Changes become easier to make and sustain if they have real meaning. Conversely, if you don’t really get to grips with why it might be important to do something, you’ll find every excuse in the book not to do it. I...
Leaving parties are often bittersweet occasions marking a significant change. The person leaving is keenly looking forward to a new role, excited by the possibilities and paths ahead. But at the same time they have a sense of loss, saying...
Keeping a journal or diary helps to anchor and sustain change. Some people are mistakenly put off for fear that it will require too much effort – in fact, it can be a very quick and easy way to keep...
People tell us to listen to our instincts, but that’s easier said than done as we rush through the day. We can find ourselves doing tasks on autopilot, without questioning whether we’re doing what’s best for us, our organisations or...
Habits free up our minds for higher thoughts. They organise much of what we do into sub-conscious routines, so that we can focus our attention on what’s novel, interesting or necessary in any given moment. In doing so, habits anchor...
If you make a change, you will undoubtedly learn something from the experience. But whether that learning leads to growth is down to you. Let me explain. If I go to a networking event and find it hard to strike up...
Fear. It’s never far from our minds. And that’s not surprising as it’s part of the mechanism we’re hard-wired with to alert us to possible dangers. Fear is particularly triggered by situations that are new or different. And if you’re making...
Change requires energy. What is true in physics is also true for people. And just as with physical objects, energy not only provides the impetus for people to change, it helps determine the direction. So becoming more aware of your...
In A is for Action, I talked about the importance of taking a first step, any step, however small it might be. That single action makes the process of change real. One of the reasons we find it hard to take...