Have you ever felt jealous of a friend?
When they look amazing, when they effortlessly overcome a challenge, how their days or life look and the things they get to do. Have you ever felt, even slightly, that you wished you had an element of what they had? Tell them. Whenever you feel a pang of envy, tell your buddy and dig into why. What is your emotion trying to tell you? W...
What’s possible in ten years?
People overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years. Bill Gates said this, and he’s got a point. Trying to fit too much into a year is common. Planning the next ten is rare. But it makes a lot of sense. Thinking about what’s possible in ten years means you can see how this year's goa...
Ask great questions, have a great life
The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. The reason why so many people are unhappy is because they haven’t asked the question, “How could I be happy?” The reason why so many people are stuck in jobs they hate, working with people they don’t believe in, is because they haven’t asked, “What are my options?...
Take your power back
Are you giving away your power? Here’s how you might be: - Letting your day be hijacked by answering your phone when it rings - Waiting to see what someone says instead of planning your next move - Hearing breaking news and instinctively reacting to it - Postponing your plans until someone else has decided what they want - Letting some...
Showing up online
Showing up online is no fun at all if you take yourself too seriously. You have to get perspective and you have to create distance. You are not your Instagram follows. You are not your retweet count. You are not your impression tally. Metrics are useful and interesting but they don’t define your self worth or who you are as a person. I...
Forgetting what you learned
You might know the five chimps theory, that you can guess the personality of one chimp by looking at the five it hangs out with. But there’s more. Say you take that one chimp out the group and teach them a new, more effective way of doing something like cracking into a coconut. When the chimp is reintroduced to the old group, you might...
Hermit mode
When you want to get a lot of stuff done, sometimes only hermit mode will do. Hermit mode is what I have started doing every so often, in six week periods, to focus on the big things and do none of the little things. During hermit mode, you ruthlessly cut out everything that doesn't contribute to your mission. That includes chatting in...
Stop saying well done
The problem with saying things like “great job” or “well done” to a team member is that it’s very likely that they wouldn’t say the same back to you. Praise tends to only flow in a downward direction, from higher level team members to lower level ones. It’s the same with criticism. A manager might criticise their team member in an appr...
How to stop caring about what other people think of you
Stop caring about what other people think of you by not caring about what other people do. That careless driver What someone is wearing What that celebrity did What that politician said The more you avoid passing judgment on everything around you, the less important judgment becomes and therefore the less weight you put on it. If you a...
Who will you be in 2023?
This week it was my birthday. Journaling on my birthday is a personal tradition. I like reflecting on the year and thinking about what the next will hold. This year, this was my journal prompt: who will I be in 2023? It’s very likely that what got you here isn’t what will get you to your next stage. I feel this right now. The traits th...
My prediction for the future of work
It’s asynchronous. Hardly any communication will be done in real-time meetings or calls. The companies that will grow the most are the ones that can onboard clients really well without “jumping on a call.” Those that can work with customers without any real-time back and forth. Why? Because no one wants to jump on a call. No one benefi...
Too available is worse than unavailable
I was too scared to go on holiday What if my team needed me? What if our clients needed me? What if something bad happened? It never seemed to make sense. I had a business to run. Then I realised that being too available was worse than being unavailable. It created dependencies It stopped my team being resourceful It kept me trapped in...
The purpose of role models
Having successful role models can be dangerous. Role models should inspire you. Role models should not make you feel envious or jealous in any way. The power of having role models across different areas of life and business is that they make you realise that you can do it too. Anything! Not to make you feel unworthy or separate from th...
Ten journal questions for you today
Journaling changed my life and I recommend it to everyone. If you're not sure how to get started, here are ten questions you could journal on right now. 1. What does my perfect day look like? 2. What are the things I do that I don’t want to? 3. What really matters? 4. What will I regret not doing? 5. Looking back in one year’s time, wh...
Overnight success
No one is an overnight success. It just doesn’t happen. For every story you hear that looks like an overnight success is happening, there were probably years and years of planning, working, banging on doors and getting rejected. It’s only from consistent action in the right direction that momentum moves and then it starts to snowball. ...
There’s little point making little plans
There’s little point making little plans. There is little point because no one cares. But more importantly, you don’t care. Making goals and plans that don’t fill you with excitement is pointless, because you won’t be motivated to see them through. Even if you do, you won’t care enough to celebrate or they won’t make a noticeable diffe...
The fastest way to be happy and the fastest way to be unhappy
The fastest way to be happy is to feel grateful for what you have. By shutting your eyes, picturing something you’re thankful to have in your life and thinking about that one thing. Then another thing. Then another. Nothing is ever so bad that you can’t find three things to be grateful for. The fastest way to be unhappy is to compare y...
Dream bigger
If you truly believe you’re onto something amazing, that your product or service or invention can genuinely save lives or make people happy or solve a problem; dream big. Be audacious with your plans. Go after the huge goals and the achievements that you can't quite fathom coming true. It’s so often the case that doing things in a bigg...
Who is the boss of you?
Ask yourself this question: who is in charge? Is it your clients? Do you jump as soon as they click their fingers? Are they demanding your time, energy and headspace above what you promised? Are you working with them or for them? Are you doing your best and being appreciated or will your efforts never be enough? Is this how you picture...
Their preparation
If someone else didn’t prepare, and now they’re rushing around trying to sort something out, it’s not your problem. It’s so easy to get an urgent request and fall for it. I definitely have done. I have moved my plans to help someone else who said it was urgent. Until I realised that it’s their lack of preparedness that brought the dram...
Why do you really get triggered?
You know when you’re triggered, right? Someone says something, someone does something, something happens and all of a sudden you turn into a different person. You’re riled, ready to pounce and react. What is that? It’s really easy to think it’s about the thing that just happened. So it’s that stupid driver or it’s that stupid comment t...
“It’s not for you”
“It’s not for you” is what great businesses are happy saying to people who aren’t their ideal customer. For some people, the idea of turning customers down can make them uncomfortable. Rather than exclude a buyer who isn’t quite right, they bend their business around this person. They make exceptions, agree to concessions and they go a...
Ten things I know for sure (this week)
1. Home is wherever you happen to be 2. Overthinking is a trap that spirals until it’s too late 3. There are simple solutions to most problems 4. A decision-making crossroad is a good problem to have 5. If you can’t decide, the answer is neither 6. There’s never a downside to making people feel good 7. There is no competition, only col...
Did you have it easy?
Having it easy If you had it easy, you’ve been given a gift. If you grew up in a decent neighbourhood, did well in the parent lottery, never wondered where your next meal was coming from and had nearly everything you wanted, all of this was a gift. Maybe you had a few struggles and a little drama, but nothing huge. If you live a comfor...
Happy people don’t hate
A truly happy person will never try to bring you down. They don’t see separation; they don’t show judgment. They are only ever rooting for your success. They are on your side. You can feel it, you can feel their energy. They aren’t trying to change you or prove you wrong or compete, they are there, next to you, working through things w...
