Courage
Take the worthwhile step you have been avoiding. Courage can mean speaking up, asking for help or setting a boundary.
The 6EIGHT field guide
We recognise our flaws. We take accountability. We step toward action. This is a practical workshop for showing up better for ourselves and the people around us.
Start the workshop20 minutes. One honest commitment.
01 / Get honest
Use these as a compass. You do not have to change every part of your life at once.
Take the worthwhile step you have been avoiding. Courage can mean speaking up, asking for help or setting a boundary.
Own your choices and their impact. Name your part, make a repair and follow through on what you can control.
Choose an action you can repeat. Make room for recovery, and return to the work when a day goes sideways.
Notice the people around you. Listen, share the load and help others rise without needing the credit.
02 / Choose where to begin
Open a part of your life. Read the examples, answer the reflection honestly, then choose one action for this week.
Name one habit or situation you have been avoiding. Ask for support if taking the first step alone feels too hard.
Notice the gap between your intentions and your choices. Own what is yours without turning a mistake into your whole identity.
Make a realistic promise: a short walk, a regular bedtime, a meal break or ten minutes on a task that matters.
Let people care for you, too. Reach out to someone you trust and be honest about how you are going.
Ask yourself
Where am I leaving something important on the table, and what is actually within my control today?
You planned a long workout, but you have had a demanding day and very little rest.
Check what you need. Choose a manageable walk or recovery, and set a realistic next session. Effort includes looking after yourself.
Choose one ten-minute action that serves the person you want to become.
Start the conversation you have been avoiding at a time you both agree on. Say what you feel and need without blame.
Acknowledge your part clearly: “I interrupted you. That was unfair. I want to listen properly.” Follow the apology with a change.
Create a small moment of undistracted attention. Ask how your partner is doing and listen before offering an answer.
Share the practical and emotional load. Notice a recurring responsibility, agree who owns it and carry it through.
Ask yourself
Would my partner recognise care in what I actually did this week?
You arrive home stressed and speak sharply when your partner asks for help.
Own the tone, ask for a short pause and agree when you will return to the conversation. Then return and hear what they need.
Ask, “What has felt heavy this week, and what would useful support look like?”
Be willing to say “I got that wrong.” Listen to a difficult feeling without rushing to dismiss it or make it disappear.
Model the behaviour you ask of them. If you lose patience, apologise without making the child responsible for your reaction.
Offer a small, reliable pocket of attention. Put the phone down and let them choose an age-appropriate activity.
Help them notice and include others. Praise kindness, honest effort and asking for help, as well as achievement.
Ask yourself
What are my children learning from how I respond when things do not go my way?
Your child has a disappointing game and is upset about a mistake.
Listen first. Ask what they enjoyed, what felt hard and whether they want help practising. Let your support be bigger than the result.
Give each child a few minutes of your full attention and ask one question about their day.
Make a meaningful call or have an honest conversation where contact is welcome and safe. Speak kindly about your limits.
Take responsibility for your communication and commitments. You cannot control how another adult chooses to respond.
Choose a realistic rhythm for keeping in touch. Follow through on one practical offer rather than making a promise you cannot sustain.
Ask what help is wanted. Respect their independence, and share responsibilities with other family members where possible.
Ask yourself
What would thoughtful, sustainable care look like in my family right now?
A parent needs help, but you are already stretched and cannot do everything.
Ask what matters most. Offer one task you can reliably do and discuss other support together. Be clear about your capacity.
Make one welcome check-in, or set one respectful boundary you need to maintain.
Check in when a friend seems different. Ask a sincere question and allow an honest answer.
Keep confidences, own a let-down and make a concrete repair. Avoid promising availability you cannot give.
Send the message, make the call or keep the plan. Small, consistent contact helps care show up in ordinary weeks.
Celebrate their progress. Include the friend on the edges and accept that people need different kinds of support.
Ask yourself
Who have I been meaning to check on, and what is stopping me?
A friend keeps declining invitations and you are tempted to stop asking.
Check in privately without pressure. Offer a simple option and let them know a reply or explanation is not owed.
Send one personal message that asks how someone is, without needing anything from them.
Turn up to a local activity or offer help with something that needs doing. Start as a learner if it is unfamiliar.
Respect shared spaces and the commitments you make. Leave things better where you can.
Choose a contribution you can sustain: a volunteer shift, a regular check-in or a little time helping a local group.
Make room for different abilities, backgrounds and starting points. Ask what would help someone feel included.
Ask yourself
Where could my time, skills or attention make a useful difference close to home?
Someone arrives at a park run for the first time and is standing alone.
Introduce yourself, explain what to expect and ask whether they would like company. Let them choose their own pace.
Welcome one newcomer or make one specific offer to a local group.
Offer help when it is safe and appropriate. Ask first, and get suitable assistance if a situation is beyond you.
Notice your assumptions. Be responsible for your tone and actions, including when you are frustrated or in a hurry.
Practise ordinary courtesy: make space, thank people, listen and leave shared places tidy.
Treat people with dignity without needing a return. Respect a no, and avoid turning someone else’s difficulty into content.
Ask yourself
How do I treat people who cannot offer me anything in return?
A service worker is dealing with a delay and a long queue.
Speak respectfully, explain what you need and give them room to help. Frustration is real; you still choose how you respond.
Offer one small act of consideration and let it be enough on its own.
Raise a concern early, ask the question you need to ask and speak up through the appropriate channels when something is unsafe.
Own an error with the facts, the impact and a proposed next step. Ask for help before a manageable problem becomes a bigger one.
Protect time for the task that matters. Make realistic commitments and communicate when priorities or capacity change.
Give credit, share useful knowledge and support colleagues without taking over their responsibilities or carrying an unsustainable load.
Ask yourself
Where would clearer communication or better follow-through help my team this week?
You realise a deadline may slip, and you are tempted to stay quiet until you can fix everything.
Tell the relevant person early. Explain what is known, offer options and agree the next step and update time.
Close one communication loop: give a useful update, clarify an owner or acknowledge someone’s contribution.
03 / Turn intention into action
Choose something small enough to do on a difficult day and specific enough to know when you have done it.
This exercise does not submit your answers to 6EIGHT or save them between visits. Copy or print your plan before leaving.
A seven-day commitment
At the end of seven days: What did I do? What did I notice? What will I repeat or change?
Tick a day when you have paused to review your commitment. This is a reminder, not a score of your worth.
0 of 7 daily check-ins
Tell the truth about what happened. Repair anything that needs repairing. Make the next step smaller if needed, and begin again. Accountability and kindness can exist together.
At the end of the week, ask: What did I do? How did it affect me or someone else? What will I repeat or change?
Try it together
Use the guide with a partner, family, team or crew. Allow about 25 minutes. Everyone chooses what to share; passing is always welcome.
Choose an area and notice one behaviour you want to change. Keep names and private details to yourself.
Each person shares one intention. Others listen without interrupting or trying to fix them. Ask: “What support would be useful?”
Make a specific, manageable commitment. Decide when you will do it and what a smaller version could look like.
Choose a time next week to ask how it went. Encourage honesty, notice effort and agree on the next step together.
Use this to take responsibility for your own actions. Let other people choose their commitments and respect their boundaries.
A quiet act of care counts. A difficult conversation counts. Starting again counts. Share a moment with the crew if it might encourage someone else.
Share a crew moment