Knock Knock, Caren Here: PG's Executive Assistant

When the cat is away, the mouse comes out to play... Yes, folks, Pieter is enjoying a well-deserved family holiday somewhere along South Africa's coastline, and has kindly handed me the keys to Coaching Weekly for this edition. It feels both exciting and slightly surreal to be writing to a community I've watched grow over many years.

Pieter and I go back around seventeen years. I first met him as a student while he was guest lecturing. A few years later, I joined his day tour business, PG Tops Travel & Tours, and had the privilege of helping launch what would become Luxury Safaris before my then-fiancé, now husband, and I moved abroad. At the beginning of this year, life came full circle as I joined Pieter once again, this time as Executive Assistant at PG Tops Coaching. And what a journey it has been!

A few weeks ago, Pieter wrote about the changing of seasons; not just those on the calendar, but the seasons of life, relationships and business. Some seasons ask us to build, others ask us to let go.

To me, this echoed like a church bell tolling at midnight.

Eight months ago, the time felt right to come home. After spending ten years abroad, we packed up and returned to South Africa with our two kids, a handful of suitcases and some wonderful memories to show for our time away. It was exciting, daunting, emotional and, if I'm honest, filled with expectations.

We imagined what life would look like when we got back. As with most major life changes, reality has looked quite different. Yet many of the things I worried about have become some of our greatest blessings.

Our son has settled into an English-speaking school with remarkable confidence, while our two-year-old daughter has spent six unexpected months at home with me before starting kindergarten next month. It wasn't part of the plan, but it has become one of the greatest gifts of our move home.

Yes, I know, life doesn't always unfold according to our plans, but that doesn't mean it unfolds any worse. Often, it simply unfolds differently. And in that gap lies gratitude.

That thought struck me this weekend as we enjoyed ice cream on the beach. After years of minus-20-degree winters with knee-deep snow and months of darkness, standing in warm South African sunshine in the heart of "winter" felt almost dreamlike.

Of course, not everything has been smooth sailing. The world remains uncertain. Conflicts emerge, fuel prices rise, inflation quietly works its way into everyday life, and there are days when progress feels slower than we'd hoped.

But during the mid-year reset, Pieter challenged us not to measure ourselves only against the goals we wrote down in January, but against the growth we've experienced along the way.

Looking back, I can see that we've accomplished far more than I'd given us credit for. And yet, none of us can single-handedly claim that credit either.

Conversations with friends, neighbours and colleagues keep me attuned to the fact that every family is carrying something. Every business is navigating uncertainty. Every leader spends time in valleys where the destination feels just out of sight. Our chosen communities do not remove the challenges, but they give us the strength to keep walking.

Perhaps that's where gratitude truly begins. Not when everything goes according to plan, but when we pause long enough to acknowledge those supporting us and really notice just how much has quietly gone right.

As we head into the second half of the year, my encouragement is simple. Look back before you look ahead. Celebrate the valleys you've already crossed. Be grateful for the people walking alongside you, and let that gratitude give you the confidence to pursue those big, hairy, audacious goals that still lie ahead.

After all, seasons will continue to change. The question is whether we'll be too busy chasing what's next to appreciate the season we're living in today.

Caren's Pro Tip:

This week, before you write your next to-do list, spend ten minutes writing down three expectations you had at the start of the year.

For each one, ask yourself:

• What actually happened?

• What unexpected blessing came from it?

• What have I learned that I couldn't have learned any other way?

You'll often discover that growth happened in places you weren't measuring. And viewing the same events through different lenses helps you see what you have unknowingly accomplished.

AI Prompt:

"Act as my reflection coach. Help me review the first six months of 2026. Ask me five questions, one at a time, about the expectations I had at the beginning of the year, what actually happened, what unexpected opportunities or blessings emerged, where I experienced the greatest personal growth, and what lessons I should carry into the second half of the year. Once we've finished, summarise the key themes you've observed and help me identify my three highest-impact priorities for the next six months."

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