Blog – Post Excerpts Only

Please feel free to browse through the list of my blog posts. Find something you like? Then simply click on the link to continue reading.

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• Self-preservation and Renewal 29 May 2022 - To get over the trauma from the past 3 years I am going to have to work through it. This is turning out to be a harder task than I thought.
• How Life Has Changed 9 May 2022 - After 4 years I'm ready to start blogging again. Like everybody else I've been impacted by the pandemic. My brain is chaotic but my creative energy has returned.
• Continue Creativity During Stressful Times 6 Jun 2020 - Being creative helps us in every area of our life. However, it takes energy to be creative and during stressful times is often the first thing to be stopped.
• Overcoming Obstacles to Creativity 31 May 2020 - We all have occassions when we feel something blocking our creativity. Overcoming these obstacles requires introspection - and sometimes opening up to others
• Keep habits going to alleviate stress 3 May 2020 - Our little habits are those that make us who we are, and help us withstand life's stresses and strains. Keeping the going tells the subconscious that things are OK.
• Rediscovering Daydreaming 26 Apr 2020 - It took my son to make me realise I'm not spent time daydreaming for over two years. Daydream is so important - its a shame not to do it
• Protecting Mental Health During Lockdown 19 Apr 2020 - Life is not normal during the Covid-19 outbreak. Many are experiencing lockdowns. What can we do to protect our mental health?
• Reflecting Four Years in Asia 14 Apr 2020 - Four years is a long time as an expat in Asia, especially when you don't allow yourself regular time to reflect on experiences. The enforced lockdown caused by Covid-19 has resulted in a much needed period of self-reflection
• On the Move Again 15 Dec 2019 - The expat trail moves on - time to move to a new country. Say goodbye to the order of Tokyo and hello to the hustle and bustle that is India
• Re-assessing Priorities 16 Sep 2018 - Having a strong idea of my core priorities allows me to decide what to spend my time on. Regularly re-assessing them means I always work towards an up to date list - as my life and circumstances changes
• Services Action: Our Final day at the school 22 Apr 2018 - Our last day at the school has come too quickly. Our students have done an amazing job and strong bonds have been made. Leaving the school was much harder than we anticipated.
• Services Action: A Lovely Day at School 18 Apr 2018 - Our 2nd day: The friendships and bonds are developing, and the lessons are going well. We experienced village life when we took our lunch to eat at the local village
• Services Action: Day 1 at the School 16 Apr 2018 - Our first day at the school: an incredible day, including a visit to a temple on the way to the school. Our students handled themselves amazingly well.
• Spending a Weekend in Phnom Penh 15 Apr 2018 - I was spending the weekend in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I was here to chaperone 10 students from an international school who'd travelled to Cambodia to teach at a village school.
• The Brain is a Wonderful Place 19 Mar 2018 - The mind is a curious and wonderful thing. It is made up of neural pathways and lots of other stuff that I’ve not spent the time understanding. All I know is give in energy, rest, and life and it can literally think for itself. At times it is our own private oasis of calm and …
• Experiencing Holi 7 Mar 2018 - I am a very outgoing person, an extrovert. in my 20s my scores were almost off the chart they were so high. Over the years, however, I have found peace and solitude in quiet time. I have found that I can be quite happy taking my myself away from crowds and being peaceful. I’ve also …
• Smartphone Experiment – Week 1 23 Feb 2018 - A week into my smartphone experiment and it is once again time to report about how it is going. Enough days have now passed for me to realise that it really is hard for me to follow my new regime entirely. My Day 2 relapse, which I reported in my last post, was not a …
• Smartphone Experiment – Day 2 15 Feb 2018 - I’m only 2 days into my self-imposed smartphone experiment but already I’m learning new things about myself. For those of you who do not know, I have decided to reduce my smartphone usage for the next 3 months – removing all social media and surfing (read this post to understand more). The first thing I’ve observed is just how …
• Putting Down the Phone – Giving My Brain a Rest 13 Feb 2018 - It may come as no surprise to you that I am about to perform a new experiment on myself. I’ve been doing these experiments all my adult life. I look for new ways of self-improvement – whether this be for work efficiency, health and fitness, or in any other area of my life – like …
