The answer is yes. The reason why some change efforts fail, is a little more complicated, but worth understanding in order to overcome it.

Have you ever started an exercise routine that only lasted two weeks? Or swore to yourself that in the new year there would be a new you?

Some attempts at making a change can feel like we have one foot on the accelerator, and unconsciously, the other foot on the brake! We might arm ourselves with new knowledge and workout wear but still fail to make a lasting change.

We all know real change is hard to achieve, but what many of us don't know is that, 

"True development is about transforming the operating system itself, not just increasing your fund of knowledge or your behavioural repertoire." –Kegan & Lahey

What's involved in "transforming the operating system itself?" Well, more than simply knowing what we want to change and attempting to change it.

Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey reveal their empirically proven change strategies in th...

Having yet another frustrating conversation with a colleague can cause more agony that it needs to. But workplace communication doesn't have to be stressful.

The differences in the way we communicate contribute to many stressful interactions in the workplace, but by taking the time to understand those differences, we're one step closer to less miscommunication and less stress.

Communication is more than just speaking and listening. True communication involves ideas being shared and understood. When teammates communicate at their best, they create a means of building trust, and a sense that they 'get' one another.

Successful communication is crucial, it's the difference between interactions with colleagues are effective and those which are not. Putting your best foot forward can be as simple as knowing your communication style.

How? By understanding your communication style you can recognise both its strengths and weaknesses. Then, the skill here is, you adapt your communication style, choo...

Have you ever been somewhere that was a waste of your time?  And you spent time thinking about what a waste of time it was to be there.

Often people turn up to my programs as prisoners. Self confessed.  They tell me they have much better places to be, more important work to be doing (quite likely) than being here, in this room, right now.

They have been told to come, or signed up by their Managers. They have arrived. And they Do. Not. Want. To. Be. There.

But here’s the thing. When we’re stewing about what we should be doing, but can’t be doing because we’re Here…. We’re also not being present to what’s going on right now…. the program, the meeting, the conversation we’re trying to extract ourselves from right now.  And that is a huge waste of our time.

Today I discovered that I was not learning and it shook me.

Last year I enrolled in a very cool 12 month online program by a bloke called Leo Babatua – called Sea Change.  Excellent. I took on most challenges, and made huge progres...

Is your mind your friend or foe?

Your mind is your greatest tool, but if you've ever felt the weight of fear or frustration then you know it can also be your greatest enemy.

We all have moments in our week which test us. It might be when you find yourself in a situation which didn't go as planned and your fears come creeping to the front of your mind. Perhaps it's during a project in which your leadership skills are stretched and your work performance is affected. For some of us it's when we're communicating with a certain someone, and we feel our stress levels rising. 

To handle these testing times, we need our thoughts on our side. It means the difference between being trapped under the weight of negative thoughts, to feeling confident that we can fulfil our potential. 

Want to nourish, build, and train your mind?

Cognitive Restructuring is a strategy that you can use today to reduce stress. This powerful strategy helps you move on from negative thinking which, left unchecke...

What do you do with all the ‘unpleasant’ emotions you feel while in the workplace? Bottle them up so they come seeping out later? Are you someone who just gets on with it despite your feelings?

By sidelining ‘unpleasant’ emotions we are hindering our success. We cannot truly be agile without developing strong emotional agility, which doesn't include squashing some of our emotions.

According to Susan David, Ph.D., Harvard psychologist, all emotions have the capacity to enhance to our ability to be dynamic, flexible, and capable of dealing with complexity, stress and setbacks. So organisations who treat the ‘unpleasant’ emotions that arise in their teams as key information are on their way to a truly agile team. 

What is emotional agility?

“The skills of emotional agility allow you to recognise what you’re feeling, understand what it is, not be driven by it, be more intentional and, ultimately, close the gap between the things you’re trying to do and the outcomes.”–Susan David

...

When are you least likely to be your usual positive, composed self? 

