A Blog by Tim Wade

Zoe playing. I'm on the computer. I'm there but not present. She comes over with things, one time it was something that fell off the table and she wanted to add value to me by giving it back to me... Another time it was so that I could take a sip of her drink. She was trying to bring me in. She's not even two years old. Almost, just over a week from now.  But I saw it, I realised, and I shut the computer and went to engage. I love Christmas. I love it. I love the spirit of this time of year. It's undeniable. Even Ebenezer Scrooge transformed. It's amazing. And the reason for the season is either you believe in God's gift of Jesus Christ, or it's the nearly the end of your year and that will somehow make next year better. For me, I'm both the former AND the latter on this one. Whatever your belief right now, I hope you get your Christmas presence. Not a typo. I noticed that Zoe noticed that I wasn't being present. And isn't that re...

Starting your New Year's Resolutions today = 526% more success. If you start your New Year's Resolutions today, you will be 526% more likely to succeed at them. When you start your New Year's Resolutions today, rather than wait until New Year's Day, you're 526% more likely to succeed at achieving those resolutions. Because you're 5 times more likely to be committed to delivering the OUTCOME rather than just the annual intention if you start in December. Okay, here's the breakdown: 100% -- Because 1st Jan is when you're supposed to declare rather than actually do anything. That's why most resolutions are abandoned or forgotten by 17 Jan. Because the goal is to declare rather than do. And as soon as we go back to work we forget about the new and get back into the old. 200% -- Because the new you starts today, not some other day, and you want to start the new year already running, not fluffing around looking for your brand new gym shoes...

I was listening to some insights from Derek Sivers (sivers.org), the guy who created CD Baby, sold it for $22 million and rolled all of that into a fund that would support education for musicians after he died. Cool. He asked, why do you do what you do, and then suggested to pick from one of these 5 reasons: 1. Money 2. Prestige 3. Fame 4. Legacy 5. Freedom And he says choosing any is okay, just be true to yourself and then optimise your career for that: focus on that, make that your measure. But it may mean NOT focussing on getting the others too, but some of them might come as a by-product. So, for example, if you choose to go for Money, then you might let someone else take the spotlight (Fame) while you focus on the money. Like being the movie producer instead of the star actor. If you want prestige, then focus on the circles that you wish to be acknowledged for and give up some of the other stuff. If you want the limelight, be everywhere. If you want legacy, put...

Tweet Image Not happy about something? Decide to change it or influence it to change. Posting it on social media won't change anything except other peoples' good opinions of you. Instead take some positive action right now. Make an appointment, send an email, book a thing, make a call, write a letter, join a movement, walk over to a desk, whatever. Just do it. Warning: choose your words and your approach wisely. If you're not happy with a person, for example, don't go all volcanic eruption all over them with pent up molten lava. Think about how to tell them in a way that will deliver a solution for them and for you. Like, "Hey, I've noticed you become like a condescending Facebook troll for the majority of my posts or comments. It seems weird that you seem to publicly put-down-to-one-up me yet be nice to every one else. What's really going on here?" Initiate a solution. Work to make it happen. Don't be a vocal complacenary. Be a vocation...

We all have personal rules and standards. They impact our relationships with ourselves, with others and our experience of the world. Most people operate by these unconsciously. To be more conscious of what drives you, you can choose to increase your awareness to notice these drivers. Here are some questions of areas you might want to be aware of, and you might think of others too: how do you get distracted? what triggers heightened states of emotion? (joy, excitement, anger, etc) which sort of people intimidate you, annoy you, scare you, attract you? do you plan goals and follow through with them? which do you avoid? what activities do you do habitually? what food do you consume that you know is not good for you? what makes you smile? and what really makes you laugh out loud? A lot of what we do and how we respond in life is driven by our standards, values and beliefs about the world and people around us, and our beliefs about ourselves. Is it true that without standard...