SMARTER Goals Are Smarter Goals

Setting goals is something most of us do yet achieving them often proves elusive. Let's try and make our goals into SMARTER goals. Whether it's that New Year’s night fitness goal which faded away by February or the “I mean it this time” career aspiration that never quite materialised, the gap between setting goals and … Continue reading SMARTER Goals Are Smarter Goals

Personal Success Recipe

This is an article about achieving success with a simple yet highly effective and repeatable four-ingredient personal success recipe comprising goals, strategies, self-discipline, and motivation. Good recipes need good ingredients. Top-class chefs need practice to produce consistently good meals using those recipes. Invest the time and effort to become your own cordon bleu success chef … Continue reading Personal Success Recipe

Work Life Balance – Don’t Believe the Hype

Apparently work life balance is the thing that all modern workers should be striving for. We are led to believe that we should be constantly aiming to balance living as a healthily functioning, societally successful, well-adjusted, and self-actualised human on one end of the seesaw along with being an effective, efficient, and super-productive modern worker … Continue reading Work Life Balance – Don’t Believe the Hype

Personal Influence Defence System – PIDS

This well-known 17th century philosopher developed a Personal Influence Defence System. So should you. “De Omnibus Dubitandum” [Doubt everything] René Descartes My use of his quote may sound overly cynical to you but maintain full awareness that, on any given day, you will be subjected to myriad influencing attempts by others. Likewise, you will frequently … Continue reading Personal Influence Defence System – PIDS

Interpersonal Skills Are Your Edge

“Excellent interpersonal skills required.” That’s what the job description tells you. You just smile and think, “Yeah right. Just more word salad nonsense from the ‘Big Book of HR Buzzwords’ to pad out the advert.” You’ve got it covered. You didn’t get this far in the business without interpersonal skills – whatever they are. You’ll … Continue reading Interpersonal Skills Are Your Edge

Cognitive Filters

Cognitive filters (or mental filters) are a form of cognitive distortion. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines cognitive distortions as, “Faulty or inaccurate thinking, perception, or belief. Cognitive distortion is a normal psychological process that can occur in all people to a greater or lesser extent.” Cognitive filtering happens when we separate our positive thoughts, … Continue reading Cognitive Filters

Self-Discipline Drives Success

Self-discipline is the real power driving goal achievement, self-fulfilment, and success.   Your goals might range anywhere from losing a bit of weight all the way up to a complete identity-level life transformation. I’ve done both. Self-discipline got me there.   However, it takes a lot of self-discipline to develop a lot of self-discipline.   … Continue reading Self-Discipline Drives Success

Luck and Rigging Your Own Game

Luck is either something you get or something you don’t get, right?   You have no say at all in the luck stakes.   It either happens or it doesn’t.   It comes in two main flavours. Good luck and bad luck.   We all hope for “good” luck of course, and we’re generally happy … Continue reading Luck and Rigging Your Own Game

Betari Box Brilliance

The Betari Box packs a punch. It appears simple on the surface but, on closer inspection, turns out to have real power and nuance. Managing interpersonal skills can be tricky at the best of times. Analysing and understanding complex human interactions can be confusing and frustrating. I have yet to encounter a model more useful … Continue reading Betari Box Brilliance

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