• My Dyslexia Turns Words into Sounds 1 Feb 2018 - Being Dyslexic means different things to different people. It affects us differently. It gives us different challenges when dealing with the spoken world in which we are immersed. One of the hardest aspects of my dyslexia is how my brain interprets words. While most people breeze through the seemingly easy task of understanding what somebody …
• Taking Back My Brain 29 Jan 2018 - Even the most centred of people can become uncentred if they forget to do the basics that made them centred in the first place. And that was what had happened to me. For almost 5 months now my brain has been active. So very very active. So active in fact that it hasn’t had any …
• No Energy for Writing 11 Jan 2018 - I’ve had a tired brain recently and it has affected my writing. It’s got so bad that I’ve gone from publishing twice a week to only once in ten weeks. The main reason for my tiredness is down to a change in career. As you can imagine this has caused a great deal of upheaval …
• Don’t Worry, You’ll Grow Out of Dyslexia 16 Nov 2017 - Being dyslexic as a child was a pain, to put it politely. Not only was there the difficultly with reading, writing, and spelling, but there was also difficultly with: remembering, concentrating, speaking, hearing, handwriting Basically, all those little niceties in life that make growing up and attending school easier. But this post isn’t about those, …
• Readying Myself for a Fresh Start 24 Oct 2017 - Right now my thoughts are dominated by new beginnings. I have just left my job of more than 15 years and am currently on holiday before starting at my new company. This move takes my career in a completely new direction and so I find my mind musing over the concept of new beginnings.  15 years is, by any human at least 😉 measure, a significant amount of time. Only a handful of my friendships were formed before I started working for my old …
• Clearing my Head with Creative Stress Relief 20 Oct 2017 - Anybody who writes regularly knows that we have many different reasons to write. Over the last few weeks I’ve been using my writing as a form of stress release. This was unplanned however. I’d sit down to write a blog post, let my mind freewheel, and before I knew it I’d have an article written. …
• A Simple Method to Keep the Negative Effects of Stress at Bay 18 Oct 2017 - It is our little habits, our routines, that make us us. These are the things that define who we really are – from the exercising we do, to the funny drinks that we make (okay that’s just me!), to the little ways we greet our nearest and dearest. This is us. But I’ve noticed that when I get stressed, it is these little habits that …
• Surviving my Hardest Talk – Presenting to Middle Schoolers 14 Oct 2017 - Yesterday I had to give my hardest presentation for more than 10 years – and that is saying something. I’ve given countless presentations to many different customers, in many different countries. Sometimes I’ve known before the start that the customer was not friendly and so I could prepare for this. Other times, however, I’ve only found out during my presentation that the customer was unfriendly. This means that I’ve developed the skills needed to assess (read) my audience‘s feelings, and adjust my approach on the fly. On two very …
• Leading By Example 1 Oct 2017 - I try to encourage my children to follow their passion and to do things that help them develop. This is important, even if doing these things, whatever activity it is, makes them feel uncomfortable. I’m talking about the discomfort you get when you step out of your comfort zone. This has helped my children to develop growth mindsets. Doing this is hard, so to encourage them I make sure …
• Trip to Takayama – Where Time Stood Still 28 Sep 2017 - Even though today is a work day you won’t find me sitting at my desk. You won’t catch me having a lie in either. An earlier start than usual, and a semi-long train journey has resulted in me currently travelling through the Gifu prefecture of Japan. This is a mountainous region, and is described as the Japanese Alps.  Fuji Spotting  Our journey started when we caught the first Shinkansen of the day out of Tokyo …
• Relax to Improve Your Leadership 24 Sep 2017 - We all have our own personal way of dealing with other people, our “style”. Some of these styles will bring out the best in people while others will not. It is worth spending time analysing how you affect people around you – as we can all improve our style. It is worth remembering, however, that your style …
