Watching Michael Jordan play basketball makes me want to play basketball. Watching a Christopher Nolan movie makes me want to try filmmaking. Listening to Seth Godin talk makes me want to talk just like him. Firstly I don't think I am alone in this desire. Secondly I think the common thread is we can't help … Continue reading Watching masters at work →

I loath last minute projects. I detest needless anxiety. I hate staying up all night, rushing around madly and making reckless decisions just to submit on time. I think this stress is unnecessary. I think the panic can be avoided. I think John Cleese summarised it beautifully with the following short sentence: "Get your panic … Continue reading Early panic →

The trouble with the rumour mill is that it's subjective. Instead of facts you're getting worldviews. "Watch out for Derek, he is absolutely livid" "Really? I just bumped into him and he seemed fine" If in doubt I find there is validation in numbers. If all 12 people at the meeting said Derek was in … Continue reading Truth in numbers →

It’s truly astonishing how many ads are flying around desperate to interrupt as many consumers as possible these days. In reaction to these amazing volumes of messages I think consumers are becoming more and more adept at ignoring unwanted messages. I believe the only solution for brands is to align messages with their target audience’s … Continue reading Aligning interests →

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path" Morpheus And the difference is bravery, discipline, grit and perseverance to name a few. It's easy to figure out that exercise is the way to stay healthy, it's hard to maintain a diet and workout schedule. It's not difficult to come to the … Continue reading Knowing and walking →

"You already know what you're going to do" That's what the counsellor in Fleabag kept repeating to the main character. "You already know what you're going to do" And I think there's something to that. Despite coming up with perfectly rational reasons not to, have you ever felt drawn to a course of action? I … Continue reading Already know →

If you are struggling to get through your workload, one handy hack I have found is to sort by effort required (after sorting by deadline of course). For example writing an one thousand word blog post requires a lot more time and effort than a copy and paste job. So, for me, my most productive … Continue reading Sort by effort required →

If we wish for any kind of success then we must prepare ourselves for the curious phenomenon of self sabotage. The nefarious inside man! The traitor in your mind, whispering misleading advice in your ear. It's an odd feature of human beings but not an insurmountable obstacle. The thing about double agents is that once … Continue reading The nefarious inside man →

As a first time offender you can expect some leniency. The judge will most likely take into account your good past behaviour and give you a lighter sentence. The same is not true for mother nature. It doesn't matter that you applied sun block every day of the summer, the sun will not pardon you … Continue reading First time offence →

The Netflix show Brigerton has all the hallmarks of 19th century Britain. It has the vernacular, the dress sense and the societal norms to name a few. But importantly it never explicitly says that it is 19th century Britain which allows the show's makers some wiggle room to cater to today's audience with subtle updates. … Continue reading Brigerton’s tweaks →