The Most Genius Gift You can Give yourself This Christmas? Playing.

The Most Genius Gift You Can Give Yourself This Christmas? Play.

My biggest business breakthrough this season didn’t arrive in a meeting room.
It arrived on the living-room floor.

I was sitting with my son, building a GraviTrax marble run—layered tracks, clever mechanisms, little pieces that only work when everything is aligned. At first, I thought I was just helping. But somewhere between balancing a suspension bridge and resetting a tiny catapult, I realised something:

This wasn’t just play.
It was a mirror of my work.

Building something layered.
Figuring out flow.
Noticing where things stall.
Seeing how one small adjustment changes everything.

The same skills I use in coaching.
The same mindset I rely on in business.

And then the magic happened:

Because I was playing, my brain relaxed.
The answers I’d been trying to think my way into suddenly showed up—quietly, naturally—almost as if they’d been waiting for me to stop trying so hard.

Why did this happen? Neuroscience has a clue.

When we push, strain, or overthink, the brain shifts into protection mode.
The prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for clarity, problem-solving, and insight—dimms.

That’s why effort alone often leads to stuckness.

But both play and coaching activate a completely different system:

✔ The default mode network — where big-picture thinking and perspective emerge

✔ The insight network — where new ideas and solutions spark to life

These networks switch on when you feel:

• relaxed
• safe
• curious
• unpressured
• open
• playful

This is why, in a good coaching session, ideas suddenly connect.
And it’s why, when your hands are busy and your mind softens, clarity appears as if from nowhere.

Coaching gives you focus and reflection.
Play gives you freedom and movement.
Together, they unlock genius.

Play Isn’t a Distraction. It’s a Doorway.

Just like a marble run, every system in our lives—teams, families, businesses—depends on flow.

When one piece doesn’t fit, the whole system stalls.
And often, the fix doesn’t come from more effort… but from a different state of mind.

So this season, if you’re holding:

a decision
a dream
a new idea
a system you’re trying to build
or something that feels frustratingly stuck…

Try playing.

Paint. Build. Cook. Walk.
Connect puzzle pieces. Do something for the simple joy of it.

Let your body move while your mind rests.
Let delight loosen what effort has tightened.
Let insight find you instead of you chasing it.

Because play isn’t time-wasting.
It’s clarity in disguise.
It’s wisdom arriving sideways.
It’s your nervous system opening the door to what your mind couldn’t reach.

This Christmas, your most productive move might be the most joyful one.

Try it—and if something clicks into place,
I’d love to hear what you discover.

Sarah Cretegny.  ICF ACC Accredited Coach, Trained Team Coach and Founder of Coach Your Wild 

I help people go from feeling fear to choosing courage. My coaching practice is a creative oasis in the wildness of life – your thinking partner for what matters most. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and coaching virtually globally. I am committed to making brave spaces so individuals and trusted teams can discover what they’re truly capable of and have transformational impact.  www.coachyourwild.com