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Last year was bad. This year was emotionally much harder. At times it felt like I was being buried alive. Other times – like I was constantly being kicked in the head. It hasn’t all been tough though: Travel South Australia I was fortunate to start 2017 in Australia in the company of great friends – Dave, Claire and baby […]
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So I finished Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog this weekend. I loved it. I had no idea where Nike came from and really enjoyed it. I’ve written about how the prologue got to me. Some of Knight’s closing comments also got to me. At the end of the book, he talks about watching the Bucket List with his wife, and reflects […]
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Sometimes I find it hard to sleep. Either getting to sleep, or waking up at 2am and not drifting off until 6am. I’m wide awake. Wired. A million things racing through my mind. Lots of crazy ideas. Today for example. I’ve had 2.5 hours sleep. I’m not working today but I hate feeling that tired. I can get by on […]
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I listened to Ray Dalio promoting his new book on Tim Ferriss’ podcast recently. I promptly bought the book, which must be one of my most highlighted so far. Here’s Ray’s TED talk where he talks about building Bridgewater, (one of the most successful investment companies in the world), and some of the secrets behinds its success. I love […]
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Coincidences – “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.” They’re weird. They seem so random, yet, what are the chances, surely it’s synchronicity in action? Do they mean anything? Actions have innumerable repercussions. They cause ripples that reverberate through the universe with consequences that we will never appreciate or see. It’s like that famous Steve Jobs […]
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There’s a lot that I’ve changed my mind on recently. I know this post will grow over time. I’m not talking about regrets – of which I have plenty. And while we’re on the subject, I do think that the “no regrets/my life is perfect/I wouldn’t change anything” philosophy is overrated. Dwelling on regrets makes no sense, but acknowledging where […]
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I’ve always been fascinated by the future. Yuval Harari’s Homo Deus is a fascinating book if you’re interested in what the next generations of humanity might look like. I also stumbled across this interview with Elon Musk from earlier this year. I love how this guy thinks, (read Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of Space X and […]
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I’ve always loved flying. There’s something about soaring through the clouds in a metal capsule which never ceases to amaze me. Which reminded me of this hilarious Louis CK clip, (the whole thing is worth watching – the flying bit starts 2.40 in). I love airports and always lament how little time I have to do any shopping. I tend to […]
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I watch very little TV. To be honest, I should probably watch more to try and switch off. There’s a few series that I would recommend as worth watching though. Modern Family I’m a huge Modern Family fan. I LOVE this show. (I also credit the show with saving my nephew’s life… Okay, I know… bear with me here…. my […]
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Friendship has always been important to me. Never more than now. There are many great posts on friendship. Check out Maria Popova’s Brainpicking’s selection here, here, here, here and here, and good stuff from Ben Casnocha. A few of my favourite business orientated books include, Keith Ferrazzi’s “Who’s Got Your Back“, Dr Henry Cloud’s “The Power of the Other“, and Michael Eisner’s “Working […]
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I recently finished Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant. It’s a good book, (although, I preferred his Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World). Give and Take discusses the benefits of focusing on giving, and highlights ways that you can give without burning out. It also goes over the benefits of giving and asking for help. Something […]
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I recently finished Vanessa van Edwards’ Captivate which was interesting. It’s an easy short read, useful for anyone looking to network, or improve their people skills. (Another good book on networking is Keith Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone). One of the chapters goes on about the different ways that people feel loved and valued, and how useful this information can be. This […]
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People who complain about how “young people are so entitled these days” piss me off. Firstly – it makes whoever’s complaining seem really old. Secondly – these remarks are usually based on their experience of working with 1-2 people under 25 who have annoyed them… Hardly a decent sample on which to start blaming a whole generation. (If your complaining that young people “don’t work as hard these […]
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This has been one crazy year. To say that this year hasn’t been much fun is a bit of an understatement…. With Brexit and Trump being elected (WTF?????), it won’t have been the greatest year for many. This sums the year up for me (15 seconds): 2016 has been one of the worst years of my life. Still – a […]
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I’ve been listening to a lot of Bollywood tracks recently. One of my best friends got married last week. It was an Indian wedding that went on for a few days. I felt extremely fortunate to be there. It was awesome. I love Bollywood films. One of my favourites is Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, (rough translation – Life Will Not […]
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I recently read a great article by Ben Casnocha about friendship. Ben believes that “if you’re not talking to someone on a somewhat regular basis — seeing them in person, talking on the phone, or emailing/digitally communicating in some other way that involves substantive give-and-take — that person is not a close friend who’s providing emotional sustenance. Sure, they’re on your friend list, maybe […]
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Mountains. I love them and I hate them. It’s always been this way. When I’m there, I hate it. The struggle. I never find it easy. Never! It doesn’t matter what I do to prepare. For whatever reason, I always find it difficult. No matter how fit I tend to be. Yet I keep going back. I think it’s the […]
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“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac It’s been a while since I’ve been climbing mountains. I miss it. Having said that, this particular hike was gruelling! Hiking the Trolltunga involves a 1,000m ascent (3,000 ft), and took us about […]
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This month has been crazy, and exhausting. For lots of reasons. Work, life, moving. We’re in our new place now. Sans furniture, which has been interesting… That’s changing slowly. I’m looking forward to having a bed again and eating from a plate! Anyway, I’ve caught up with a few friends recently who are having a bad time. I know how […]
