Firstly you need to aim beyond what your capable of. You must develop a complete disregard for where your abilities end. Try to do the things that your incapable of. If you think you are unable to work for the best then try that. If you think you’re incapable of running a company make thatContinue reading “End of year musings: Do what you can’t”
Category Archives: Life Lessons
2019, 2020, realising what really matters – Merry Xmas
I hope you will forgive a reflective post today. 2019 was a year I lost my mother to an 18 month fight with cancer. Since that day I have been reflecting on life and what is important. I was reaching a conclusion then 2020 arrived and I am now certain on what really matters toContinue reading “2019, 2020, realising what really matters – Merry Xmas”
A Christmas Carol
If you read my post yesterday 98/100 Books read 2 to go you know I was reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I finished our Company Christmas zoom call, then closed up the home office. I made a cup of tea and sat in front of the fire. Charles Dickens could have had no idea itContinue reading “A Christmas Carol”
Your attitude determines your altitude
Have you ever heard the word ‘morale’ used when things are going well? No, me neither you only hear of morale when performance and results are slipping downwards. Think about your team, if you are an individual contributor then think about a team you were on once. If every member of that team had aContinue reading “Your attitude determines your altitude”
Ted talks
Once in a while you discover a show which is more than you assumed. The irony of that assumption will be revealed when you watch the clip. I started watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ and thought it would be just a funny show to raise my spirits. It is certainly funny but what tookContinue reading “Ted talks”
What Strategy is and is not
I have been in strategy for nearly two years now and it is the most interesting business area I have worked in. It has tested me more than any other role and still two years on I am learning things daily. It is however the most misused word I can recall, except maybe the wordContinue reading “What Strategy is and is not”
I see you
I am reading a book called ‘if I could share just one lesson in life’ one of those lessons was from President Clinton it really struck a chord with me this morning. I thought I would share it with you today: “I’ve come to believe that one of the most important things is to seeContinue reading “I see you”
Our greatest fear
Over my 25 years of working, I have worked with professionals from all walks of life. Many of them were hard working, a few were inspiring and demonstrated leadership. However, when I reached the VP level at Veeva I joined a group that displayed a leadership quality I had witnessed rarely but is in abundanceContinue reading “Our greatest fear”
Day one or one day, you decide
I have posted in my blog at Seastheday.blog 120 days in a row. I wanted to write regularly for years but just kept saying one day I will start. When you start things that are totally new for you there is a tendency to to feel like you cannot be effective without the full informationContinue reading “Day one or one day, you decide”
No one ever got dumber sharing an idea
I have noticed a selfishness of late, a reluctance to spend time talking about ideas. That is a shame, that is my lifeblood, it’s my passion, I can’t exist without discussion and discourse on ideas. Is it the lack of time, too busy, or you see your ideas as special sauce? I hope that isContinue reading “No one ever got dumber sharing an idea”
Be curious not judgemental
The title of this post is a quote by Walt Whitman. I think it might be my most favourite quote and how I try and live my life. It is a lot easier to be mean than to be curious. So mean people, on top of being jerks, are also lazy and uninventive. Try andContinue reading “Be curious not judgemental”
Go offline if you can
Before the covid changed the world. I used to love being in the air and unavailable to the world for half the day when travelling to the USA. I would write a letter, draw, write my thoughts down. Write slowly and plan, jot diagrams and concepts, all with a good old pen and paper. MoreContinue reading “Go offline if you can”
The Lion in winter
Melanie and I arrived very late at our beach place last night. I had a couple of emails to send off and some meetings to write up and so Melanie fell asleep while I burned the midnight oil. The TV was on and one of my favourite old films was on. ‘The Lion in winter’Continue reading “The Lion in winter”
The dash in between is how you are remembered
I copied this down from a documentary I watched 12 years ago. I found it in an old notebook last night. It’s is inspiring and haunting at the same time. Enjoy! When you die, there’s going to be a tombstone. It’s going to have your name, it’s going to have the year you were born,Continue reading “The dash in between is how you are remembered”
7 invisible barriers to success
I have had a good run of mentoring new Veeva employees this year and a theme started to form from their challenges. When we got onto the subject of what is holding them back from doing what they want to do, or making progress in their projects/accounts. A surprisingly regular list of what I callContinue reading “7 invisible barriers to success”
Today’s inconvenience is tomorrow’s nostalgia
Do you ever feel like life is too fast, that it is full of inconveniences? Maybe you find the amount of e-mail a stress, or you are on too many Zoom meetings, perhaps having to queue in shops for groceries takes forever, or driving home in traffic is annoying? Whatever the inconvenience you can beContinue reading “Today’s inconvenience is tomorrow’s nostalgia”
Presenting with humour
I love watching anyone at the top of their game. Sir Ken Robinson delivered a barn storming Ted Talks years ago which I return to time and time again to be inspired If you get a moment watch him in this youtube clip notice how he uses humour to soften you and to help makeContinue reading “Presenting with humour”
You are not in traffic, you are traffic
When I look at my schedule and it is full of meetings, other people are wasting my time! When I am queueing in a shop and I am in a hurry I am cursing the people in front of me When I come back from a holiday to a mountain of emails, how can theseContinue reading “You are not in traffic, you are traffic”
Looking for motivation
I failed several times at writing a blog over the last 10 years. I struggled searching for regular writing motivation. This year that changed, I realised that motivation is an excuse. I no longer wait for motivation to arrive, I just sit down in a space and write. Most of what I write is awful,Continue reading “Looking for motivation”
Asking for feedback
You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes or the most emotionally aware person to know who your fans are, those people who will give you positive feedback, that think you are great – Your colleagues, family and friends are hardwired to say nice things about you. Are you as good as they might say youContinue reading “Asking for feedback”