Happy holidays readers, I hope your holidays are filled with: Marvellous moviesEndless entertainmentRemarkable readsRed nosed reindeersYells of joyCountless chocolatesHealthy homesRousing renditions of Rocking around the Christmas TreeIlluminating illustrationsSensational salesTerrific treesMagnificent mealsAmazing anecdotesSuper silliness

It's funny how one's relationship to presents evolves over the years. When I was a kid, the excitement of Christmas all stemmed from the impending arrival of unknown presents. It was all about the receiving. But now as an adult, I am beginning to see the benefits of giving. Whether you're rolling the dice or … Continue reading Giving v receiving →

They say 'don't meet your heroes'. Why? Because the all knowing 'they' realised that it's unlikely your hero is going to live up to your dizzyingly high expectations of them. If you worship them, view them as a god or label them as perfect then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Because nobody is … Continue reading Heroes →

Recently I created a scavenger hunt and the most difficult part was not finding clues. Once I knew which direction I wanted the hunters to take finding subtle pointers was easy. The clue writing wasn't particularly taxing either. Making the hints cryptic was simple when you knew the answer. The hard part was watching the … Continue reading Scavenger joy →

"Every day, stand guard at the door of your mind" Jim RohnI think it's only natural to run to someone's aid when they're going through a tough time. I think the majority of people will feel obliged to help. To lend a sympathetic ear, to become the outlet as the person in pain vents their … Continue reading Negativity immune system →

This is terrible work!Well the boss signed it off so...Yeah but who made it?I did but the boss approved it so you should go talk to him....It's funny how deniability and responsibility come into play when someone else is approving the work.If it's bad you have deniability, if it's good you can claim responsibility. Best … Continue reading Approval deniability →

The interviewer teed up the sports player for a humourous answer. Suddenly I'm intrigued. Suddenly this interview shows promise. It's not going to be the same old run of the mill interview where everyone says nothing of interest. Oh wait nevermind. The player has rejected the invitation of banter and opted for a less risky … Continue reading Sports interviews →

Harry Potter was a bad idea. At least to those initial publishers that turned JK Rowling down. It must dog their thoughts constantly. ‘I turned down a career defining success.’ But let’s examine this situation with the lens of ‘good idea v bad idea’. Those publishers don’t like losing money. Those publishers most likely have … Continue reading Harry Potter was a bad idea →

After setting the title and deadline for my next essay (good ideas) I decided that was quite enough effort for one day and took an unearned break to watch the latest episodes of Rick & Morty on Netflix. I was thoroughly pleased. This new episode was proving to be just as remarkable as previous episodes. … Continue reading Execution →

Seth Godin, the bestselling author, lists one of his top five career decisions to be his daily blog and he recommends it to everyone.I think there are two crucial elements of this activity that make it so beneficial. The frequency and the judgement. Sticking to the daily deadline forces one to think. Sticking to the … Continue reading Seth Godin’s Practice →