The easiest road has the least to offer
If something is easy it’s probably not super lucrative because lots of people have figured it out and are doing it. That restaurant where it’s always easy to get a table. The publications it’s easy to get featured in. The career path that’s super simple and straightforward. All have so little to offer compared to the ones that just req...
What we hold onto
What we hold onto is probably what holds us back. Believing that you have to keep all those sentimental possessions is holding you back from downsizing your house or travelling. Believing that you have to go to that same hairdresser might be holding you back from having great hair by a new one. Believing that you have to fulfil all the...
Airplane mode
There is something magical about being completely unavailable. It makes you feel lighter – freer – that no one can reach you no matter what happens. The possibilities for your time are endless because only you can decide how you spend it. I believe the world would be a better place if we spent at least 50% of our waking hours on airpla...
We didn’t succeed because of schooling
You and I, we didn’t succeed because of schooling. We succeeded in spite of schooling. School didn’t teach us how to question, how to be resourceful, how to think for ourselves. We learned that somewhere else. School actually taught us conformity. It taught us comparison. It taught us how to stand in line and follow a syllabus to a mar...
Predict your future
Predicting your future is easy. Look at what you do every single day and project that forward over a year, then five, then ten. If you argue with your partner every day, where will your relationship be in a year? If you overeat, if you don’t get enough sleep, if you skip the gym, if you leave the work that matters until last. It’s obvi...
People will stare so get used to it
If you’re trying to do anything exceptional, anything cool, anything of note, people will be watching. So you might as well get used to it and you might as well enjoy it. Because what’s the alternative? That you operate so far within your comfort zone that you never do anything remarkable? And no one ever stares because you’re… unremar...
There is another way
When you start a business it’s great: designing your brand, creating your products or defining your service; planning how you’ll approach customers and securing those first few projects. Fun, focus and learning new things every day. You love telling people about your venture, and every new connection or sale you make is exciting. The h...
Artists and critics
Football matches have twenty two people on the pitch and maybe fifty thousand people in the stands. This kind of ratio holds for artists and critics. Hardly anyone creates, hardly anyone makes great work and puts it out there but thousands watch and thousands criticise. And what’s worse is that just the existence of critics is what mea...
Change your trajectory by changing your geography
The fastest way to change your trajectory is to change your geography. Sure, you can put in place new habits, a new exercise routine, you can read new books and listen to new podcasts and meditate every morning. But the thing that will change your trajectory and life in the biggest way possible is changing where you physically are. Bei...
Stop checking the news before you do deep work
Letting yourself become distracted with other people’s business before you’ve done anything that actually matters is the biggest recipe for disaster there is. There is nothing happening in the world that you need to know about before you have worked on your own business or career or life. Nothing. It’s crazy to let your success be hija...
The five factors that hold entrepreneurs back
Here's my hypothesis. Entrepreneurs who set up their company and exited within ten years, achieving financial freedom within that time, followed a specific route through the four distinct stages of the Ten Year Career framework: 1. Execute 2. Systemize 3. Scrutinize 4. Exit Entrepreneurs who don’t follow this plan are inhibited along t...
Create for a previous version of yourself
This way of producing is a gamechanger. What so many people do is they think about their target audience and what content they might want to read or watch. But it’s often wildly inaccurate. Aside from quizzing your audience like crazy the best way to create content that resonates is to imagine you are speaking to a former version of yo...
Give your people responsibilities, not tasks
Ticking off tasks all day long does not make for happy people or exceptional results. Even if most roles can be reduced to tick boxes it doesn’t mean they should. Instead, give people responsibilities, then guide and train them in fulfilling their responsibilities. It’s someone being in charge of operational excellence or client satisf...
If someone else can do it, don’t do it.
So many business owners don’t ever achieve what they are capable of because they can’t let go of those tasks and projects that they believe only they can do. And the belief is not true. They could train someone else up to do it just as well, if not better, and they could keep growing and progressing themselves. When entrepreneurs are t...
Remember the people who didn’t believe in you
One day they will tell everyone how they met you and used to know you. One day that will happen. I don’t believe in doing anything just to prove someone wrong but I do believe that we have probably all been underestimated at some point and it makes for quite funny stories. It also serves as a reminder that you are more than other peopl...
Reading business books does not improve your business
Reading business books does not improve your business. Reading business books gives you all the information, but that information is no use at all if you do nothing with it. And that’s the problem, that the knowledge requires execution – it requires taking it and applying it to your situation. But here’s another problem: the business b...
[Free workshop] Reimagine business, design your life, fast track yo...
I’m super excited to tell you about my new book, Ten Year Career. It’s designed to help entrepreneurs fast track to freedom by identifying where they are in their business journey and taking exactly the right action to progress. The foreword is written by Derek Sivers, one of my favourite thinkers, and the book is available to pre-orde...
Settler or explorer?
There are two types of people, settlers and explorers. Settlers like to progress towards stability, so they look to secure that perfect job, dream house, amazing partner. They sign contracts and make long term decisions and enjoy security. Most marketing is aimed at settlers. It’s those adverts with the perfect family or the perfect ho...
Just because you are good at something
...doesn’t mean you have to do it. This is a huge factor in businesses that stay small and owners who don’t progress. They mistakenly think that because they are good at something, they should keep doing it. So instead of rising up in their role, hiring people, delegating, outsourcing, finding bigger and bigger problems to solve, they ...
Intentional networking
At the start of your business journey, anything goes. You’re prolifically meeting people, following up and building your network. You’re going for coffees, having your brain picked and attending multiple networking events each week. It’s unsustainable but essential. In the beginning, it’s necessary to be everywhere. Many entrepreneurs,...
The best measure of future success
…is character. Not exam grades Not IQ Not college education Not work experience Character. Future stars show star quality in their first jobs. Even when they are doing such simple, menial tasks they are doing them exceptionally because it’s in their nature to do so. They can’t not do something well, it just wouldn’t feel right to them....
Luck always plays a part
Luck always plays a part in success and failure and it’s so stupid to think that it doesn’t. Anyone who has reached any level of success has benefitted from luck in some way. Lucky timing, lucky place, lucky chance, beginner’s luck. They could have been lucky to happen to sit next to that exact person at that exact time and have opened...
Managing your energy
You can influence how much energy you have every single day. It’s in the people you hang around with The news you choose to ignore Where you live The foods you eat How much perspective you can maintain when problems enter your world. You can choose what you do in the first hour upon waking Which notifications you have turned on How ava...
Uncertainty tolerance
Your brain is a prediction machine, meaning that when things don't go as planned, there can be significant consequences. You’ll have experienced this many times. That tight feeling in your chest when receiving adverse news. That sinking feeling when a decision you made starts to look like a costly mistake. That anxiety when your schedu...