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Do we need to worry if it does? I love Chinese food and have always been interested in Chinese culture. Based on my own experiences abroad, here are my observations: Warning – I despise generalisations and stereotypes. Still, this post is full of them! Apologies if anyone takes offence. 1. Will Chinese be the world’s main language in a few […]
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They had guns but I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t believe that I’d be shot. I was perplexed, annoyed, and shocked by the absurdity of the situation. We were trying to cross the Chinese border from Tibet into Nepal. We were asked to declare any reading material – and consequently did so. I had a Nepal Lonely Planet book which I […]
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I’m still figuring out if knowing my strengths and personality type is useful or not. I think it is. Myers-Briggs was helpful in highlighting my strengths and areas where I could excel or work on. It’s a personality test that will classify you as one of sixteen personality types developed by the psychologist Carl Jung. I’m an ENTP apparently. I don’t think […]
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I’ve never done this before – written a personal annual review. Not formally anyway. I’ve always dismissed it as self indulgent and a waste of time. I’m feeling unfocused and unaligned at the moment. So, having seen so many people I respect share their successes and failures, I’m going to give it a go. I have no idea how to approach this. Live Your […]
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They were some of the worst years of my life. And not just for me. I know many who feel the same. I can see why parents are keen to send their kids straight to college. Especially if they’ve never been themselves. Most parents I know consider their children going to university as the ultimate accolade in parenting. A decoration […]
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I’m not anti-marriage. I am madly in love with Andrew, and I am committed to spending the rest of my life with him. Trust me. There is no one else. Yet…, anyway. I’m joking, I’m joking. Apart from a couple of guys. Ha ha ha 🙂 I’m joking, I’m joking. Call me conventional. I’m not into polyamorous relationships or orgies or that […]
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I’ll soon be making my way back to the UK where I’ll be looking for work. I’ll be honest. I’m dreading it. Some people love working in an office. Sadly, I’m not one of them. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy most of my work, and I’ve been lucky to work with some great people who have become life long […]
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Meditation has changed my life. I don’t really understand how it works – all I know is that meditating on a daily basis, has brought me and those around me lots of benefits. I’m a much calmer person, and I’m urging everyone I know to get on it! Don’t get me wrong, I can still be a crazy bitch when I […]
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Walking up Kilimanjaro is not cheap. It costs thousands of dollars. Want to spend all that money and time training only to walk down the mountain with your tail between your legs? That would be embarrassing, and depressing! Yet it happens to thousands of people every year. So how do you get to the top of Kilimanjaro? Maximise your chances […]
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We were warned about drinking vodka with the Russians. We were warned how impolite it was to refuse offers of hospitality. We just weren’t prepared for such a painful experience so early in our Trans-Siberian trip… Beware. I almost died! On the morning of our first day of our five day non-stop stint on the train from St Petersburg to […]
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For most of us, dealing with recruitment agencies will be an inevitable part of getting a job. It’s by no means the best way to land your dream job, but if you’re starting out and have few connections, it might be your best bet. Using agents can be advantageous. Agencies are often notified of vacancies, sometimes before many in the […]
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Many people can’t understand why I chose not to have a permanent job. When I started working fixed term contracts, I was surrounded by Australians contracting on working holiday visas. It didn’t feel like a crazy thing to do. When I resigned from my permanent job, my friends and family where shocked. Years later, some of them still can’t understand it. “When […]
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Lawyers love time. Time is money. Most lawyers record every minute spent interacting or “working” on a client’s matter. Time is measured in units of six minutes. (Although, even if something takes two minutes, one unit will still be recorded). Give them a call and send them an email, and before you know it, you’ve spent a few hundred (plus tax) […]
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I’m still getting used to being home and catching up with friends. Some people have no interest in our trip, others are too bitter to enquire. But, among the usual, “What was your favourite country?”, and “Would you do it again?” questions from the generous few who ask, I’m constantly hearing “I really want to go travelling”, “I so wish I could […]
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Being more positive is easier said than done right. For some people anyway. I’ll discuss that in a second, but here are a few things that have transformed my outlook into a consistently positive one: 1. Change Your Attitude Forget the “woe is me” syndrome which is so common among so many people in the developed world. Some people are never […]
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We all need money, and for those not constantly snowboarding or sipping mojitos in Havana while living off an inheritance/trust funds/lottery winnings, most of us are going to have to get a job. Obviously, we should love our jobs so much, that we would be at our happiest in the office, not want any work life balance, and spend every […]
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You may have seen the “Gratitude Challenge” that was recently making the rounds on Facebook. I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal, documenting things I’ve been grateful for on a daily basis for about two years now. It’s a valuable exercise and has definitely made me happier. I use the simple Gratitude Journal app so that all my entries are backed up in […]
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Twelve months in, homeless, jobless, savings severely depleted, and any chance of getting a mortgage in the near future completely screwed. People talk about having no regrets – I’m not one of those people. I have loads of regrets! I’ve made so many mistakes! The important thing is to take note, learn, and try to not repeat the same errors…. […]
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Sleeping in hostels, and sharing bathrooms is not for everyone, but even if I was going to be travelling in luxury, many people couldn’t understand why I would choose to take an extended break at this time in my life. After all, work was good, I loved where we lived, I had started to save for a mortgage deposit, why […]
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Having spoken to everyone I know who had travelled, read countless blogs and books, researched countless websites and created a myriad spreadsheets and lists, we were pretty prepared – or so I thought…. With our departure date set, I was looking forward to de-cluttering my flat, catching up with friends for relaxing goodbye meals, heading over to the airport early, chilling […]