• Teenagers, fill your potential 18 Sep 2017 - While I doubt that many of my readers are teenagers I do know that some of you are (quick shout out to my son and nieces!). With this post I am specifically talking to you. And to your friends if you like what I write and share it with them. While I might be slightly older than a teenager myself – …
• Parenting Third Culture Kids 14 Sep 2017 - A lot has been written about third culture kids (TCKs). How they cross over from one culture’s expectations to another. From one culture’s behaviour’s to another. I see them as the closest we humans have come to replicating chameleons. But as much as I have read about them, I have yet to read anything from their parent’s perspective. And that’s me!  I was not a third culture kid. I grew up in one …
• The Fire is Burning 12 Sep 2017 - A few months ago I caused quite a stir in my family by announcing that I’d stopped reading in one of my blog posts. I’m from a wordy family so this public admission, declaration really, was a bit of a call to arms. The battle lines were drawn and the opposing camps wanted to know my reasons. I exaggerate of course, but it did start quite a few debates:  why I would give up reading when others read …
• Using my Pain to Fix a Problem 8 Sep 2017 - I wrote a few weeks ago about how useful emotions are. How we can learn so much about our true feelings if we only learn to listen to our emotions. We don’t need to be scared of them, nor do we need to be slaves to them. They are our emotions after all! Well, the …
• I’m Tired – I Blame my Brain 6 Sep 2017 - Using our brains, and I mean really using our brains makes us tired. Or maybe it is just me? Maybe my brain hasn’t had the required upgrade yet and is still too power hungry? How can I know that using my brain makes me tired?  Right now I am constantly tired, I am constantly yawning. If I was still a child then my mother would tell me to …
• My Family are Home! 3 Sep 2017 - I am behind in my blog this week – it is Sunday evening and I have only posted once. Normally I try and post on Monday’s and Thursday’s but that was just not possible.  What a lovely week it has been. After 11 weeks away, my wife and children finally arrived back in Japan. Their arrival has happily thrown …
• Breaking Old Habits – Committing With Passion 30 Aug 2017 - I have been holding myself back for almost 30 years, and I’ve only just realised it! As a child of about 13 I developed a defence mechanism. Over the years it became so ingrained within my personality that I had forgotten all about it. I shed it this year after a period of self-reflection made me realise that it was there – …
• Remaining Active – It Takes Work 24 Aug 2017 - Remaining an active person does not necessarily come easy for all of us. That's okay - it's alright to accept and understand that it isn't always easy. Just be easy on yourself but set goals and get out there as often as you can. Click on the link below to read my post. #DayTrip #Hiking #Selfawareness #Tokyo
• Launching my Photography Website 21 Aug 2017 - A year and a half ago I created my first website. That was to host my blog, and I have used it to develop and showcase my voice – this voice. I have now created a new sister website. This new photography site is for me to develop and showcase my skill as a photographer. …
• Paper Lanterns 18 Aug 2017 - I am drawn to lanterns, just like I am moved by the power and raw energy of a drum. They have always attracted me, like moths to a light-bulb. They are almost the exact opposite of drums. While drums pump out pure energy, there is something very gentle about combining the flickering light of a …
• Writing for I Am a Triangle 15 Aug 2017 - Recently I was asked to write for a new website that supports expat and repatriate communities around the world. It has grown out from a Facebook group which, although only started a few years ago has expanded to over 15,000 members. This is the first time that I’ve been asked to write for a website! …
• Reflecting on an Emotional Journey 14 Aug 2017 - My summer vacation is over. I have spent a couple of weeks re-connecting with loved ones in the UK. My time has been full not only with birthday parties, activities, and dinners, but also with rest and relaxation. It has been a lovely time, so what is this feeling I have growing inside me? I …
• I Love Tokyo in the Summer – Part 2 10 Aug 2017 - I love Tokyo in the summer, there are so many festivals of pure energy that it is revitalising, rejuvenating place to live. This despite the heat and humidity – mushiatsui. At the weekend I went to an amazing firework display which lasted 75 minutes and had 14,000 fireworks.  I had attended the same display last year with my children. We’d spent the day down in Kamakura and arrived not long before the display was to start. This was not a …