Relentless focus on the basics
Relentless focus on the basics is what separates winners in life and business from people who have massive plans but never get anywhere. Novak Djokovic focuses on just hitting the ball, really well. Kobe Bryant focused on free throw after free throw, thousands of repetitions on that basic shot. Tiger Woods played putt after putt after ...
The prolific production formula
Creating content is one of the best ways to grow your business. Becoming a content creation powerhouse involves three steps: ideation, execution and delegation. Ideation is your way of getting new ideas for what you create. Carry a notebook, meet new people, read new books, become inspired in some way. Execution is where you focus on c...
Three simple questions on whether you should hire someone
Do they get it? Do they want it? Do they have the capacity? These are from the book Traction and they are simple yes or no questions. Do they get what we are trying to achieve here? Do they want to be part of this team, do they want the responsibility? Do they have the capacity to do whatever this role entails? You want three yesses, o...
Will this put me out of business?
Is this nothing to worry about or will this put me out of business? That’s the assessment every business owner has to make whenever any problem is brought to them. Do I ignore this and get on with what I was doing or do I drop everything to manage this risk and make sure my company survives it? People get this wrong. They ignore someth...
The future is async
Synchronous communication relies on two parties being available at exactly the same time. Synchronous communication methods, such as meetings, telephone or Zoom calls, must be arranged. Both parties must be physically and mentally present. During this type of communication, questions require immediate answers or there is a subsequent f...
What your responsiveness says about you
Generally speaking, the faster someone responds to emails the less progress they are making. It makes sense. In many cases, people who don’t quickly respond to emails are busy honing their craft. They are making their art, serving their clients, out and about. The plan their day in advance rather than let emails hijack their time. If l...
The richest person I know
My friend Jason told me that, growing up, his goal was always, “to be the richest person I know.” He’s a multimillionaire on his way to more. But the goalposts keep moving. He now knows people with their own jets, their own islands, running billion-dollar companies and making a huge difference in the world. Jason’s goal is still the sa...
Who are you taking business advice from?
Ninety six percent of companies are turning over less than one million dollars. Four percent are turning over between one and ten million. Only 0.4 percent are at between ten and fifty million and only 17,000 total are turning over more than fifty million dollars. If your goal is to build a hundred-million-dollar company, there are few...
Find your tribe by becoming your tribe
Step one: become your tribe Figure out who you are. Unapologetically be that person. Do the stuff you’ve always wanted to do. Show up and don’t censor yourself. Step two: find your tribe You’re now on the same frequency as your kind of people. You become a magnet for your ideal tribe members. You find people you align with like never b...
The confusion of entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship can be a minefield. Whilst some seem to have it completely figured out, others are totally lost. For every glossy headline or perfect headshot there’s another story of struggle, of covering up the cracks or making it through a rollercoaster time. For every founder genuinely nailing it there’s another simply winging it....
Catching yourself dreaming
We are 99% living in dreamland. Daydreaming, predicting the future, going around with our head in the clouds thinking about the past and having conversations with ourselves. Meditation teaches separation from daydreams. Rather than identifying with them, think of yourself as merely a thinker of your thoughts. Tamara Levitt, Calm App’s ...
Information is not the obstacle
If I want to learn how to write a book I can find the information. If I want to learn how to start a business I can find the information. If I want to learn how to lose weight I can find the information. The barrier to having each of these things is not informational, it’s always emotional. Perhaps I know how to write a book, but I’m s...
What do you do except hang around the kitchen?
I recently listened to entrepreneur-turned-lecturer A.J. Wasserstein talk about life after he sold his company and found it resonated hugely. He digs into the feelings that someone might have after exiting. He categorises post-exit entrepreneurs into five distinct groups including the do it againer, the philanthropist and the investor....
Async communication, joining an entrepreneur community, habits of l...
Here are some of the articles written for Forbes during the past few months: Asynchronous communication: the secret weapon of entrepreneurs who get more done Companies and individuals are embracing asynchronous communication to take control of their day, concentrate better, get more done and avoid being booked solidly at the expense of...
Procrastination and perfectionism
Both procrastination and perfectionism are blockers of progress and signs of fear. They block progress because they stop you shipping your work. They prevent you from getting started or they convince you it’s not good enough to share. They are signs of fear manifesting as productivity problems. Fear of being seen, fear of rejection, fe...
Hiring a boss
Artist Andy Warhol once wrote that if he could have anyone hired on a retainer, it would be a boss. “A boss who could tell me what to do, because that makes everything easy when you’re working.” When you work for yourself, there’s no one telling you what to do. You can pretend your clients are your boss, or your editor or audience, but...
The effort is the reward
Enjoying the input beats anxiously awaiting the outcome. You get to do your work You get to lead your team You get to solve that problem You get to do this. The reward is simply a nice addition. The success is a bonus The money is a bonus The recognition is a bonus. If the metrics didn’t materialise, if the prizes didn’t appear, if the...
What are you capable of?
"What are you capable of?" is a question that I am absolutely obsessed with. The answer to the question is actually: a lot. What am I capable of? What are you capable of? What are we capable of? So much! So much more than we even know right now. But it's not that easy. I think that if we knew what we were capable of - if we realised th...
The hidden benefit of 2FA
In order to log into any software, I must receive a code to a phone number that I type in to the login page. Two-factor authentication is switched on for everything I use, and not just as a security precaution. The real value is that is adds another step. A pause. Clicking to get that code then going to find my phone and enter it force...
Perspective
When you’re on a long haul flight you can choose to focus on: The person in front who reclined their seat at the earliest opportunity. The person behind who is tapping away at the back of your headrest like a woodpecker. The baby two rows in front that is screaming at the top of its voice. The fact that your food is dry and the turbule...
Waking minutes
Since last week, I’m keeping track of a new metric. The metric is this: The number of minutes between when my alarm clock goes off and when I check my phone. The goal is that the number grows. The goal is to completely remove checking of any sort from my morning. Within “check my phone” is email, social media, WhatsApp, any messaging a...
The hardest thing
The hardest thing about starting a business is winning the first client. The hardest thing about exercising every morning is getting started. The hardest thing about speaking on stage is the walk up the stairs. The hardest thing about writing a book is showing up at the blank page. The hardest thing about making new friends is the open...
Prepare to be lucky
We pretty much get what we expect. The optimist and the pessimist are both correct. They each find the world they are looking for. It's a new week and you don’t yet know what it will bring. Just for now, throw hopes and dreams out the window and prepare to be lucky. Notice what enters your consciousness when you’re open to possibilitie...
Reminded, not taught
Sometimes we don’t need to learn anything new, we just need to remember what we know. I guess it’s why people have tattoos on their forearms, signs on their wall and desktop backgrounds on their computers. Constant, daily reminders to bring the best you to every situation. Here are my reminders. The truths that the best version of me l...
In the helicopter
If I’m feeling overwhelmed with detail I picture myself in a helicopter, seeing the situation from afar. It’s a way of regaining perspective and shifting my attention to the big picture and the long term. In Frozen, Elsa sings, funny how some distance makes everything feel small. A friend likes to think of the earth and space, remember...
