P.E.P Talk

A short intro into an all too often said phrase and one that (potentially controversial) is inaccurate. In this episode I look to challenge the perspective of ‘I don’t have time’ by asking a few simple questions. Also included is info on my upcoming productivity specials...

An often proposed option for making a decision is to ask ‘what would (insert name of trusted/respected/knowledgable person) do?’. In this short episode I briefly cover why that might not be the best question to ask and ok course suggest a more effective alternative...

In this 2 part episode I cover why we might be feeling more tired than usual and what we can do about it as well as a couple of approaches that might help those struggling to sleep due to minds racing!! They are generic due to the nature of a podcast and if you have a situation that you think I can help with then get in touch.

Habits are conscious decisions that have been made so often that they become unconscious. Which, if it’s a good habit, is great as it takes very little brain power to do it! In this episode I share a couple of ideas on how you can help stick to habits and how using the same approaches in your organisation can increase the likelihood of staff following procedure and protocols.

The subject of not being valued or appreciated by people comes up quite often when I’m talking to people that are unhappy or un-motivated at work. In this episode I share a few different ways in which to view the situation in the hope that they might allow you to think and therefore feel differently (better) about not being valued. This can of course be applied out side the work place too...

If a creature that has evolved over millennia to its environment can screw up then we sure can as well... However, having an off day, week or even month doesn’t define you as inept, useless or a failure. In this episode I share a recent experience where I ‘fell out of my tree’ along with some important lessons that resulted.

For some the assessments that are part and parcel of a career in the outdoors are a source of great stress. Being nervous and apprehensive is natural but it can lead to people focusing on the wrong things and actually contributing or causing that which they were focused on avoiding - deferment or failure. In this special episode I cover a host of tactics, concepts and approaches aimed to help you be at your natural beat at assessment. To gain, regain or maintain control during times of pressure and focused attention. I’ve set this episode out into sections to make it easy to access topics that you might want to re visit. Have a listen and get in touch with any questions!

Assessment stress, burnout, deferral, getting in your own way, marginal losses - many lessons and takeaways in this for anyone preparing for an assessment.

Heads up - I swear in this one but only a little bit! Today I talk tiredness and the effects of it on our ability to function. We all know this but how many do anything about it?

In this episode I share some lessons and key takeaways from 2 different experiences I had over the summer. In particular around biases, expectation vs reality and what is professional conduct.

We can’t always control what happens during the day but we can control, more often than not, how we start and finish the day. By doing so we can put ourselves in a much better position to be able to deal with what comes our way in between.

In this episode I share lessons from David Halperns book: Inside the Nudge Unit and Matthew Syeds: Black Box Thinking on hassle/friction. I talk briefly about how it can be affecting procedural adherence and how to use/remove it to benefit ourselves and our organisations.

Asking the right questions at the right time can help apply objective reasoning to a situation, providing clarity and confidence to move forward or make a decision. This episode looks at a pair of questions that can do just that.

Maturity is an essential attribute of professionalism but what is it?

When asked what qualities does a professional display a common answer is calm. The fact that it’s easily trainable seems to be overlooked by many...

Vagueness is the enemy of progression and achievement. Whatever our professional or personal goals are it’s vital that we get clear on what success or even just progression looks or feels like.

In this episode I explore an important question when it comes to finding the obstacles that are holding us or our staff back. Is it a Skillset issue or a mindset one?

Being resilient doesn’t mean that you can then tolerate inappropriate behaviour. As I see it there are 2 purposes for increased resilience in such situations and that’s what I talk about about in this episode.

Following on from my ‘Red Flags’ video on the Professional Edge Project Facebook page (@ProEdgeProject) this episode explores briefly the use or lesson we can take from feeling overwhelmed.

“A word does not start as a word – it is an end product which begins as an impulse, stimulated by attitude and behaviour which dictates the need for expression.”
Peter Brook, The Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre:

A reading of a piece that I wrote for no reason other than to express and capture how I was feeling as I repaired my personal and professional lives after hitting my lowest point. Just thought I’d share it...

In this episode I talk about 2 key factors to consider when looking at why we might not be getting the results we’d like in our personal or professional lives.

When our phone battery drops really low we usually prioritise getting it charged up ASAP as we know how much we rely on it - why don’t we do the same with ourselves?

Our capacity and effectiveness relies heavily on our energy levels both mental and physical. We’ll often say how we don’t have the energy (or capacity) for something or other but how much energy are we actually leaking needlessly?

As regular listeners and followers of mine will know our language is a powerful element in how we behave. Today’s episode is another example of that - this time I look at whether it’s really a ‘sacrifice’ or ‘giving up’ of something or is it really an exchange??

Analogy time! The tools, techniques and exercises we use to repair our ‘vehicles’ are the same that we use to maintain or improve. When we demand more of our ‘vehicles’ why is it that maintenance is the 1st thing to get dropped?

The language we use has a powerful affect on us and those around us and I’m not talking about f’ing and jeffing here but more subtle and common words we use that can perpetuate the way we think and feel about a situation.

You know the usual time travel movie plot. Hero goes back in time, changes something that has or could have huge consequences in the future then spends the rest of the movie trying to fix it? Small things can have a big affect. Today is YOUR future past - take care of the small things...

Having clarity on a situation is essential for making sound decisions. In this episode I share an approach or a lens through which you can view any situation or person (including ourselves) that has or does cause you frustration, annoyance, disappointment, regret or guilt.

In any given situation the only thing we can control is our response - it’s not always easy or obvious but here’s a little tactic you can use to help.

Another episode on the subject of productivity. This time the importance and power of matching attention levels to tasks.

When we look back at past negative events we get to choose what we take from them - guilt and regret or valuable lessons - only the latter will serve us moving forward.

Progress makes us happy, yet focusing just on the progress still to be made can lead to stress.

Here are a few thoughts on the subject of Imposter syndrome which is experienced by so many people.

Anxiety. A result of inappropriate mental engagement.

Having high standards is important, but - and it’s a big BUT, only if they serve us! Have a listen to find out more...

An incredible film with some powerful lessons we can all apply around fear, goals and capacity.

How often do we end up in ‘battles’ (Verbal, emotional, digital) that don’t serve us regardless of the outcome - would we be better off saving or redirecting our energy?

Why is it when faced with a large workload that we sometimes resort to avoidance and procrastination... it’s just doesn’t make sense...

It’s not the situation that causes us stress but the meaning and labels we attach to them - what affect would it have if we attached more accurate and rational labels?

...but don’t rely on luck! What can you do to stack things in your favour? To put yourself in favourable situations which will connect you with the right people and opportunities?

1st episode is a longer one to give some background the me and my work and to look at the costs of stress.