Blog

Someone recently told me he had had a brilliant first 3 months of the year, but the second quarter had been “mixed”. Discussing it further, and looking for what changed three months ago, we discovered… ...We discovered: Hotel Days! Those monthly / quarterly days away...

I’m declaring it official. It’s a pandemic. It cripples lives and businesses. We are all susceptible to it. So how do you recognise the signs of Procrastination, and what’s the antidote? Symptoms: >  An increase in “wait”: Wait Watching >  An increase in...

6 June 1944. D-Day. The day crucial to the outcome of the Second World War. The goal: to get Allied forces onto the Normandy beaches, secure a foothold in mainland Europe, and push east to Berlin. Establishing that foothold, getting onto mainland Europe, was the clear...

Over the past year or so, a number of surveys have emerged and some interesting statistics which are valuable to us all in business: ● Almost 4 million SMEs in UK (less than 250 people) ● More than 99 percent of UK companies are SMEs ● SMEs employ over 13 million...

It’s a phrase you will probably have heard many times. Many people say they have a degree from the University of Life… or The School of Hard Knocks! The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said: “If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done!”...

Every time I visit Rome (and I have to say, it’s becoming a rather pleasant habit!), I make a point of “popping” to the Vatican. Of course, I’ve done all the tours in the past, to the top of the dome and down to the crypt, gazed in wonder at The Sistene Chapel and...

A number of years ago, I frequently went into the Recording Studios to record personal development and business growth CDs. Not exactly the rock star lifestyle, I know, but it always made for a very interesting morning – just being surrounded by all that gadgetry!...

Many people tell me when we first meet that you sometimes feel you take on too much, and that the week ends up fragmented into urgency, with no sense of controlled progress. It always fascinates me that one of the first lessons we learn at school is how important a...

At this time of year, into a new tax year, many people make financial resolutions. There are many factors which will allow you to be financially well-organised. Things such as mortgages, pensions, investments, insurance, and so on, need to be well arranged. I’m not...

24 September 2002. My beloved Aston Villa have just been beaten (on 16 September 2002) by bitter rivals Birmingham City in a most humiliating 3-0 defeat. I had watched the dire performance on the TV at my home, 350 miles away in Fife, Scotland, and the jaw-droppingly...

This year, the first Friday 13th of the year falls in January. Not only is it a date filled with superstition that things go wrong, a day filled with bad luck, but also, in some quarters it has become known as ‘BSE Day’ – when we ‘Blame Someone Else’ for everything...

Life is one big lesson… 1.  Trust yourself. 2.  Never put off a phone call. 3.  There are still only 24 hours in a day... and it’s plenty; there are still only 7 days in a week ... and it’s plenty; and there are still only 52 weeks in a year... and it’s plenty. But...

My uncle was a very young crewman in the RAF during World War 2. He was involved in night bombing raids in the second half of the war. A terrifying and terrible experience, I am sure. Like many who went through it, he rarely spoke of it. But during those night raids,...

For one day in December each year I love to invest time in reviewing the year past. It’s incredible to look back through my Success Log and recount the achievements in a sort of "Sports Review of the Year" style! And it’s not simply a way of celebrating success, but...

Why is it that people so frequently underestimate the value of their own major talents? Many seem to take for granted that because they are particularly good at something, then everyone else must similarly be good at it. So they often ignore the opportunities to help...

For those who have met me in person, seen me speak on stage, or attended one of my events or seminars, you will be aware, I’m sure, of the importance I attach to having my shoes polished… toe-caps especially glass-like, so you really can see your reflection in them....

Isn’t it amazing how so many myths have grown up around how people become successful? Many of these myths are not so much downright wrong, as they are half-truths which are twisted and often counter-productive. These add to the view of how to be more successful, in...

Apropos nothing, except that over the past few days, during several coaching sessions, the topic of “Interference” has arisen. Maybe it’s the time of year. For those who aren’t yet familiar with the concept of “Interference”, here’s a short resume. Most people in...

The most effective users of time do so not because they know more time management techniques than everyone else, but because they approach success from a certain perspective / mindset and they use a few key tools very well. Achieving goals relies on being focussed on...

It seems a common problem in many workplaces to have people who are constantly complaining, whinging, sowing negative seeds… and often about the most trivial things. Being able to deal with these “Energy Vampires” is crucial. Energy is defined as “the power to do...