As I have shared about before, I’m a lover of language and words and meaning, and I particularly adore the power just one word can have. Today the word I want to rave about is using ‘And’ over ‘But’. This may not be a new concept to you if you’ve engaged in any leadership or professional development training in the last ten years or so, as ... [Read On]
The Power of Small Words: Yet
I’m a lover of language and words and meaning, and I particularly adore the power just one word can have. Today the word I want to rave about is ‘yet’. I’ve used the word ‘yet’ quite strategically for a long time, but a song popped into my Spotify Daily Mix the other day called, “The Power of Yet” by C J Luckey. Listening to this song really ... [Read On]
Start With You Means Having Sovereignty Over Yourself
When I rebranded my business to Start With You back in 2015, it was after a lot of exploring and soul-searching, primarily about why I do what I do and what it’s really about. (I can highly recommend Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why” and his online resources to help with this process, by the way. Oh, and it wasn’t until the following day after ... [Read On]
Sometimes the practical tools are just not enough
I’ve always been quite a practical person – able to fix a blown fuse or repair a piece of broken china, or organise a kitchen to work well for the cook. And when I think about it, this actually pervades my approach to personal and professional change and stress transformation. As soon as I started specialising in stress and resilience for instance, ... [Read On]
How those work challenges help you step up as a human
A number of years ago I wrote an article about how our work journey is part of our spiritual journey, and partly what I was saying is that the work challenges we face are often growing us not just professionally but personally too. These days, for me, separating out our personal and professional selves is virtually impossible. I believe the whole ... [Read On]
What’s your idea of an ideal week?
I have Wednesday’s off. With the odd exception, Wednesday is a completely non-work day for me. I’m a big fan of the four day week. It’s a shift I’ve seen a number of clients make over the years. I have a number of clients who have gone from a very strict 45-hour week running 8am to 5pm or thereabouts, to flexing their hours between work and ... [Read On]
Anyone else not ready to jump into busy-ness?
Are you feeling like you’d love another few weeks to play, hike, windsurf, go beaching, curl up with a book, hang out with loved ones, watch old movies (or binge Netflix) or my fave - lie on the grass under a tree? Or are you just taking a little while to step into the year or work with full gusto? I typically spend the 1st of Jan ... [Read On]
Top Hacks for Surviving the Rest of the Work Year
Every year I’m aware of this run-up to Christmas and what are New Zealand's main summer holidays. I find that some people during this time are virtually dragging themselves to the end. It’s a time when the busy year can start catching up with you, and where if you haven’t had enough time off through the year it starts to take its toll. Of ... [Read On]
The Power of Taking Control
So much of what I help people do is to feel more powerful – and to not just feel more powerful in how they respond to situations or navigate change but to actually BE more powerful. This comes from building more sovereignty - literally having more control over their internal responses and their external actions - and from being more and more ... [Read On]
The Five Minute Brainstorm That Can Transform Your Life at Work
Let me start by saying that every article I write is in the hope that it will make a practical, poetic or profound difference to you in some way. That’s probably a lot of expectation to place on these words as they drop onto the page like stilettos down a staircase, but it is honestly what I intend each time I write. This post is no different, ... [Read On]