1. Focus and attention are the best gifts you can give. 2. There’s little point making little plans. 3. Not everyone cares for coupon codes or haggling. 4. Insecurity is loud and confidence is quiet, not vice versa. 5. Owners of smelly pets don’t always realise their pets smell. 6. People you have never met are rooting for your success...
A hundred million dollar idea
After selling my marketing agency and taking some time to decide what’s next, I began a phase of idea generation with my husband, Ben. After deciding I wanted to get back in the arena, the plan was to come up with a hundred million dollar idea that we could throw the kitchen sink at. Each of those thought processes is explained in its ...
Always something better to talk about
Last week I was at an event with someone we’ll call Pandemic Pete. Pete was angry and wanted everyone to know. He had opinions to share. Masks, vaccines, travel restrictions. The “scamdemic” had cost him bigtime and it was time someone paid. Unfortunately, the only people paying for Pete’s misfortune were the people he was ranting at, ...
Hey, it’s okay…
If you haven’t got it all figured out If your family don’t understand your work If you pretty much live in activewear If you have embarrassing taste in music If you leave the event to get an early night If you don’t want to “jump on a call” If you stay on airplane mode all weekend If you opt out of the round If you turn down the invita...
The biggest indicator of long-lasting relationships
John Gottman began his research in 1986 when he set up the “Love Lab”. There, he invited couples in and hooked them up to electrodes whilst asking them a series of questions whilst they were sitting next to each other. After questioning, he secretly labelled them masters or disasters. Gottman found that the masters were still happily t...
Your zone of genius
The zone of genius concept is one way of discovering how you are uniquely placed to serve. Various versions exist, but I like the Gay Hendricks depiction of a three-circle Venn diagram. Complete the zone of genius exercise by drawing the Venn diagram and writing the following in each circle: Circle one: What you enjoy Circle two: What ...
Making space for what you want
If you’re in a job you hate, there’s no room for the job you love. The same with a relationship, your home or the city you live in. The space is already occupied, so the option that will truly make you happy has to work harder to reach you. It has to push past your status quo to make itself seen. Not changing is easy. Staying still fee...
Your culture book
The book Delivering Happiness, written by the late Tony Hsieh, gives fascinating insights into how he built Zappos, the company he led as CEO, that was bought for $1.2 billion by Amazon in 2009. Zappos’ focus on culture was so strong they invented something they called a culture book. Tony emailed everyone in the team to ask for 100-15...
What do you train for?
The athlete trains to complete. To run the race like never before. To keep their cool in front of the crowd. The salesperson trains to close. To plan, pitch and seal the deal. To handle the objections and complete the sale. The grand master trains to checkmate each opponent. The lawyer trains to fight in court. The boxer trains for the...
The gap
Oprah once said she doesn’t want “to just be successful in this world… to make a mark or have a legacy.” Instead, she wants “to fulfil the truest, highest expression of [her]self as a human being.” Powerful. Some questions: Am I fulfilling the highest, truest expression of myself as human being? Are you fulfilling the highest, truest e...
Five questions to truly know yourself
Once you know yourself, everything changes. You have more confidence. You are happier in your own skin. You cannot be side-tracked or feel shiny object syndrome or FOMO. You cannot be confused or sad. Once you know yourself, the rest is obvious. You know what you’re here to do. Knowing yourself really matters. Here are five questions t...
Observations of truly happy people
1. They see the best in others Happy people don’t put people down. Happy people don’t hate. They give the benefit of the doubt and they look for the good in whoever they meet. You won’t catch them gossiping or hating on anyone. 2. They know who they are Happy people aren’t trying to impress everyone else because they are indifferent to...
Twenty lessons learned writing twenty books
Since 2013 I’ve written (and co-written) twenty books including four children’s storybooks, three workbooks, two guided journals and, most recently, one book of morning affirmations. Two have been published, seventeen are self-published, and one will be published in July with Hodder & Stoughton. Here are the twenty lessons I learned wr...
When to celebrate
In 2018 I was in Australia, supporting my friend as she competed in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. One day I watched an England badminton player called Raj Ouseph play a men’s singles match against a Singaporean. The rules of badminton state that you must win by two clear points in a close set. During the match Raj faced four match...
How to set goals and achieve them
Set a goal and write it down. Then stare at it. Imagine yourself achieving it. Imagine what you have written down being your reality. Assess how you feel. If a goal is worthwhile it will fill you with excitement. You’ll feel it in your whole being and you’ll be raring to get started. If it fills you with anything less, you’re probably ...
This year’s mantra
The word mantra has two Sanskrit roots. 'Manas' meaning ‘mind’ and 'tra' meaning ‘tool’. A mantra is a tool of thought. At the start of each year I choose a mantra. This mantra will sum up the year and underpin what I do. In 2018 it was: If you’re going through hell, keep going. Told to me by a friend, I think this is a Churchill quote...
My top 5 business-changing decisions
1. Finding a millionaire mentor This mentor helped me think bigger and in better ways. He saw things differently. He could differentiate true opportunities from distractions in disguise and I learned so much from every chat. 2. Joining a mastermind group Weekly meetings, with purpose and structure, with four other entrepreneurs traveli...
I might not get this chance again
My favourite athlete is New Zealand rugby player Beauden Barrett. He started playing for the All Blacks in 2012 and has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award twice. When asked about how it feels to be selected for the national team, Beauden said that he never says no to an offer of playing for the All Blacks. He explained that h...
We all want the same things
I have joined a new gym and it’s busy. Full of people. Every machine is taken, there’s kit everywhere and a queue for the squat rack. The first few visits filled me with dread. Everyone annoyed me. I was frustrated having to wait around for equipment. People took ages doing their sets and they played on their phones for too long in bet...
Make your vocation your vacation
Create a life you don’t need to take a holiday from. There are many unhealthy cultures that permeate business advice, but the most widely-accepted is, in my opinion, actually the worst. Grinding and hustling all year except for a handful of “well-earned” breaks, including Christmas, is practised and recommended by entrepreneurs and bus...
Nailing your colours to the mast
Some people support political parties like they support a sports team. Their party can do no wrong. They remain loyal no matter who is in charge or what they say they will do. The devoted supporter is challenged on their beliefs and doesn’t want to show weakness, so defends policies they don’t quite agree with, to save face. The politi...
"Was I weird enough?"
An incredibly intelligent friend with ADHD and Asperger's told me that he often, after leaving a social event, asks himself: was I too weird? I think he's asking the wrong question. The people that stick in your memory are those who stand out. Of the thousands of Uber journeys I've taken, I remember the drivers with the stories. Of all...
Throwing the kitchen sink at it
One key difference between entrepreneurs that make it and those that don’t is focus. Putting all of their energy in as few directions as possible (ideally one) in order to go further. Switching between projects doesn’t just cost your own brainspace. It costs your brainspace in other people’s heads. They don’t know how to help you. They...
