Insights, ideas
and inspiration
To build a life and career
with purpose, on purpose
In addition to coaching, I am also a writer. My articles on personal development, leadership, career management, cultural adapation, and ex- pat life have been published in a number of British, French and European magazines. I also consult and write for corporate communications projects. If you are interested in my work as a writer, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Managing the email avalanche
1. Make appointments to check email. Trying to keep on top of your emails all day long is a time-suck and the enemy of concentration. Choose your least productive times of day and schedule a meeting with yourself to check and deal with your email (keep high-productivity times for your
Focus on the how: setting New Year’s Intentions
If I read the phrase “these uncertain times” one more time, I will not be held accountable for my actions. It’s flat, hackneyed, over-used – and I’m sure I’m guilty of having written it myself. That said, it is a fairly accurate description of our current situation. While I don’t
Slowing the rush
Do less. Overbooking yourself and cramming your schedule is a sure-fire way to become hurried and harried, someone who tap their foot when the checkout moves slowly and beeps their horn if the driver in front doesn’t zoom off the second the light goes green. Intentionally accept fewer activities than
Avoiding overwhelm over the holidays
Lower your expectations Too often we put so much pressure on ourselves to have (and ensure others have) the perfect Christmas or New Year’s Eve that we end up stressed, frazzled and disappointed. What would it be like actively to set a lower expectation for your family this year? What
Give the gift of listening this Christmas
It’s that time again, folks: ‘tis the season to be jolly, deck the halls, and sing the 12 days. And while it has become fashionable of late to deride the cheesiness of many Christmas traditions and bemoan its commercialisation, I have to say I love this time of year. Whether
Making self-care a daily habit
Treat your feet like friends Clearing out shoes that pinch, jab, squeeze and rub is a radical act of self-care because it has an immediate positive impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. As well as eliminating pain, careful shoe selection makes your movements and activities, boosts your energy, and
Why balance is overrated: the case for living life in chapters
As I type the title of my article this month, I cringe, waiting for the Personal Development and Wellbeing Overlords to strike me down. I have rebelled. I have taken sacred words in vain. I have dared to suggest that the much-coveted and ever elusive balance on which much ink
Controlling your smartphone habit
Turn off notifications You don’t have to completely uninstall every app on your phone to take a break. Simply turn off notifications from Twitter, Facebook, etc. in your phone’s settings or within the app itself. Give yourself the power to choose when you look at the app instead of reacting
Watch your words: redefining bad language
I have never really been much of a swearer. When I was growing up, my mother drilled it into me that swearing is a lazy form of self-expression. She encouraged me to choose my words more carefully, often with more devastating effect than any S- or F-bomb could ever achieve.
