“What gets projects done for me is not inspiration. It’s curiosity and rigour.” – Andrew Zuckerman Rigour – the quality of being extremely thorough and careful, meticulous, with precision and accuracy. Having someone take time to apply an appropriately granular level of detail to their work is reassuring. As Seth Godin wrote, “A rigid approach is easy to describe, but it’s brittle. Being … Continued
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” – Maya Angelou Everyone has a story. Most people feel it’s not special. They’ve never seen the Loch Ness monster, won Wimbledon, or competed at the Olympics. So, what value do stories have? When packing up for our upcoming house move, I discovered an old Jimmy Connors Wilson steel tennis racket I bought 45 years ago. According to eBay, … Continued
“Winning is fun…sure. But winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.” – Pat Summitt. Physical talent alone is not enough for success. It takes self-belief, mental strength, and discipline. … Continued
I enjoyed school, but only when outside the classroom. I was more inspired by sporting activities. Fortunately, my school encouraged sports. I could binge on sports rather than science. At 17, after a weekend of rugby, hockey, and sometimes tennis, I could wake up pain-free. Not today. A young body recovers much quicker than a more “mature” one. Oh, to be 17 again. We are moving house soon, and our home currently looks like the place where boxes come to die! I … Continued
Sprezzatura – Well-Rehearsed Naturalness The Italian word ‘sprezzatura’ was first used by Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) in ‘The Book of the Courtier’, a classic of Italian Renaissance literature. Castiglione’s aim was to instruct noblemen on proper manners and comportment, all part of cultivating an elegant style while appearing natural and unrehearsed. Many people have made a very good living from their apparent ability to engage … Continued
Getting the world’s adult population to “roll up their sleeves” was never going to be easy. However, real progress has been made around the world. The Global Web Index (GWI), a leading audience targeting consultancy, has been tracking 47 countries currently vaccinating their populations. Their study has revealed that it is the USA, UK, Israel, and … Continued
When John Lennon was asked at school what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said, “happy”. The teacher said, “you don’t understand the question”, to which John replied, “no, you don’t understand the answer!” Sir John Templeton (a highly respected financier, billionaire, and philanthropist) once said, “Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not … Continued
Welcome to Spring… Perhaps not quite the start we expected, and more like an Attenborough Artic documentary with driving snow and wind chill factors to match. The end of March was also mixed in what Charles Dickens once perfectly described as, “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.” … Continued
2020 pushed the boundaries of “normality” beyond any previous year in our lifetimes. Many initially struggled but found coping mechanisms that helped them through. Some took the opportunity to exercise which over time developed into a disciplined regime and in doing so not only increased their fitness, but allowed them to enjoy a new, healthier lifestyle. Others, especially those isolating, had to contend with limited family contact and personal meetings that were limited … Continued
After a year of the Covid pandemic, and despite massive improvement in medical standards in most countries, the reality is that this has not halted the huge impact of such events. A Timeline of Historical Pandemics Since virtually the dawn of civilisation, disease and illness have brought calamity, fear, and massive loss of life. A few milestones on humanity’s timeline: Widespread community adoption of agrarian farming increased the scale and … Continued
