When I speak about having positive people in your life, I often get asked how to deal with negative family members? Google ‘Toxic Relationships’ and you’ll find yourself confronted with dozens of blogs and advice on how to rid yourself of so-called ‘energy vampires’- you know the sort; those people who’s very energy is so …
I regularly get asked how to spot a bullshitter? We all know that ‘honesty is the best policy’ and that ‘the truth will out’ (just look at our former PM’s recent troubles!) but when it comes down to it, how honest are we really? Research tells us that on average we tell one to two …
Ok, so you’re running a business, and you obviously want it to be successful. Do you do everything within your power to make it so – or are you leaving it in the hands of the gods? In other words, do you believe that the success (or failure!) of your business is down to you; …
I recently read this article about camels on the horizon and from a fixed or growth mindset point of view I thought I’d be interested in people’s opinion on the theory? Please leave your comments below! The founder of Dubai, Sheik Rashid, was asked about the future of his country, and he replied, “My grandfather …
What’s better, competition or collaboration? The trait of being ‘competitive’ often gets a bad rap, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For some people, being competitive gives them an edge – the drive and motivation to succeed in all areas of life, love and business. These are the people who don’t take no for …
Moral dilemmas; Sometimes I feel like one of those agony aunts or uncles they used to have in the tabloid papers; the ones where people would write in and ask for advice on whether or not they should sleep with the milkman because they think their partner’s cheating with the barmaid. I recently had someone …
Love the one you’re with! A well-known comedian does a bit as part of his stand-up act where he talks about him and his wife ‘spending quality time together on their phones, at separate ends of the sofa’, and jokes that it’s not his wife’s fault that she’s, ‘not as interesting as a phone. No …
Learn to live on lentils. On seeing the philosopher, Diogenes, eating bread and lentils, fellow philosopher, Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king said, “If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.” Diogenes replied, “Learn to live on lentils and you will not have …
People don’t leave bad jobs; they leave devil bosses! I know it’s a well-worn phrase, but one that has a huge element of truth to it. A survey carried out at the tail-end of last year revealed that a staggering 75% of workers who left their place of employment did so because of an issue …
People Don’t Leave Bad Jobs; They Leave Devil Bosses! Read More »
I’ve got this mate called Jim whose mantra is, ‘I’ve just gotta get through the next couple of weeks and I’ll be ok,’ – and I’ve heard it so often that I’ve told him it’ll be on his bloody gravestone (he won’t mind me telling you this, I rip the piss out of him for …
You’ve probably heard a lot of people moaning about struggling to find a work-life balance- particularly those who are running their own business – and especially in the last couple of years. With more and more people working remotely from home, it’s true that the boundaries between work and everyday life are becoming blurred for …
You may well ask how can I choose a growth mindset? It doesn’t take a genius to work out that someone with a negative, defeatist mindset is going to find it pretty hard to achieve any success in life. We all know someone like that don’t we? – someone full of scepticism; someone who second …
Do you know why the right attitude is crucial in business? Knowing when and why to monitor or adjust your attitude isn’t something we’re taught as a rule in school – unless we count getting a detention for being a bit mouthy in class, or a kid in the year above putting us on our …
‘Paths are made for walking, not waiting,’ is really just a more ego-friendly way of saying that in order to get the things you want, you need to get up off your arse and actually move towards getting it – rather than waiting for it to come to you. Now, it has been said that …
If you’re a small business owner (or even a big business owner for that matter), you’ll have heard of the phrase ‘feast or famine’ associated with working for yourself; and if you haven’t, chances still are you’ll be familiar with its effects. It refers to the rollercoaster of highs and lows experienced by everyone running …
Have you ever noticed that there are quotes and sayings from the ancient stoics from over 2000 years ago? All of these quotes have got me wondering how they apply in the modern world in which we now live. So, I’ve decided to write a book with 25 lessons from those ancient philosophers and put …
Human beings make hundreds of thousands of decisions over the course of their lifetimes; from the small, daily decisions that barely even register: ‘What shall we eat?’ ‘Which route shall I take to work this morning?’….to the big, life changing, agonising-over-for-days type of decisions: ‘Should I quit my job?’ ‘Should we buy that house?’ ‘Should …
They say that conversation is a dying art, and in this age of text messages and social media I’m inclined to agree with them. Having said that, you can’t deny that conversing electronically is still conversing and entire relationships are forged and finished from a keypad. Regardless of how you prefer to talk to people, …
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how much we as a species rely on interaction with other human beings; To help one person everyday could be the new way forward! The internet is rife with memes, posts, and statuses about how much we miss hugs, about how epic it’s going to be when …
What comes first, marketing or sales is like the chicken or egg conversation! It’s an interesting conundrum because you need sales to sustain a business and without marketing of some description you won’t get any sales! The lack of leads is one of the biggest reasons small businesses fail in the first five years “These …
I was out walking with my wife and we were about 2 miles into a 5 mile walk when it started pouring down. After 15 minutes we were both soaked and she said “If I had known it was going to rain I’d have stayed at home!” I said “What’s the problem? Skin is waterproof …
Why Business Networking Is The New Sex ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’, that’s what we’re told isn’t it? But unless we are talking about something transactional – ie: a purchase, how can we expect to get what we want if we haven’t laid the groundwork first? In this case, by ‘groundwork’ I mean …
Here is a classic example of when all roads lead to procrastination. Years ago, a good friend of mine was commissioned to write an article for a mate’s website. He had been given quite a tight deadline, but it wasn’t a particularly long piece, and he was very familiar with the industry in question, so …
When I was a young man of 23, my business partner and best mate Jamie and I used to stop off on a Friday night and have a beer in a pub called the Queens Head and as we were enjoying our pint a young ex public school boy used to drop in and have …
Six things to look for when choosing a coach/mentor! Read More »
It’s coming up to 8 years since the unexpected passing of my mum. This weekend I caught myself reflecting on the morning when I received the news, and how since, lots of people who I barely know came up to me over the subsequent days and gave me a pat on the back, a hug, …
I’m glad you’re reading this… Because today I am going to share a powerful technique with you. But first I want you to imagine this… Imagine jumping out of bed each morning with a surge of motivation. With a huge smile on your face because of your passion of just being alive. Imagine feeling complete …
To “Show Me” connotates a certain pragmatic stubbornness, a no-nonsense approach to living, and a devotion to simple common sense, are you a walker or a talker? It sends a clear message that a smoke and mirrors approach won’t work with me, and that you will ONLY be believed once you can prove that the …