Changing your mind
When politicians change their mind it’s seen as negative. Inconsistent. A U-turn. They are expected to stick to their convictions so they don’t look like they made an initial misjudgement. Even for the rest of us, there’s a stigma. We are reminded we used to want to live in Spain, we never wanted a dog, we wanted to study law at univer...
The mushroom effect
The mushroom effect is where, in the absence of big problems, small problems appear bigger. It’s molehills dressed as mountains. It’s the phenomena of needing something to worry about and inventing issues. Perhaps our minds feel uneasy without fear. We’re so used to low level anxiety that when it’s missing we believe it’s cause for con...
How do you want to feel today? [New book]
In the depths of the UK's first lockdown and with the uncertainty of business, life and travel, I wanted to create some certainty. After reading about the concept of a premeditation strategy (where you choose, in advance, what you will make happen) I loved the idea of being able to decide what type of day I could have. This book is an ...
Staying stocked
Athletes cannot train or compete well on empty stores. They need to be well-rested, fed and hydrated. They need to know the technique and the rules and have developed the muscle mass or endurance. Entrepreneurs cannot lead well on empty stores. They need strong intuition, experience, and examples ready to draw on to choose the way forw...
1. Early nights are the new luxury. 2. Once defined, your dream life is halfway there. 3. People who follow up get further than those who don’t. 4. Whatever triggers you requires further exploration. 5. Change your trajectory by changing your geography. 6. What we hold onto might be what holds us back. 7. Every part of your life is a c...
Intentional energy
Our brains make up just 2% of our mass but they use 25% of our energy. Brainpower is expensive. Whatever we do and think about is taking energy away from somewhere else. Where are you expending brainpower on topics that just aren’t worth it? Here are twelve true wastes of energy that many of us fall into without realising. 1. Commentin...
About frugality
Frugal means simple and plain and costing little, or economical regarding money or food. The word frugal conjures up images of scrimping and saving and living a meagre existence. Being tight and ungenerous and counting every penny. One way to be frugal is to check the price of everything. Search around for a better deal. Go without som...
Being liked or being exceptional
The best leader I worked with had high standards of herself. She knew what was exceptional and what wouldn’t do. She questioned her methods. She asked for feedback. She was open to learning and she saw the detail others overlooked. She had high standards of others, too. When she led someone with similar high standards, the relationship...
Buying time
Paying for a problem to be solved is not everyone’s first thought when faced with a challenge. Spending our own time to address an issue tends to be the default. Gallantly, we want to fix our own cars. Darn our own socks. To heroically put up our own shelves and plan our own holidays. We want to type up our own notes and spend our week...
Can or must?
At any given time, you can do a lot of things. You can raid the fridge, you can watch YouTube, you can check your phone. You can call a friend, dance naked, check the score or make a purchase online. But there’s a huge difference between can and must. There are powers bigger than you working to turn a can into a must and control your d...
Loving what you do, thought experiments, maximising your potential
Here are some of the articles written for Forbes during the past few months: The 5 everyday influences costing your potential Every day, these five influences keep you toeing the line and playing small. Subtract those elements of your life that don’t need to be there. The ones that are silently stealing your potential while you remain ...
How far for the perfect shot?
During a day trip around Maui, Hawaii, the tour guide drew our attention to tourist mishaps on the island. On the road to Hana, on the easternmost point of Maui, the cliffs were steep and the waterfalls were high. Many of the edges had been cordoned off, but those in search of the perfect travel photo had jumped barriers and bored hole...
Testing ground
I once attended a lecture by a university professor who joked that he saw the world of business as a petri dish. As entrepreneurs in the audience, were his material. Everything contained within the petri dish was there for analysis, monitoring and experimenting. He would make observations and draw conclusions. Whilst the light-hearted ...
What do you work for?
For much of his career my dad sold cars or developed teams of people who sold cars. Often a customer would base their decisions on model, trim or extras on the price. When a decision came down to price alone, my dad asked the question, “What do you work for?” Primarily, the question represents a sales tactic. It helped the customer fee...
Reality distortion field
Bud Tribble, longstanding colleague of Steve Jobs, created a concept to describe a phenomenon that happened when you were in Jobs’ vicinity. The reality distortion field. Back in 1981, the vision held by Jobs for the Macintosh project was so strong, so exceptional, so compelling, it had a magically persuasive effect on the developers a...
Default mode network
Have you ever had someone ask a question that you know you know the answer to, but you can’t quite find it? The answer feels like it’s on the tip of your tongue. You know it’s in your head somewhere, but it won’t reveal itself. It’s super frustrating. You rack your brains trying to muster up the word. Later on, in the middle of the nig...
In the arena
On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech upon leaving his presidential office. Known as the man in the arena address, it differentiated between the man who, in the arena, strives valiantly, errs, spends himself and triumphs, and the critic or onlooker. This man, said Roosevelt, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatl...
Ten questions for you this week
1. What does your perfect day look like? 2. What do you do that you don’t want to? 3. What really matters? 4. What will you regret not doing? 5. Looking back in one year’s time, what will have made the year great? 6. What are you uniquely placed to do? 7. In which areas are you failing to demand the best for yourself? 8. Whose approval...
Imposter syndrome
Imposter syndrome means believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be, specifically around intelligence and achievement. When others think you are awesome and you aren’t sure you agree, it signals low self-esteem and a feeling of hollow success. Andy Warhol once said, “Sometimes people let the same problem make them m...
Instagram rules… or does it?
In December 2020 my book, Instagram Rules, was published with White Lion Publishing, an imprint of Quarto. The book contains 125 bite-sized tips on how brands, businesses and individuals can harness Instagram for commercial and professional gain. Having seen, and helped, Instagram completely transform brands, writing this book was a lo...
1. The easiest road has the least to offer. 2. Someone else’s “too soon” or “too much” might be your “just right”. 3. Tech-free days are essential, not optional. 4. Money can buy a great car or house but it cannot buy a great body. 5. At our very core, we all want the same things. 6. My grandad backs his directions over the sat nav’s g...
What’s the alternative?
"What's the alternative" is one of my favourite questions. Use it in response to any question that holds limiting beliefs. You're being unrealistic. What’s the alternative? Your standards are too high. What’s the alternative? You have so much discipline. What’s the alternative? People will stare and comment. What’s the alternative? Eve...
Spectrums
Nearly everything you see as black or white actually lies on a spectrum. For every concept, each of us have our own imaginary range which dictates how it’s defined in our mind. Consider these words: Workaholic Awkward Risky Worthless Where one sees a workaholic, another sees someone who has found their calling and is barrelling forward...
On serendipity
I love chance. Luck, coincidence, mysterious connections. That person you meet on the train, who happens to be in the market for your company’s skills. The lady you bump into whose recommendation was exactly what you needed. The books someone mentioned that turned out to be your favourite. The phrase you overheard that became your mant...
