In my E is for Exceptional book, I wrote about how we need to make time to expose ourselves to new stimuli, new knowledge and new experiences in order to remain creative and open to opportunities. I call this the skill of Awe: remaining in awe of the world around us and the need to learn.

A mobile phone company recently asked me to provide comment relating to a survey … Read more

Everybody struggles with motivation at least occasionally, right? The good news: there are some great, research-backed techniques for boosting motivation.

Perhaps you’re trying to coach colleagues at work to help them to be more productive. Maybe a friend or family member needs help to find a new job or lose weight. Or it could be you who is looking to summon up more motivation for your personal goals.

The … Read more

What are your goals for the next 12 months? Maybe you want to lose weight, eat more healthily or quit a bad habit. Perhaps you want to socialise more – or socialise less and study more.

A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests a new way of setting goals. Suppose you want to lose weight. You could either set yourself a specific goal (e.g. “lose 10 pounds”) … Read more

Pretend for a moment that you had set yourself a goal at the start of the year to read 20 new fiction books by the end of the year.  We’ve reached the end of June and you’ve already read 14 books.  You’re already way ahead of your target!  How would you feel?

Would you celebrate your accomplishment and the fact that you’re already 70 per cent of the way there?  … Read more

I’m working with a team of advertising executives at the moment who want to grow their agency.  I’m also working with an individual in the music industry to plot a course to a better, more successful life.

What do these have in common?  Both involve putting together a vision.

I’ve written in the past on the topic of visioning – the skill of putting together a vision.  But I know … Read more