Don’t Fear Your Anger

At some point during our formative years, most of us are taught that expressing anger is a bad thing. The world, we are taught, is not always a just and fair place and therefore we have to accept that we can’t have it all. There is no point expressing out anger and frustration when thingsContinue reading “Don’t Fear Your Anger”

On the Importance of a Supportive Network

Last weekend I went to a gig in London where I met many of my old friends. In between the (admittedly loud) tones of the performing bands, we caught up with stories about the past, discussed the present and made plans for the future. Some of these discussions are likely to give birth to futureContinue reading “On the Importance of a Supportive Network”

How I Turned Disaster Into a Win

Last Saturday I performed a solo gig at a local annual festival. That festival is a quite big affair in my town, with a number of performances of various artists spread over several venues. The events celebrated the versatility and talent of local artists who have made of this town a cultural powerhouse over theContinue reading “How I Turned Disaster Into a Win”

Stick to the Plan

I have to confess that I am a bit of a football fan (soccer for my American readers). I find the complexity of a fast-paced game where 11 players compete against another 11, following well-defined, but often ‘loosely’ interpreted rules, an interesting miniature experiment of life itself. What casual observers who are not remotely interestedContinue reading “Stick to the Plan”

Only You Can Decide Your Worth

In the money-driven society we live in, we attach high importance on the ‘cost’ of things. However, very often our understanding of the true meaning of value is inadequate, and based on habit rather than a deeper insight about how that value is linked to our self-worth. We have a good idea of the valueContinue reading “Only You Can Decide Your Worth”

It’s Personal, Not Business

Recently, I sat on a training course delivered by a business coach. He expressed the interesting (and quite divisive) view that you can only be a proper coach when you work on people’s businesses. He mocked the concept of a ‘life coach’ as someone who isn’t measuring any real goals. They instead waffle on aboutContinue reading “It’s Personal, Not Business”

There Is No Work-Life Balance

Multi-entrepreneur Elon Musk has famously claimed to have regularly worked 120+ work weeks. He recommends that business founders work 80+ workweeks in order to achieve success. American lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss on the other side, has advocated the 4-hour work week in order to free yourself from the shackles of corporate work and live theContinue reading “There Is No Work-Life Balance”

Responsibility Versus Blame

For all of us operating in the disciplines of therapy, coaching or mentoring, facilitating change is at the core of what we do. However, every type of change requires an element of responsibility. Responsibility is about having the choice of responding to what is happening to us. As Sartre eloquently put it: freedom is whatContinue reading “Responsibility Versus Blame”

What Are You Running Away From?

In a podcast interview I did last year, I shared my opinion that motivation is overrated. In the modern western world we live in, we overemphasize the importance of willpower and feeling ‘motivated’ in order to achieve our goals. In truth, as I wrote in a recent blog, we constantly do things without feeling motivatedContinue reading “What Are You Running Away From?”

Why You Need a Bucket List

One of the most important insights on my journey towards becoming an NLP Master Coach, was the concept of Motivation Direction. We live in a society where the idea of being motivated by things pulling us towards them is not only encouraged, but anticipated. We are expected to be motivated toward health, wealth, happiness andContinue reading “Why You Need a Bucket List”