Figuring it out, or getting found out?
Adam Grant, in a recent newsletter wrote this:Impostor syndrome: “I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s only a matter of time until everyone finds out."Growth mindset: “I don’t know what I’m doing yet....
View ArticleChanging my mind more
Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.– George Bernard ShawI came across this quote in the daily The World in Brief email I get from The...
View ArticleAre you energising or draining the people around you?
What is your impact on others? Are the people you interact with better off from their being around you, or worse? Do you elevate the people you interact with, or bring them down? When you’re with...
View ArticleWhen there’s too much to do and not enough time
There is always more work I could be doing. I’m yet to come close to clearing my to do list. And there are some things I really should have done by now, but I haven’t. Why? Because work isn’t...
View ArticleNew year, same old me
I’ve long passed on setting New Year’s resolutions. Though a fresh start and a line in the sand can give some momentum to making changes, it’s never enough. One year passing into the next, by itself,...
View ArticleBalancing MY work with OUR work
I’ve been thinking about productivity a lot lately. Both worries about my lack of it, and my dislike of the term.Let’s start with the latter.‘Productivity’ feels like such a cold, heartless,...
View ArticleThe gift of undivided attention
Being fully present to the people we’re with and the moment we’re inMost of us know by now that there’s no such thing as multi-tasking. We’re simply fast-switching between tasks, often in detrimental...
View ArticleValidate me
Who am I? It’s a question asked since the dawn of time. It’s a question every generation, every community, and every one of us wrestles with, both consciously and sub-consciously.Am I who my family...
View ArticleThe desire line
We all ‘want it all’, right? At the very least, very few of us don’t want more.A bigger house. A better job. A fancier car.The latest smartphone. Nicer clothes. More glamorous holidays.That list may...
View ArticleStill me
Is it possible to change? Is transformation attainable?It’s tempting to want to be definitive in our answer. We are quick to default to dualistic, black or white thinking. We take sides; we’re either...
View ArticleThe most irrelevant commandment
If I was to ask you, ‘Which is the most irrelevant of the Ten Commandments?’, which would you pick?I suspect that the second commandment might win any poll.Here’s what it says: ‘You shall not make for...
View ArticleStop!
Early this year, I read a powerful article by Rebekah Toh on the courage to stop, and stop properly. Here’s what she wrote:…it’s good to stop. Not just taking in less, but taking in none. Even one day...
View ArticleThe second step is easier
One of my intentions for 2023 has been to exercise more. It took until April for me to make a start, but I got there. Warmer, lighter mornings made all the difference for me!Having made a start, I...
View ArticleReason is not enough
I came across this wonderful, provocative quote a week or so ago by Dostoevsky, in his book, Notes from Underground:Reason is an excellent thing, there's no disputing that, but reason is nothing but...
View ArticleLove is a practice
Where does your mind go when your hear the word ‘love’?Is it to romance? To feelings? Or perhaps to passion? Maybe words like commitment, trust, attraction, or intimacy come to mind.There’s no right or...
View ArticleNever challenge someone from a place of ignorance
Hello 👋 It’s been a while. I went on holiday at the end of July and ended taking an extended summer break from my blog. It’s good to be back! How’s your summer been? (For those of you who are in parts...
View ArticleHeard, Seen, Read #9
Welcome to the weekend 😊 Here’s issue #9 of the things I’ve been listening to, watching, and reading lately. As always, do drop me a note with any of your recommendations. 📚 Big Swiss by Jen BeaginI...
View ArticleUnable to meet the emotional needs of my poorly wife
Living with someone who is long-term sick is hard. It’s not as hard as it is for the one struggling with illness, but it’s hard none-the-less. Over the last twelve years, my wife, Rachel, has struggled...
View ArticleReadable writing
I’m reading ‘Writing for Busy People’ by Jessica Lasky-Fink and Todd Rogers at the moment. I recommend it if your life involves any amount of writing—whether texts, emails, documents, or even books....
View ArticleEmbracing boredom
I came across a wonderful and provocative Bertrand Russell quote about the importance of boredom recently. Sarah Wilson highlighted it in her book ‘This One Wild and Precious Life’.A generation that...
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What success will never teach us
I wonder how good any of us are at accurately judging just how much we don’t know. I mean, who of us likes to admit the limits to our knowledge or understanding? And yet, what if the better we are at...
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Serendipity (and how I came to be writing a screenplay)
How a serendipitous moment triggered a 2024 goalI have a favourite app I like to use when I’m writing. It’s called iA Writer. I’m using it to write this now. Last week the makers announced the release...
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My top three fiction books from 2023
This is the first of two posts about the books I’ve read in 2023. Today, I am sharing my three favourite fictional books. Tomorrow, I will share my top three non-fiction books.Do let me know if you’ve...
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My top three non-fiction books from 2023
Yesterday, I shared my three top fiction books from 2023. Today I turn to the non-fiction books that struck a chord and have stayed with me this year. 3. WRITING FOR BUSY READERS by Todd Rogers and...
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Disassociating from Substack
I’ve deleted my Substack account – here’s whyLong-term readers of my blog will perhaps be aware I have used Substack in the past to share my writing. I moved away from it earlier this year as it became...
View ArticleSaving our social sharing for the people we know
I read a post on Threads recently that instantly rang true. Hank Green said, ‘If I could give any advice to young people on social media it would be “share with your friends, not with the world.”’He...
View ArticleThe bliss of not knowing
We have more access to stats, analytics, and data than ever. This is doing us more harm than good. We know how many people view or interact or engage with everything we post online. We then use that...
View ArticleDead people goals
Ever wondered if being positive all the time is actually bad for us?I know I have. And Susan Cain’s new book ‘Bittersweet’ is reaffirming that viewpoint.The book is about turning ‘sorrow into...
View ArticleThis new iPhone app will change your life!
Don’t worry, this isn’t spam!Nor is it an ad.And you don’t need to be concerned that all my blog posts are now going to get horrible clickbait titles.But… it got you reading this, right? 😉And I do...
View ArticleWriting struggles, work-life balance, top TV shows, and favourite books
It’s been a while! I always aim to blog at least once a month, but several months have now slipped by. The longer it goes, the harder it is to get going again. “I’ve got nothing to write about,” I...
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