
Hello, I’m NCS.
This is where I think out loud, mostly from the little yellow beach hut I built on Lancing beach. Notes on reading, work, life and lighthouses, written when something is worth writing down. More about me.
Latest from the collection
Lighthouse stamps and postcards, and the stories behind them. See all the postcards and stamps.
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Stone vs Sand
As I start this new chapter in my professional career I am thinking more about learning and how one learns. Learning in all its stages: the disseminating information then the retaining and applying that knowledge. The way we approach learning can make a big difference in how much we retain and how long we remember… Read more
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110% is for idiots
I can’t abide the term overachiever, It’s not possible for people to rise above their level of competency. We are all in some way under achievers to varying degree. Have you ever been told to give 110% effort? It’s a common phrase used in motivational speeches and self-help books, but the truth is, it’s a… Read more
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Swing for the fences
Swing for the fences is an idiom I first came across while spending more time in the USA. It means to put all one’s power into one’s swing while batting, so as to hit a home run. The idiom is used to explain or encourage a person to put the maximum amount of effort or… Read more
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This too shall pass
This post is dedicated to all those readers who have had a situation over come them. Decisions made on your behalf. You gain the upper hand with seeking to control things in your control. The situation is not in your control but your reaction is. The following post is about how embracing ‘not knowing a… Read more
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Diving in
One of the most scary things you can do is diving into water from a distance. To stand there and to lean forward til there is no turning back. This is real life commitment in the making, right then. One minute, you’re standing still, staring at the water below, and then you’re fully committed to… Read more
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Leadership quote I love
If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery Read more
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Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd
It is one week into my new role and I have lots to learn and lots of decisions to make. The time for listening and reflection should never last too long before action is needed. however, it is easy to get caught up in the action, execution mindset and not see and value the joy… Read more
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Learn by doing & Quantity has it’s own quality
I spend just 30 minutes a day on learning to draw and sketch. I am not looking for perfection, I am looking for gradual improvements. I am looking for learning from errors. In it’s own way quantity will have therefore it’s own quality. Let me illustrate with a story I found in a self help… Read more

