Making Limbo Days Count

When Routine Vanishes

Whether through school holidays, transitions between educational stages, family upheaval, or unexpected disruptions, young people periodically lose the structure and routine that anchors their daily lives. Without that framework, days can become "endless limbo moments, where everything had become boring."

Students often miss the interpersonal engagement that school provides — the social connections, the sense of purpose, and the feeling that each day has direction. When that disappears, motivation can erode quickly.

Turning Limbo into Opportunity

Periods without structure can also become coaching opportunities. When young people identify what they genuinely want to accomplish — rather than being told what to do — coaches can help them establish personal goals and pursue them incrementally.

The key is small steps. Rather than overwhelming grand plans, coaching breaks ambitions into manageable actions. Each completed step restores a sense of motivation and autonomy, building momentum that counters the drift of unstructured time.

Real Impact

One student reported being "surprised about how much she changed in her approach towards her schoolwork in 4 weeks" and discovered "great ideas she actually had inside her head." The coaching process did not give her answers — it helped her find her own.

This is the essence of effective coaching: creating the conditions for young people to recognise their own capabilities and act on them.

The Science of Meaning and Accomplishment

Martin Seligman's research identifies meaning and accomplishment as crucial elements for human flourishing. When young people feel that their efforts matter and that they are making progress toward something personally significant, wellbeing improves markedly.

Elevate's CANDNA-v programme helps secondary students explore their personal values while building self-awareness skills. By understanding what matters to them, young people can navigate periods of uncertainty with greater resilience and purpose.