online workshops that you can complete at your own pace. Visit positivelybeaming.com.au/work-with-me to learn more.

Now, head back to your walk or your book—and I’ll be in your ears again soon.