The last day on earth test
If today was your last day on earth, would you be pleased with how you spent it? Did you make the most of every minute, treat people well, laugh lots and keep perspective? Did you act true to the best version of yourself, or were you irritable and rubbish company? Did you do things that moved you forward or held you back? If you repeat...
Playing bigger games
It takes just as much effort to be miserable as it does to be happy. It’s just as easy to criticise as it is to compliment. Entrepreneurs running impressive, game-changing businesses work just as hard, for just as long, as those running small ones. Elon Musk probably puts in the same hours as a restaurant owner, he’s just chosen a diff...
Everything is borrowed
Everything you have isn’t really yours; you’re simply borrowing it. Your family and friends don’t belong to you. You don’t own your partner. They aren’t going to live forever and neither are you. One day you’ll drive your car for the last time. One day your house, garden and office will belong to someone else. Ownership of anything is ...
Champions do extra
Turning up to do the minimum before clocking off is not what champions are made of. Meeting specifications. Delivering the brief. Reaching the target. Doing the least of what’s expected. Champions see standards and exceed them. They go over and above the spec and they challenge the brief. They want to do more. They ask how they can. Th...
Having something to prove
Opponent, nemesis, arch rival, competitor. Trendy words used to describe someone who isn’t us. Perhaps we cross paths or share goals, perhaps only one of us can win. Perhaps they’ve underestimated us in the past. They never gave their support, only their doubts. In sports and business there’s often focus on this other person. Superhero...
Instant awakening
The Japanese word “satori” translates to “instant awakening”. It refers to when a realisation is immediate rather than gradual. It means change can happen straight away, like a lightbulb moment. It’s that mantra that resonates so deeply it instantly changes how you think. That book you read that sparks instant ideas. The song with the ...
North star check
In Tucker Max’s book, The Scribe Method: The best way to write and publish your non-fiction book, he advocates constructing what he calls a north star check. The format of the north star check is: I will use my book to target [primary audience] by teaching them [primary audience benefits gained or problems solved], which will lead to m...
Overcoming tech addiction, turning customers down, four books to ch...
Here are the articles written for Forbes during August: Overcoming technology addiction: three experiments to try now In the last few hours of your life, you will not be reading the news or scrolling your Twitter feed. In the last few hours of your life, when you reminisce about the time you had and the impact you made, you will not wi...
Crosses and shots
Every day, my present self works to cross a metaphorical football into the box so my future self can shoot. The better I position the ball, the easier it is for future me to score a goal. So much of the win takes place in the preparation. The glory is secured from the plan. The assists count for more than you might realise. What are yo...
What things mean
When I was in secondary school, my friend Hannah told me her theory that whenever she saw a yellow DHL van, she went on to have a great day. She was so sure of the link. After that, every time I saw a yellow DHL van, I knew it was going to be a great day for Hannah and probably me too. Links can be made between any two occurrences. You...
Questions from future you
When I look at my old journal entries it strikes me how little I knew then compared to what I know now. Naivety, ignorance. A different view of the world and my place within it. In the future, I’ll think of today’s version of me as naïve. I don’t know exactly why, or which elements of what I say and believe now will change in the futur...
Institutionalised
When I worked in the head office of a care home provider, this word was mentioned regularly: institutionalised. The managers wanted to steer clear of their residents becoming institutionalised. Turning reliant and passive. Less able to function as an individual. Losing independence in favour of institutional control and following instr...
Jump and the net will appear
The grass is always greener. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Better the devil you know. Don’t fly too close to the sun. These phrases keep you thinking small and acting smaller. They prize comfort and familiarity over the unknown. Their fear-based lessons encourage movement away from perceived risk and back to safety. The gras...
Solitude stint
Could you live alone, for a month, in the middle of the woods? No phone, no internet, just you and a stack of blank paper? Could you be content with the simplest of existences as you lived out your days? Basic food, modest furnishings, no music, only the sounds of nature around you? No alarm clock, just rising and sleeping with sunrise...
Persistence
It’s seen as a good thing to be persistent. Not to quit. To never give up. But where’s the part where we make sure that what we’re fighting for is really what we want? There’s little sense in persistence for the sake of persistence. Winning a negotiation that you didn’t care about in the first place. Proving someone wrong on something ...
Spring cleaning
Last week I removed every item of clothing I owned from its wardrobe or drawer and put it on the bed. Then I sorted every item into three piles. Definitely, definitely not, maybe. Definitely: These were clothes that I love and had worn recently, that suit me and I feel good wearing. Definitely not: These were clothes I hadn’t worn in a...
Introducing yourself
I used to think that success was not having to introduce yourself. I thought it was having others introduce you or everyone already knowing who you were. Having others seek you out and introduce themselves as if you were a celebrity. Now I realise that success is probably not having to introduce yourself but doing it anyway. Assuming n...
1. No one remembers who said hi first. So say hi first. 2. Most opinions are irrelevant. 3. If it’s not how you would spend your last hour on earth, do you really need to do it? 4. A little customer service goes a long way. 5. Challenger banks are the future. 6. There are 2,755 billionaires in the world and nearly all give millions awa...
Banish the beige
In Graham Allcott’s book, How to have the energy, he recommends removing beige food from your diet in favour of a rainbow of vegetables. What if beige was banished from all aspects of life? Beige commitments: Removing “meh” experiences from your diary and only committing to what you really want to do. Beige clothes: Donating whatever d...
I’m not f*cking around
Jason Feifer of Entrepreneur magazine has a mantra and it’s: “I’m not f*cking around”. He created the mantra to stay focused. To remember why he was taking risks and holding himself to high standards. He was on a personal mission to have an exciting career and to push himself into doing things he knew he was capable of doing. I especia...
Expanding your comfort zone, putting yourself first, writing a best...
Here are the articles written for Forbes during July: Why successful entrepreneurs put themselves first Self-centred. Unconscientious. Selfish. These are some of the shame and guilt-ridden words that might swim around in an entrepreneur’s head when they choose to put themselves first. But entrepreneurs should think of themselves as ass...
I think about this question all the time. Every single day. What am I capable of? When I’m in the gym, when I’m at my laptop, when I’m writing down ideas. The answer is a lot. We all are. Humans operate far within their comfort zones, all the time. We unconsciously crave comfort. We’re soft. We haven’t needed to push ourselves because,...
Lapping everyone on the couch
Not feeling too fit? If you’re jogging round the park, you’re lapping everyone on the couch. Not found a job? If you’re up early writing applications, you’re lapping everyone on the couch. Making that first sales call? Producing resources from your ideas? Lapping everyone on the couch. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Taking simple a...
Boom and bust
A colleague was feeling stressed and decided she would book a seven-day yoga retreat. However, to that point, she’d never taken a single yoga class. Boom and bust thinking is rarely a good idea. In any situation. But when overwhelm takes over it’s easy to think you want the exact opposite of what you have now, and to talk and think in ...
