Are you a glass half empty or a glass half full person? Are you the victim of pressure or do you thrive under stress? I find it fascinating that people can view the same thing from completely different perspectives and say with absolute certainty that they see total opposites. You can look at a picture and see the most magical inspiration before your eyes, and yet someone else might not give it a second glance. The same applies to everything we do and experience in our lives. What might inspire one person, just doesn’t make sense to another. And so what drives this difference in opinions and views? I heard a great analogy that the brain like a computer, is a processor, however, unlike a… Read the Rest »
So you want to be successful? Just how far are you prepared to go? Do you have what it takes? Do you know what it takes? All these questions need answering if you stand a chance of making a difference in your lifetime. The answers you give are all relative to the results that you will arrive at too. The more committed, the more passionate, the more determined, the bigger the outcome. The same philosophy applies to everything in life, sport, parenting, education. It is so simple, if you want to be good at something, you have to get obsessed and practice over and over again until you become an expert. As Tony Robbins says, “Repetition is the mother of skill.” Show me an expert… Read the Rest »
When I saw the line up of an upcoming event that showed Tony Robbins and Sir Richard Branson as the headline speakers, I was immediately taken aback to see Alan Sugar’s name appear a few weeks later. What is it about this man? He keeps on popping up on British TV, yet he lacks the finesse of Branson and the passion of Robbins. He most certainly lacks the humility that you’ll find in abundance in the other two great men. He comes across as a self opinionated man who likes putting people down to make himself feel better. And by surrounding himself with sycophantic people who do not openly challenge him, it is no surprise that he slipped up this week, after telling engineer Glenn… Read the Rest »
12 years ago I was sat on the side of my bed with my head in my hands struggling to choose a shirt to wear. No amount of reasoning would have helped me rationalise my behaviour. I had started putting on a significant amount of weight, but I was working out in the gym regularly and doing plenty of cardio. It felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I hadn’t known Gail long, but long enough for her to want to help me identify the problem. Doctors were unable to help, they checked for diabetes and thyroid, but there was nothing clinically wrong. Yet I was struggling to function. I was getting unnecessarily stressed and the not knowing what was wrong was compounding… Read the Rest »
Someone recently asked my advice on Planning and would I blog about my thoughts on the matter. It’s a great subject and there are many ways to approach planning. It wont surprise you that I probably start in the completely opposite place to most and miss out the bit that everyone else considers important. My “planning” is almost non-existant. All my work done is long before any planning would normally take place, at the “dreaming” stage. It’s a side that is drilled out of us at an early age, usually in school and by our elders. Yet the dreaming stage is the most fun and its where the magic happens. I have my own theories on planning, however they are all inspired by others and… Read the Rest »
Driving into work at 5.30am dressed in gym gear I pulled over to get petrol. A chap dressed in shorts too got out to fill up his car, he acknowledged me with a small but firm nod and as I left, I thought to myself, he looks like a good bloke. I always wonder who are these early morning “driven” people? Where are they going? I have a theory, have you ever noticed how people seem to get more irate the nearer it gets to 9.00am when driving into work? Obviously it’s not everyone, there just seem to be more people stressed as 9 o’clock approaches. What I need are these other people, the dynamic ones who want to squeeze every last drop out of… Read the Rest »
I got the call I’d been half expecting, for a number of months. “I am disappointed,” I said, “but not surprised.” Its the end of an era. “It is being made official in the morning and there is an embargo on the story until 10am tomorrow. Charlie Hodgson is resigning in the morning.” I was leaving for Verbier in the morning, for a few days skiing and boarding with the family and friends from work. Charlie is someone who I’d consider one of the most underrated fly-halves in todays game. Underrated or not, you have to treat people nicely who work for you, and if you want incredible results my advice is you need to go overboard on the “lavishing praise” aspect of management. The lavishing… Read the Rest »
A million things go through your mind while you are sat there waiting….. I consoled myself saying “it doesn’t really matter” over and over again, but deep down, it does. There is a table full of colleagues and guests all having a great time and there are 125 people back at work relying on me to bring home the trophy. Without them, there is no UKFast. Awards do give everyone in the business a lift. UKFast is a group of amazing, dynamic, innovative people. When UKFast gets nominated for an award, it is the team that deserves the credit. Even though it’s called the Entrepreneur of the Year award, there should be no mistake. This award represents the entrepreneurial spirit in UKFast, the under current… Read the Rest »
When you find yourself deep underground and no air to breath, it is safe to say you are having a life changing moment. But how does one event, just a matter of a few hours one day in the distant past make such a difference to people. Yet the more successful and driven people I meet, they all seem to have some sort of inspiration that comes from a deeper place. I know confidently, I would not be the man I am today if I’d not been buried in an avalanche. I’d have carried on, talking about how great one day I’d be, and although working incredibly long hours I’d have never been truly successful. I think I was directionless. What my accident gave me… Read the Rest »
Entrepreneurs and business people. Being a business man or woman is not clever. It doesn’t make you any more special or less special. Yes you can get a great feeling of connection from some of the things success can help you achieve, yet these are no more important than those of doctors, teachers, nurses etc. Yet there are those amongst us who feel the need to talk about their goals. What they are going to achieve and what they nearly did. I am talking of the ones that you have a sneaking suspicion are “all talk.” Yet, they keep talking and that is all they seem to do. And on the journey because of their gregarious nature and confidence they have a tendency to land great jobs… Read the Rest »
