Stop and Recharge

I had to properly stop and recharge at the end of last year. The last few years have been brutal and for a variety of reasons which I’m not going to recount here. Not only me of course, pretty much everyone has been under the same cosh. I do love to work hard, and this … Continue reading Stop and Recharge

New Year Resolutions – 5 Sticky Tips

It's new year resolutions time. The last three hundred and sixty-five days have passed in a blur. You hear yourself saying, "After one last drink and the fireworks, I'm off and running on my new mission. And I mean it this time!" The clock strikes twelve, people sing songs and kisses get kissed. You swear … Continue reading New Year Resolutions – 5 Sticky Tips

Work Smart AND Hard

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard." Tim Notke Work smart AND hard instead of work smart NOT hard. One small word change, using "and" rather than "not", makes a world of difference to your outcomes. The problem with the "Work smart NOT hard" approach There is nothing wrong with the phrase "work … Continue reading Work Smart AND Hard

Get “Happy Places”

Where are my “happy places?” I have many happy places. They are all very close to my heart and I use them often. I rely on them. They are my special collection of memories and projections. My happy places are positive memories of physical locations, people, experiences, and events. My happy places are sometimes projections … Continue reading Get “Happy Places”

Output Leads to Growth

"A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." Colin Powell The hard truth about output and growth  There are some things to know about how output leads to growth. To get good at something you must put some hard work into it.  To become good at creating anything … Continue reading Output Leads to Growth

Perfection is a Myth

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” Alan Cohen. Fully embracing the idea that perfection is a myth has enabled me to become more productive and more confident than ever about my creative output quality and value. It is getting better for me all the time. My … Continue reading Perfection is a Myth

Compound Growth

What is compound growth and why should you even care? I often talk about using the "baby step" approach to achieve goals, make changes, and create new and lasting habits. I wrote a blog post on this which you can read here. There are several particularly good reasons why I recommend embracing the baby step … Continue reading Compound Growth

Bin Your Negativity

Why should you bin your negativity? Chronic and deep negativity put a huge dampener on my self-confidence for most of my life up until my mid to late thirties. Looking back on it I see all the wasted opportunities for happiness and achievement littering my memories like field rubbish after a music festival. I had … Continue reading Bin Your Negativity

Monitor Your Emotions

Why should you monitor your emotions? Emotions are a key part of your life. They can help you to understand yourself better, and they are also important for your understanding of other people. The human brain is a complex organ with many functions. It is the most important part of your body and without it, … Continue reading Monitor Your Emotions

Emotional Button Pushers

Have you ever encountered one of life’s emotional button pushers? Picture this scene. You have a meeting with the upwardly mobile and ambitious manager of the finance department. They regard you as internal competition in the promotion stakes. You and your team really need their green light for project X and you are not looking … Continue reading Emotional Button Pushers