• I Love Tokyo in the Summer 7 Aug 2017 - Tokyo in the summer is an incredible place. Sure, there’s the heat – atsui in Japanese, and the humidity. Put them together and you get hot and humid, or mushiatsui. Put simply, this means that only stepping outside is enough to make you wet through with sweat. It’s great for the skin! (I think). Still, with only a small shift in mindset this can become energising …
• My Tokyo – Part 1 27 Jul 2017 - A good friend, and fellow blogger, of mine suggested that I should write a post on my impressions of Tokyo. The more I thought about this, the more I realised how obvious this was – why hadn’t I thought about this before? It never ceases to amaze me how we can miss the obvious sometimes. I really should have written this …
• Fighting Insomnia 24 Jul 2017 - Insomnia is not something that I have ever suffered from before. Sure, as I child I can remember having times when I couldn’t get to sleep – but these were few and normally passed within a week. Recently, however, I have been battling insomnia, and it has been getting a little out of control. Until tonight I thought I had beaten it. Having …
• What is my Role as a Dad? 20 Jul 2017 - A man’s role as a father can be unclear and not a lot of people are writing about it. Do a quick search and you will find countless articles about a woman’s role as a mother. But perform the same for a man’s role and you will find far less articles. Why is that? Is it that men don’t …
• Celebrating 101 Articles 17 Jul 2017 - Incredibly this is my 101st blog post. When I started out 17 months ago I was only ever concentrating on the post I was doing, not looking forward to a remote milestone such as this. Over that time my blog has taken on different dimensions. I decided to let myself write about whatever had interested …
• Henna’s Song 13 Jul 2017 - This is my 100th post Normally this would result in a reflective blog post – reviewing what it had taken to get to this milestone. Quite often this 100th post is very egotistical – focusing on the achievements of the writer or blog in question. Most probably this 100th post would include favourite quotes from some of the previous articles. I know all of this because I have, in fact, already written …
• How to Slow Down the Passage of Time 10 Jul 2017 - Time is, in all reality, flexible. It is bendy, and how quickly or slowly it passes you by is all down to you. From personal experience I can tell you how critical your personal outlook is. 5 years ago I found time passing more quickly than I do today.
• Life Changing Moment for Dyslexic Child 9 Jul 2017 - My life was changed by a chance discussion in 1985 when I was 10. Up until this point I thought I was stupid. My teachers were telling my parents that I was stupid. I thought that I wasn’t very good at school and it was beginning to become a problem. In more honesty, I didn’t …
• Finding Decay in the City 3 Jul 2017 - As I descended the steps, so I seemed to be going deeper into a sea of decay. The buildings, those that were still standing, were slowly being overrun by undergrowth. The walkway between the buildings was cracked and spouted plants, and everything was subdued colours: beige, green or brown. Everything, that is, expect for this …
• The Day the Tsunami Hit Home 29 Jun 2017 - As I watched the imagines on the TV scene a cold stillness seemed to rest over me. Downstairs I had been amused and delighted by what I had seem in the museum. But there was no place for either of those emotions up here. Here there was only space for sombre reflection, for thinking about …
• Drinking with the Monks 26 Jun 2017 - One of the most unusual experiences that I’ve had since arriving in Japan is accepting a drink from a practicing monk. I was on a night out with friends and we stopped in at the monks bar. We were greeted on the stairs by a monk telling us that there was a ceremony going on, …
• Finding Surprises in Tokyo 23 Jun 2017 - I know that I’m running through the streets of Tokyo, but it doesn’t feel like it. At least it’s not the Tokyo I’ve known for most of the last 18 months. I’m in the middle of an 11km run home and I’ve been lucky enough to stumble across what I call a “green route”. These …
• Is Being Adaptable the Only Way? 19 Jun 2017 - Being adaptable is the only way that I know how to live my life. With the type of lifestyle that I have, new customers/new countries, I don’t think that any other way is possible. But my mother reminded me recently that I wasn’t like this as a child. The phrase she used I think was …
• Oops, Sorry! 14 Jun 2017 - Apologies to all my subscribers. Today you will have received a notification for my latest post. Two errors occurred (maybe it was just one that I made worst): The post got published before it was ready – human error (clicking on the button!) As the post did not have a title it was published with …