Could it be when you’re collaborating with a particular colleague at work? Perhaps when a hot topic is raised with a certain family member, or when you're faced with your child’s unreasonable behaviour? While our lives are filled with potential triggers, seemingly outside of our control, we can in fact overcome them and replace our reactive behaviour with positive behaviour. Best selling author Marshall Goldsmith demonstrates that anticipation, awareness and self-monitoring acts as a “magic bullet” strategy to overcome triggers. 

Could you improve your response to triggers?

What are triggers?

“A trigger is any stimulus that reshapes our thoughts and actions.”–Marshall Goldsmith Triggers vary greatly from person to person, and take many forms such as a sound, smell or event. They can also be categorised in these ways: internal triggers such as thoughts or external such as habits or people; direct triggers im...

Hands up if this is you:

Something bad happens, and you think..."Who's fault is it?"

For some of us, the tendency to blame others when things go wrong is habitual. So much so, that we automatically cast blame without realising we're doing it, even upon ourselves. 

Has blame ever negatively impacted your relationship with a colleague? What about your relationship with yourself? 

Although we know that blame is not conducive to maintaining healthy relationships, including our relationship with ourselves, we still continue to blame. Why?

Blame is easier. Blame is faster. Faulting others for our mistakes or simply for things going wrong has the effect of making us feel like we’re still in control. Some of us may feel that by placing blame we are working toward a solution. But in fact, blame has an inverse relationship with accountability. Blaming someone else or even yourself, doesn't serve you. 

Then what exactly are we doing when we cast blame? Brené Brown describes what the res...

Are there moments in your day when your mind is free and fully present? Or is your mind is constantly racing, despite taking moments trying not to think? 

Often we are ‘in our heads’ thinking about upcoming commitments, or worrying about the past. This continual worry and thinking adds stress to our daily lives.

The ability to simply ‘be present’ seems an elusive state of being. 

But there are 3 simple steps that can lead us to be more present. 

Get grounded

Become aware of your physical self. Notice how your body feels and its connection to your immediate environment. Plant your feet on the floor, wiggle your toes. Notice how strong you feel. Let go of whatever that is not there in that moment. 

Get centred

Draw a deep breath and release it slowly through your nose. This slow release draws a relaxation response. Simply follow your breath allowing any thoughts that appear to move on without attention.

Get connected 

You can shift from living ‘in your head...

Have you heard of living with purpose?

It's not about being burdened with another 'must-do' in the list of life accomplishments, rather it is something that touches your heart, that truly connects you with yourself. Taking the time to define your purpose, opens you up for more time, space, and energy.

Living with purpose creates a more fulfilling, enjoyable and effortless life. Doubt, fear, worry, feelings of being drained and untrue to yourself, are replaced with courage, vibrance, passion, direction, meaning, and joy.

Are you living with purpose? If the answer is not yet, or I'd like to, open yourself up, look around at the clues in your life that point to your purpose.

Be patient and trust yourself.

How do I find my purpose?

Ask yourself, "What do I value most?"Is it family, compassion, excellence, generosity, peace, connection to others, equality, faith? Write down your answers. No need to be perfect, you can fine tune it as you go. Writing down your answers is a simple wa...

Have you heard of Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs)? You may be familiar with them, without even realising. Nod your head if you experience negative thoughts that pop up without any effort from you at all.

If you have been operating on autopilot for a while, you may have established a habit of entertaining automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). They seem to appear out of thin air, coming and going of their own accord. These thoughts can create a mindset that is not constructive, we can get stuck in a cycle of repeating the same negative thoughts, forming habitual neural pathways which are likely to generate new ANTs. Thankfully, you are not your thoughts. Nor do you have to act on them.

Instead, you have the power to choose which thoughts to give power to and the choice to form new, positive neural pathways. The more attempts you make to think positively, the more positive your reality will become. Even the slightest shift in thinking can contribute to a more productive day.

How do you get...