Sometimes it’s tough to know what to do in life.

I was intrigued to read an article from a few months ago on the New York Times website about why we get side-tracked when it comes to making decisions and what we might be able to do about it.

Here are a handful of the quotes that I liked from the article:

• Most of us tend to be overly optimistic

Do you ever say things like ‘I’m so nervous’ or ‘It really annoys me when…’?

It’s natural to feel emotions like anxiousness or annoyance. Many people feel anxious before a big event – say giving an important presentation at work or going on a big date. Many people feel irritated when things go wrong – from delays on the daily commute to difficult colleagues or our computers going wrong.

We … Read more

The fact that tax avoidance campaigners are protesting outside branches of Starbucks today isn’t really a surprise.

After all, the Internet is making the world an increasingly transparent place.  Social media is allowing people access to facts that not so long ago might have remained mostly hidden; it’s also allowing people the ability to mobilise more quickly than at any time in history.

I argued in my book E is … Read more

I was out in Singapore and Hong Kong a few years ago to publicise my book The Extra One Per Cent (which has now been re-published under the new title E is for Exceptional). While in Hong Kong, I was invited onto the radio station RTHK to be interviewed about the skills and mindset that help to distinguish exceptional people from the crowd.

This is one of my favourite … Read more

What is emotional intelligence exactly?  How can empathy help us to become more successful at work – especially in selling to customers and clients?  And why do most people overestimate how emotionally intelligent they are?

I was recently asked to speak at a conference for around 100 partners at a professional services firm on the topic of emotional intelligence. If you have 30 minutes to spare, I explore the answers … Read more

I’ve been coaching two clients recently who are both feeling emotionally bruised and battered. They’re facing very different issues but I recommended the same technique to both with great results.

One woman – I’ll call her Jane – just exited a very difficult relationship with a married man. She invested 6 years in the relationship and in the last year or so had split up and got back together with … Read more

What would you do if you were suddenly to become rich?  Probably celebrate, right? But wait, there’s a catch.

Jim Collins, American author of business blockbuster Good to Great suggests the following exercise.  Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning and receive two phone calls.  The first caller tells you that you’ve inherited $20 million, with no strings attached.  The second caller explains that you have no more than 10 years … Read more