• A Grand Day Out in My Element 14 Jun 2017 - Saturday was my day out in the countryside – back to nature! It started with some voluntary work playing games and barbequing. After this hard work! what better way to unwind than take a walk up the Tama River. After that, how about a spot of bouldering to round off the day? The morning and …
• Sting in Concert 12 Jun 2017 - I’m off to see Sting in concert tonight and he has a lot to live up to. Sting is a global name, he has had a presence in the music industry for longer than I can remember. His music is part of my childhood, but the last time I saw him live was a huge …
• Believe in Yourself 8 Jun 2017 - This week I commented on a blog post written by one of my heroes. Hero might be too strong a word, but I’ve certainly looked up to him since I was about 10 years old. He is a real adventurer, and to a 10 years old adventurers are heroes. What makes this adventurer even more …
• The Paris Agreement Power Shift 5 Jun 2017 - I felt the earth move during the first few days of June 2017. Even though I live in Tokyo this had nothing to do with earthquakes. The first shock was caused by the statement that the USA was pulling out of the Paris Agreement. It turned out, however, that this was only a weak tremor …
• The Summer Exodus 2 Jun 2017 -   The summer exodus is almost upon us. This is when the makeup of the expat community changes completely. There are so many reasons why this exodus happens and when it does it can decimate an international community in a city. Summer is traditionally the time when people are on the move: It might be …
• Spartan Ninjas Teamwork 30 May 2017 - Last weekend I did my first Spartan Race and I loved it. I like running, training, and doing physical activities. I also like doing those fun activities that are normally only reserved for children. So with its climbing walls and mud this Spartan Race is right up right up my street. This was the first Spartan …
• Visualising the Future 25 May 2017 - A little while ago I wrote about a change that I was going through – about a match that had been struck and a fire that was beginning to burn inside me. To lift a phrase from that article: Now I have this quiet, persistent, part of my brain refusing to sit still and do …
• Work Smarter, Not Harder 22 May 2017 - Working smarter rather than harder is something that I have tried to do for as long as I can remember. It all started at university where I had to develop my own way of learning. Up until then I’d had an education system that had told me how to learn – and the rules were …
• Preparing for Spartan 21 May 2017 - It has been a busy week for so many reasons: I’ve been busy at work, I’ve been busy at home, My blog has had its busiest week ever (most views), I’ve been going to bed too late, My son had a birthday celebration, My daughter had a sleepover, We had a school talent show on …
• Mini Adventures in Tokyo 18 May 2017 - It was a cycling centred weekend. Well why wouldn’t it be: the sun was shining and the air was warm. But most importantly my daughter had finally got her hands on the bike she’d been eying up for almost a year. The bike in question is bright green, has large wheels, and proper brakes on …
• Growing through Uncertainty 11 May 2017 - How much uncertainty can you handle in your daily life? Are you somebody who likes to know what you will be doing next week, next month, next year? Or are you somebody who likes not knowing what is coming? Did you know you can grow through living with uncertainty? Living an expat life makes it …
• Start Using Your Brain 8 May 2017 - We live in a time when outside distractions are taking over like never before. It is possible to go through a full day with precious little “brain” time. This has very real consequences, both in the short term and the long. It is bad for your body, bad for your mind, and bad for your …
• Let Others Help you Be Your Best 4 May 2017 - I try and surround myself with people who expect me to do more, be more, be a better person. This, I have found, helps me in a number of different ways. It helps me to be a kinder, more generous person – and it helps me achieve more both privately and professionally. It encourages me …
• The Dough won’t Rise 27 Apr 2017 - On Sunday I found myself with enough time to make a loaf of bread. This was to be my first loaf from the sour dough starter I created a few weeks ago. Converting a sour dough starter into a loaf takes time. It’s not that it takes that much effort, it’s that there are a …
• Chasing Goals 24 Apr 2017 - A little while ago I posted an article about how my outlook on life was changing. How I was turning into somebody who passionately wants to create something. I have a fire ignited within me, and I want to do something with it. A few chance events had caused the spark, but I didn’t say …