Habits of eventual millionaires
I'm not ashamed to admit I have a folder on my computer called the folder of motivation. It's where I keep screenshots of emails, quotes and concepts that keep me on track when I'm feeling a bit meh (technical term!) There's one I'd like to share with you. I saved it back in 2016 and it's by James Altucher, an entrepreneur, angel inves...
A surface level life
Reading the books you think you should be reading. Watching the shows everyone else does. Attending the meeting but saying nothing. Going for a walk but looking down at your phone. Scrolling social media instead of playing with your kids. Making small talk with friends instead of asking how they are and delving into the answer. Going o...
1. Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it. 2. Others will want old versions of you and it’s down to you to say no. 3. Everyone’s favourite radio station is WII FM; what’s in it for me. 4. “It only happens every four years” isn't an automatic reason for you to give away your time. 5. Department stores are ...
Obsessions
An endurance athlete I know has a mantra: Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. He’s dedicated to training, nutrition, endurance and being better than he was before. He’s dedicated to understanding his body, heart rate, performance and recovery. Some may say obsessed. Some obsessions are undeniably good. An obsessi...
What's next?
Since the news of my social media agency’s acquisition was made public, and I told you why I made that move, there are two words I keep hearing: What’s next? Everyone I meet or bump into wants to know. I’ve never heard the question more. Even LinkedIn is itching to find out: It’s awesome that so many people are keen to hear what I’m pl...
Choosing yourself
Once upon a time, if I wanted to win big in a particular profession, I had to wait to be picked. A musician, an author, an illustrator, a photographer, a model. A CEO, an advisor, a presenter or commentator. I would diligently present my work in front of a panel and they would say yes or no. I would create my CV and send it off whilst ...
Three options
For every scenario there are three options. The option to accept and let go. The option to make a change. The option to leave. They are the only three. Unhappiness occurs when you choose the wrong option or try to make a combination of options work. Unhappiness occurs when you avoid choosing. Friction builds until the decision is force...
Fear stories
Fear stories are told, often unsolicited, to us by others. You’re having a baby, and someone needs you to hear their childbirth horror story. You’re starting a business, and someone is adamant it will go wrong, as it did for them. You’re looking forward to the theme park and they remind you of that rollercoaster crash. You’re taking on...
1. Life is more peaceful if you are always early instead of always late. 2. Being tired knocks points off your IQ and patience. 3. You should never attribute to malice what is probably stupidity. 4. Jack Grealish is the most fouled footballer because he is one of the most talented. 5. Netflix documentaries are funded by people with a l...
World class memories, traits of great leaders, rebranding retirement
Here are the articles written for Forbes during June: How to develop a world class memory within a year Brilliant business relationships are built on memory. Remembering someone’s name and the name of their spouse or kids. Remembering their interests and preferences; how they take their coffee, how long they have been a customer or wha...
Neomania
An obsession with the new. The latest, the shiny, the first of its kind. New collections, new issues, breaking news. We are obsessed with the new and it has many implications. Shop displays must update every week to catch our attention, as must website banners. To halt our scroll, social media content has to be fresh. Stock photos lose...
It has yet to be done
But it’s not impossible. Records are broken every day. Things once considered beyond human capability happen. Someone spots a way forward, they break through, they make it work. Those determined enough can see the possibility. They aren’t deterred by the prospect of impossible. But as soon as you believe it's impossible, you will stop ...
Choosing your day
You can wake up in the morning and decide to have a bad day. You can choose to see the bad in whatever comes your way. You can notice the litter, the traffic and the cold. You can find fault in a colleague, friend or partner. You can fly off the handle at any comment and misinterpret any email. If you want to have a bad day, you can ma...
The company we keep
As social creatures, we unconsciously imitate the people around us. Groups of friends start dressing the same. Kids develop the same mannerisms as their parents. Spend ten minutes talking to someone with a strong accent and you’ll pick up a twang. If all your friends are starting YouTube channels, guess what your next move will be. We ...
1. When the weather is grey you must work harder to maintain your brightness. 2. It’s impossible to argue with someone who refuses to bite. 3. Football matches have 22 people on the pitch and 40,000+ people in the stands. The ratio holds for artists and critics. 4. Being normal is not aspirational and should never be put on a pedestal....
Better than SEO
If I fancy ordering some soft drinks for the week ahead, I might run a search on Google to find some to buy. What I’m not going to type: sweet-tasting sugar-free brown bubble water What I am going to type: Pepsi Max The best form of SEO is people searching for your name, not being one provider in a sea of many.
When you value security
Valuing security means you make certain decisions. You might choose to find a job rather than start a business. Buy insurance. Live in a different neighbourhood. Avoid the unknown and stick to what is certain. Take the dead cert rather than risk the gamble. Ironically, what you think is secure rarely is. At any moment, a global pandemi...
Rejection letters
For a reason I don't quite know, I kept all the rejection emails I received when applying for jobs and graduate schemes after university. Perhaps my former self knew I would be writing this with a smile one day. Three are included below but there were many more. Supermarkets, banks, the NHS, even KFC. All rejections. Finally, I was acc...
Why you can’t seem to ignore your email
We are social beings, you and me. We evolved to live in groups and create connections with tribe members. Technology advancements since caveman times mean we have myriad ways to connect to others, email being one of them. Our primal brains seek the same connections they always have. Whilst we can rationalise that our overflowing inbox ...
Judgment is separation
Passing comment or opinion on the actions, appearance or words of another person creates distance. In your mind, it puts you above them. You feel you have a right to be heard. It creates disdain and superiority. On a long enough timeframe, separation leads to loneliness. Loneliness leads to suffering. Sooner or later, someone will need...
Why I sold my company
In August of 2011 I was twenty-two and fresh out of a graduate scheme, so I decided to start my own social media agency. My business plan was two words: get clients. Over nearly ten years I had a wonderful time building a brand and working with inspiring people, fabulous clients and team members. In March, the agency was acquired by a ...
Before you rush back to normal
Life feels like it’s getting back to normal but it might be a trap. 2020 and its forced changes showed us that something was wrong. Very wrong. We had to take five steps back to reassess and reorganise. In doing so, we lost some freedom but we found ourselves. Sure it was tough, but there were countless silver linings for each of us. S...
Errors leaders make, jack of all trades, how to find a coach
Here are the articles written for Forbes during May: Seven common errors great leaders don’t make Tiny cracks can undermine the actions of an otherwise brilliant leader. They start small and build, until they take over and it’s too late. Why being a jack of all trades is essential for success "Jack of all trades" has become somewhat of...
Don’t find time, steal it
You’ll probably never find the time to renovate that room or darn that sock or write that novel. The space to create that masterpiece or pen that musical won’t just fly into your calendar. Time is not found. Time is snatched and stolen. It’s a minute here and there to jot down ideas. It’s that key bit of research whilst on hold or in a...
