Articles
A PERSONAL LIBRARY OF WRITING ON
GROWTH, PURPOSE & ENERGY
Welcome to my collection of articles: reflections, book reviews and coaching insights I’ve written over the years. Think of it as a space to pause, explore and find ideas that spark new perspectives. Use the categories or search to dive into what interests you most.
RESOURCES
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Carol Pemberton – Resilience
‘The capacity to remain flexible in our thoughts, feelings and…
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Matthew Walker – Why We Sleep
‘Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do…
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Anna Llenas – The Colour Monster
Since I’m posting this on Christmas Eve, Day 8’s book…
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Saiyyidah Zaidi – RESULTS
If you’re anything like me, ticking things off a to do list is one of the most satisfying parts of the day. But am I doing the right things, the things that will be most effective in getting me the meaningful results I want, the ones that will truly help me flourish? A lot of…
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Stephen Joseph – What doesn’t kill us
Most of us will have heard of post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. But how many of us have heard of post traumatic growth, or PTG? I certainly hadn’t, until I came across the concept in my positive psychology Masters programme. Intrigued by the notion of development following on from deep distress, I read Professor…
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Alec Grimsley – Vital Conversations
Vital Conversations, by Alec Grimsley, is a ‘must have’ book to steer you through those ‘must have’ but tricky-to-navigate, difficult conversations. We’re talking here about conversations dealing with sensitive topics, major decisions and disagreements, clearly communicating your needs and boundaries, delivering bad news and ending a relationship. The ones that are high stakes, full of…
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Kristen Neff – Self-Compassion
Self-Compassion by psychologist Kristin Neff is one of those books I find myself recommending to others because I found it so useful myself. I’m conscious that I can be a tough self-critic and sometimes struggle to keep my imposter syndrome under control. Over my years as a coach, I’ve come to recognise that, since I…
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Martin Seligman – Flourish
Positive psychology is a growing influence for me, both personally and professionally. So the ’12 days of books’ would be incomplete without a reverent bow to Martin Seligman, credited as the founder of the discipline. My first brush with the field was a random sighting of a TV interview with Seligman about the impact of…
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Reni Eddo-Lodge – Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race
“The vast majority [of white people] refuse to accept the legitimacy of structural racism and its symptoms.” Quite a while back I saw Reni Eddo-Lodge on a late-night political affairs programme, in which she was taking part in a panel discussion about race. She was the only black person on the panel. The debate, on…
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Anne Scoular – The FT Guide to Business Coaching, 2e
I’m kicking off my 12 Days of Books with a new edition rather than a new book: the Financial Times Guide to Business Coaching, 2nd edition, just has to be in here. The first edition was a pivotal book for me, written at a pivotal time in my life. In the interests of full disclosure,…
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The summer break: time to press pause
It has been an aspiration of mine for some time now to take August off work. The idea first floated onto my radar many years ago when two independent consultants I regularly worked with told me proudly that they didn’t work in August or December. This struck me as entirely laudable: luxurious, yes, but also…
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Managing your energy: how to keep your batteries charged
‘Energy is all there is.’ Albert Einstein How do you feel when you have plenty of energy? Ready for anything. Able to cope, to bounce back from any setbacks that may arise. Capable. Alive. Up for the challenge. Life goes more smoothly. These are the kinds of feelings we experience when our energy tanks are…
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Only Connect: How to be more connected to yourself, your purpose and to others
Developing a deeper sense of connection means being more in touch with yourself, your purpose, your strengths and. your ideas. It means connecting more closely with others and with the world. Having this stronger sense of awareness and relatedness boosts your curiosity, creativity, clarity of communication, caring and compassion (for yourself and others). Staying connected…
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Keeping Busy? How to focus on action rather than distraction
Self-awareness, a positive mindset and a sense of connection to our intentions are all critical underpinnings of successful change and sustainable progress. Contemplating what we want to do gives us clarity of purpose. Reflecting on what we’ve done helps us learn from experience. Yet ultimately, making the changes that will help us do better, be…
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Positive Mindset: How to flourish and thrive
‘With positivity, you see new possibilities, bounce back from setbacks, connect with others and become the best version of yourself.’ Barbara Fredrickson (2010) Positivity What does it mean to thrive? The Oxford English Dictionary definition is ‘to prosper and flourish’. Thriving is a state in which we experience more open and creative thinking; richer connections…