• Brighten up Your Life by Sleeping 20 Apr 2017 - I am writing this while on the train to work. It is 7am and behind me I hear snoring – not the gentle wheeze of somebody in light sleep, but the heavy rattle of somebody completely passed out. This is the type of snore that most people have only when they are ill, or really …
• Windows to the Soul 20 Apr 2017 - If our eyes really are the windows to our souls, what does it mean when: they are staring into a smartphone at every free minute? they can close at any quiet moment due to unrelenting tiredness? Be like a child, keep your eyes sparkling with the wonder of the world
• Spartan Life Experience 14 Apr 2017 - I realised a long time ago that living in a foreign country gives me life opportunities that I wouldn’t have got had I stayed at home. Over the years I have ice skated on the sea, heard wolfs howling while boating on a lake at midnight, been north of the Arctic Circle, taken part in …
• Exploding Kombucha 12 Apr 2017 - I’d been warned that fermenting kombucha bottles could explode. But it never crossed my mind that it would happen to my kombucha. So I was really surprised this morning when I got a phone call from my wife to say that one bottle had, indeed, exploded. The glass had shattered and there was a mess …
• Running through the City 10 Apr 2017 - A little over a year ago, going for a run would take me up hills, through forests, along the coast, and around lakes. In the winter I might run through ankle deep snow, or need to strap on spikes to run over ice. I learnt how to keep my feet warm when it is minus …
• Getting Tipsy with Cherry Blossom 5 Apr 2017 - Tonight I am attempting sourdough maintenance tipsy – and it is all rather amusing. The cherry blossom season, or Sakura in Japanese, is in full swing in Tokyo. This is a really magical time of the year when the streets become full of the delicate white and pink blossoms. They also become full of people …
• More Cultures in the Morning 4 Apr 2017 - My life is slowly filling up with cultures. Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that over the past few weeks I’ve started making both Kombucha and Kefir. All this “culturing” put me in the mood to start making bread again. By bread I mean making in from a sourdough starter – …
• Appreciate your Friends 31 Mar 2017 - I am writing this while being whisked home along the Odakyu Line. My hands are cold enough that it is actually affecting my typing. Yesterday was a scorchingly hot day – for March at least. I spent the whole day without sweater or jacket. Today I’m wearing a summer weight jacket, and thanks to the …
• Neutralise Toxic People 29 Mar 2017 - There is a group of people out there who cause havoc and pain wherever they go. Call them difficult, obnoxious, or toxic, call them whatever you want – you know these people exist and you know the damage they can do. We cannot stop ourselves from coming into contact with people like this. What we …
• Cultures Growing in my Kitchen 25 Mar 2017 - Cultures are slowly taking over my kitchen – and they have their own needs. In one corner I have my now established Kombucha. In another I have the newbie: Kefir. I seem to have got into a routine with the Kombucha –starting a new batch each weekend. I’m now on my third batch which I …
• Adventures in Kamakura 23 Mar 2017 - Please note that I retain the copyright to all pictures used in this post. Kamakura is a wonderful day trip from Tokyo. It is close enough so the journey is short and there are a number of different ways of getting there. Today I am heading there for my third visit, and each visit has been …
• Fire-Walking Festival 15 Mar 2017 - Please note that I retain the copyright to all pictures used in this post. Today we are off on another real life experience, something that is only possible because of our move to Japan. We are off to the Mount Takao Hiwatari Festival. This is an annual festival where monks walk barefoot over a sacred fire. …
• Creativity in the Digital Era 10 Mar 2017 - Some people are more comfortable working with one medium than another. I personally find myself much more creative working with pen and paper than with mouse and keyboard. There is something much more tactile about the feel of the pen sliding across the paper – leaving a shining trail behind it like a snail. Creativity …
• Making Kombucha 6 Mar 2017 - I started a batch of Kombucha at the weekend – my first ever. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink and drinking it is meant to give health benefits. The health benefits sound promising so I thought I’d give it a go. I also like having a pot of something doing something in the kitchen – previously …