On doing nothing
Going forward with the wrong thing, the suboptimal allocation of your time or attention, costs more than just doing the wrong thing. There’s all the gain of what the right thing would have brought. Now that time is spoken for, now you’re spoken for, the right thing cannot find you. A calendar filled with 7/10s is the cost of the 10s th...
Sticking labels on people
People become what we label them, especially kids. The kid labelled as clumsy will start tripping over more because they take on that trait. In turn, that reinforces the label and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The creative one, the academic one, the nervous one, the loud one. It’s said, it sticks, it becomes who we are; part of o...
The key to heaven and hell
During a trip to Honolulu, physicist Richard Feynman spoke with a Buddhist temple’s tour guide, who explained the Buddhist religion for tourists. On each tour, the guide left attendees with a proverb of the Buddhist religion that Feynman never forgot: To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of...
Irons in the fire
If you put an iron in the fire every day, over time you have more than you know what to do with. Each creates an option, a possibility, an opportunity, the freedom to choose. What counts as an iron in the fire? A proposal A question An application A submission A follow up A good deed An FYI A recommendation Putting them out there consi...
The same thing won’t work again
If a business takes off, suddenly there are copycats. Someone shares a marketing hack they tried, and others try it too. A book is published promising a blueprint or a tried-and-tested method. Methods, blueprints and formula work for science experiments but rarely for commercial success. It’s a trap. Mark schemes are relevant for regur...
Working on my novel
“Working on my novel” is the title of a book by Cory Arcangel that poignantly prints tweets from various writers saying that they are working on their novel. However, at that exact moment in time, they weren’t working on their novel. They were tweeting. The book explores the concept of instant communication and distraction in a light-h...
Architects and bulldozers
Architects are artists. They study, research and plan. They dream, imagine and create. They take a vision and turn it into reality for all to enjoy. They craft every detail of their masterpiece and obsess over minutiae. When it’s ready, it’s presented. Bulldozers are not artists. They march in and tear down. They survey a site and dism...
The Unconventionalists
I joined friend Mark Leruste, host of the Unconventionalists podcast, to talk about building a bulletproof mindset, how to write a book every three months, living like an explorer versus settler, plus other juicy topics. We discuss: • What it’s like to sell a business after ten years of building it • The benefit of focusing on enjoymen...
On phone addiction
In 2001 our phones could make calls and texts. Some had Snake. In 2021 they have cameras and apps. They have social media and payment methods. We learn, entertain and record with them. What’s the prognosis for 2041? Have we reached peak phone and will it stabilise? Or will the next twenty years see us become even more at one with our d...
Reasons to be happy
Be happy because you’re lucky to be the person you are, living the life you live, at this moment in time. Be happy because you’re becoming the person you always knew you could be. Be happy because you have the freedom to choose how you respond. You can always say no. Be happy because every pain, struggle or hardship shall pass. You’ll ...
New articles
These are the most popular articles I have recently written for Forbes: How to block out distractions and stay focused At any given time, dozens of things are fighting for your attention. Pop up banners want your email address, ads want you to look at them, colleagues want you to respond to them and friends want you to talk to them. Pl...
Mistakes in training
In powerlifting competitions, you have to perform each lift to a specific standard. Squats must hit a certain depth, you can’t hitch a deadlift. When bench pressing, the bar must be stationary on your chest before receiving the press command, your bum must remain on the bench and your feet must be flat on the floor. In lifting and in l...
Better Zoom calls and webinars on the move
During a video call or interview, ideally you are looking at the person you are talking to whilst also looking down the lens of the camera. Not only do you have a better connection with the person you are speaking to, because you are looking into their eyes, but recordings look better because you’re looking at the audience rather than ...
Pre-commitment strategy
There are two ways to go through each day. One is to take whatever is thrown at you. It might be good, it might be bad. It might cause excitement, it might cause anguish. You’ll be led by others and situations and whatever will be will be. The other way is by implementing a pre-commitment strategy. This is where you choose, in advance,...
We get what we tolerate
We are annoyed that a client emails at the weekend but here we are checking emails at the weekend. And responding. The house is a mess but we’ve been clearing up after flatmates and not saying anything. We’re not paid enough but we haven’t put forward the case for why we are worth more. The fear of making a stand is real. We perceive t...
Output over hype
You can do the bare minimum and hype it up or you can produce excellent work and let others bring the hype. Energy put into blowing your own trumpet would nearly always be better used practising to play better. The best in their field don’t grow their online presence using follow/unfollow or hacks to trick the algorithm. They beat the ...
Ten things to do instead of feeling sad
Play a happy song. Take five deep breaths. Call a friend. Recite a mantra. Be grateful for what you have. Smile at yourself in a mirror. Write in your journal. Watch an uplifting video. Go for a walk. Tidy your room.
The danger of idols
I’m sure you would agree that you saw no one as beneath you. You could say with certainty that you treat others as equals and show respect regardless of their title or standing. But what about those you admire? Perhaps you put someone on a pedestal. See them as incredible or superhuman or something you could never be. Idolising them. I...
Open wounds and battle scars
We rarely read the work of someone going through a tough time. Instead, we read the lessons they learned after they happen. It makes sense. When someone comes to us with their problems, we try to solve them. We offer solutions. The best solutions are those we already have. The ones we find when we search deeply inside ourselves. If som...
Substance
You step up a level in any field by working at the level above before being rewarded for it. Get a publishing contract by writing an amazing book, as if you already have a contract. Get a pay rise by being so exceptional that a promotion is the obvious next step. Receive opportunities by being the type of person others want to collabor...
Freedom from what, to do what?
Ask someone what they really want and they might say, “freedom”. But freedom on its own doesn’t mean anything. It makes no sense. The follow up question is, “freedom from what, to do what?” Freedom from answering client calls to write my novel. Freedom from a 9-5 to go surfing. Freedom from the weekly shop to watch TV. Freedom from dis...
The world’s strongest
The 2020 SBD World’s Strongest Man was held in Miami, Florida, without a crowd. Competitors didn’t have their friends and family around them. There was no roar of an audience. The low-level applause came from sponsors and organisers but it wasn’t the same. Weights feel lighter with hype. Lifting that last atlas stone to a soundtrack of...
Making "A"s
In his book, Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey explains why he shut down his production company and his music label. “I was making Bs in five things. I want to make As in three things.” Those three things: his family, his foundation, his acting career. Are you making Bs when you could be making As? What can you drop?
The emperor’s new vision board
A well-known tale of literary folklore, the emperor’s new clothes represents something that is widely accepted as true due to a lack of willingness of most people to criticise it. Modern examples of this concept exist today in many aspects of life and work. One embodiment is an entrepreneur who focuses on mindset, strategy and vision b...
On mental toughness
Build your reserves of mental toughness when you don’t need to, so they are there when you do. Here are fifteen ways to build mental toughness. Do the hard thing first: Look at your to-do list and see which task you have been avoiding or putting off. Do it first and do it well. Seek out the resistance and overcome it. Make the call, fi...
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