The secret to growth is not shrinking
A fascinating study was done on economic growth which argues that more advanced countries do not actually grow faster – they just shrink less often. Growth overtime is characterised by advancement and decline – think of the old mantra “two steps forward, one step back”. But we default to asking “How can we grow more?” […]
Create your own sun
Is this your morning routine? You are enjoying the most beautiful sleep. Then SUDDENLY YOUR ALARM GOES OFF. It is pitch black. You are groggy and confused, and you’re fumbling in the dark to find your alarm that just won’t stop. You then pull yourself out of bed and try to find the light switch […]
How well do you represent yourself?
I think this is one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself. We all have a perspective of who we are and who we want to be. The trouble is that we tend to overlook how our actions align with this perspective (usually while wearing rose-coloured glasses). The question is powerful because when […]
Bring people on the journey
Many people that embark on a change notice a disconnect with those close to them. This is because they have really only known this version of you. Our relationships are a collection of shared experiences and expected behaviours, and when you start changing your behaviour it can be hard for those around you to understand […]
Praise to improve
Daniel Kahneman is a psychologist that is famous for studying judgement and decision-making. When he was working for the Israeli Air Force, he observed the flight instructors would criticise the cadets rather than praise. Their reasoning was when a pilot performed badly and received criticism, their next performance would usually be better. But when a […]
Thinking is required
Winnie the Pooh has a Thotful Spot where he goes to Think, Think, Think. While some may affectionately call him a silly old bear, this is actually a really effective strategy. A lot of personal development is simply giving yourself the time and space to reflect. It’s carving out moments where you can’t be distracted […]
It all doesn’t have to happen right away
When you commit to making a change, it’s important to appreciate that you’ve committed to going on a journey. You have a direction, you have the motivation, and the only thing you need to finish the journey is consistency. You may desire to get there quicker, and you want to push to make things happen, […]
Known knowns and known unknowns
When you’re trying to work out how to move forward with a matter in your life, get a piece of paper and create two columns. Title one side “Known Knowns”, and the other side “Known Unknowns”. “Known Knowns” are all the things you know that you know about the matter. You may list what you […]
Treat yoself, and enjoy it!
We are very good at treating ourselves. We have a very good idea of what we like and we know what will rock our world. What we’re not good at though is treating ourselves and fully enjoying it. We either indulge and then feel like we shouldn’t. Or we overindulge and feel guilty. Or we […]
Life is a daring adventure
The chances of you being here today are infinitesimally small. Millions and millions of years have come before us, and every element had to go exactly right, for you to be part of this singular moment. And then in an instant, this moment will be gone, followed by millions and millions of years as the […]