• Being Marketable 3 Mar 2017 - Being “marketable” is one of the core competences that sets people apart as extraordinary employees. At its most basic, being marketable means that others can easily see your worth. They know that if you are a part of their team then they will see noticeable benefits. This article is part of the series “Developing Key …
• Same Reality Different Opinion 23 Feb 2017 - A change in office location reminded me of a lesson I learnt back in high school history: “When reviewing eye witness accounts of historical events, it is possible to come across completely conflicting descriptions and opinions. Each person brings there own unique experience to their account.” I am writing this while riding in a car …
• Striking the Match 17 Feb 2017 - These days I have an almost furious desire to create. I find that reading no longer does it for me. Something has changed, something inside of me. Now I have this quiet, persistent, part of my brain refusing to sit still and do nothing. It is urging me to stop living in somebody else’s creation …
• Creative Relaxation 10 Feb 2017 - I once read some very good advice: it is better to create than to consume. I couldn’t agree more, and one of my first posts was indeed about this very topic. Mindless Consumption. In it I wrote: While we are consuming we are sleepwalking through our lives, unaware of where we are and where we …
• Managing Change 6 Feb 2017 - Managing change is something that we all have to do. No matter how much we try and avoid it, change will always occur in life. It doesn’t matter if we are an individual or an organisation – change will find us. We can either choose to be proactive and embrace change, or we can wait …
• Simplify Language to Aid Understanding 18 Jan 2017 - I often present new ideas and concepts to customers. These concepts are usually very complex. While I have never failed to get my message across, I have sometimes found it much easier than at other times. Over the years I have often wondered why this is – it is not only related to the complexity …
• Strengthening Our Mental Reserves 8 Dec 2016 - The last few months have left me drained both mentally and physically. I feel less creative now than at any other point since I moved to Japan 11 months ago. There have been a number of factors that have weakened my reserves of energy but it wasn’t until today that I was able to put …
• Hakone – at last 16 Nov 2016 - A few weeks ago my family and I finally got to visit Hakone. Hakone lies south west of Tokyo, and with its mountains, lake, and countryside it is a popular destination for visitors. Add to this the spectacular views of Mount Fuji and you can see why we had wanted to go. Our previous three attempts …
• My first steps into Digital Marketing 20 Oct 2016 - I am learning a new skill beginning this week. I say a new skill but what I really mean is that I am putting some academic learning to something that I have been doing for some time. My wife is setting up a creative business, making Artisan jewellery, and I have been helping her where …
• Is your development plan fit for purpose 7 Oct 2016 - I have been working with one of my mentees recently to help her create a personal development plan. Our relationship has been a fruitful one and she is always well prepared for our sessions. We identified a number of key areas needing development early on and it was time to put them into a proper …
• Climbing Mount Fuji 21 Sep 2016 - So here I am, sitting on a bus working its way out of Tokyo through the afternoon traffic. It is wet outside, there are raindrops on the window, spray from the cars ahead and I am on my way to climb Mount Fuji. When I asked which side of the bus it would be on, …
• Have you Finished Developing 19 Aug 2016 - This post continues the series investigating what it takes to transform yourself into an “exceptional employee”. The topic of this instalment is about always striving for betterment rather than accepting the current status quo. If you would like to see more about the contents of the series, and see the other posts, please use the …
• The Downside to Being Dependable 12 Jul 2016 - There are somethings in life that just work. They work so well that we don’t even notice that they work. We don’t, in fact, even think about them at all – that is, however, until they break. At that point we realise just how much we rely on them, and we can’t believe that we …
• Tolerating Conflict 21 Jun 2016 - This post is part of a series of posts investigating what it takes to transform yourself into an “exceptional employee”. It is specifically about how to tolerate conflict. If you would like to see more about the contents of the series, and see the other posts, please use the link to go to the series …