I wanted to go for a run the other day and it was pretty cold out. I’d spent all day sat cold in a draughty house and I also just wanted to have a hot shower and get under a blanket. So while I wanted to run, I wasn’t all that keen. Feeling determined, I put a lot of layers on and got a good … Continue reading Defining optimal

Sometimes, the only way out is through. You have to push through the discomfort and the awkwardly poor results you get at first. You go through that and things get better. You’ve gotten better. Or, if you’re really reluctant, there is another way. You can shrink from the challenge. Let go of your dream. Settle where you are. That’s not really comfortable either. Keep going! Continue reading If you want to get there

I read about a mental health service that integrates with Slack today. It’s a neat idea that some folks think is great, but for my peace of mind I spend as little time in Slack as possible. Tracking my running is nice and easy with Strava, but all the segments and metrics and nudging puts me off. I’d pay to pare it right back; others … Continue reading One size doesn’t fit all

To play with a quote from Peter Drucker, you gotta get moving or all that thinking will do you no good. From a mental health perspective, a lot of negative can be offset by just getting going. Action can break deadlock. Squeeze out paralysis by analysis. Course correct once things are in motion, but take action. Continue reading Action eats ruminating for breakfast

I’m fully onboard with the journey toward equality, but conscious that there’s so much to do in society. In my own mind though, I’ve felt sure there’s been a lot of progress. I was surprised, then, when I thought I saw an old friend from Germany in a car near my house. It was a small car and a good few years old. The surprise? … Continue reading His wife’s car surprised me

I’m reading about how Liz Bohannon got started with Sseko Designs, which is empowering Ugandan women directly and encouraging female leadership globally. It was a plucky journey. With few responsibilities, Liz booked a one-way ticket in search of opportunity, figuring out what came next once she got there. Many of us don’t have that kind of freedom to act. I certainly don’t feel like I … Continue reading Dreaming and doing as you fulfil responsibilities

The most personal growth I’ve experienced has been in the relationship I enjoy now, which I’m very grateful for. We frequently butt heads. We’ve disagreed on some fundamental things and still do. We’ll likely never see eye to eye about what happened when we tried running a business together. But, because I’m open to being wrong (not always the first time around…), I’ve enjoyed different … Continue reading Harmony might be overrated

I love looking at maps and running in the out of the way places they give clues to. Sometimes though, I get bamboozled by the detail on the map. Thinking I won’t remember which way to go, I feel the temptation to stick to paths I know well, perhaps just the paths that are clearly marked. If I spend time with the unfamiliar though, the … Continue reading Remembering the way, vs just going

I’m on annual leave at the minute and so far I’ve done quite a bit of exercise – intellectually and physically. I’ve read a lot, ran a bit, done a solid amount of thinking, and I’ve walked for miles. It hasn’t been what some folks would call relaxing. It has been massively nourishing. Continue reading Stretched is as good as a rest

Last week I got to listen to an inspirational speaker (Jamie Peacock), courtesy of the day job. The delivery was really grounded and the key messages simple to understand. Positively challenge yourself. Keep learning. Positively challenge those around you. Keep going. Jamie wasn’t showy, but he showcased how he’d put the hard yards in. He kept going. Continue reading Not just peacocking