December 2010
2 posts
All good things must come to an end.
In some ways, it feels like it crept up on me. My 30th birthday came and went rather fast. That ’s not to say I didn’t celebrate it. I most surely did. And in doing so I was reminded of a couple of lessons I have learnt with time. One of which is people will always let you down.
I had most of my best mates at my party. Some were overseas and some had travel. Some had reasons they let me know...
Be contagious
I find people with passion great to be around. It doesn’t matter if it is something that I share a common interest in, or if it is something I know nothing about. People who have passion are filled with energy.
The other night, a good friend arranged for a visit to the Observatory for my birthday. It was a lot of fun. Our guide was Jeff and he was a bit of a character. He shared with us a lot of...
November 2010
2 posts
7 tags
The silent killer
Mental illness has long been a taboo subject. People don’t like to talk about it and more than that, most people simply just don’t understand it. And that is generally due to the fact that if you do not suffer any form of mental illness, it is very difficult to empathise.
Furthermore, there are many different types of mental illness, all of which have quite different and unique symptoms. This...
Giving a bit back..
My parents have both been involved in charity work for many years now. My Father is a founding member and Past President of a local Rotary club which was formed in the mid 90’s and my Mother has been a part of Pathfinders for 40 years and is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. They give a serious amount of time to these causes and in doing so have made many big changes to a lot of people’s lives.
I...
October 2010
2 posts
Take the time...
One of the positives to spending more time with your parents as you get older, is you start to have far more interesting conversations. Gone are the grunts and groans and there is now a genuine enjoyment of each other’s conversations.
One topic that I really enjoy, is hearing stories of their friends parents. So many of them have achieved amazing feats in their lives. But sadly, they only hear of...
What's in a dream?
Over the last few weeks I have been undergoing a bit of change. I have moved out of the apartment I have been in for the last 3.5 years with a guy I have lived with for close on 5 years. It signals the start of a new and exciting journey. But I move on with an element of sadness. The last five years have been good fun, conflict free and most of all I have a close friend for life.
But in this new...
September 2010
3 posts
Piss Fitness
A few months ago I signed up for the Blackmores Half Marathon. I think it was back in about June. Once that happened, I basically resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to stop drinking, eat healthy and run a hell constantly.
Apart from a few loose-ish nights in Thredbo, I was pretty good over those few months. I didn’t drink much, I ate pretty well and I ran a lot. Ticked all the...
Definition of Insanity
Albert Einstein was a pretty smart fellow. His scientific achievements form the cornerstone of many things we take for granted today in modern society. That being said, he is also responsible for one of my favourite quotes:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
I love this as it can be applied to all facets of life....
A long time retired
There are some things in life that people don’t like to talk about. For most people, they don’t talk about how much they earn. Others don’t like to discuss their age. For my parents, the topic of ‘retirement’ was taboo until recently. The GFC did nothing to help the cause as both decided to stay on working for a few extra years. Pressed to divulge when they planned to throw it in, I was repeatedly...
August 2010
1 post
Chauvenism is not dead.
It’s a shame that this archaic attitude is still alive in modern society. Whilst I can’t recall many examples of it amongst my peers, I was faced with it last week whilst on holidays. I must confess that it came from the mouth of a 75 year old man.
His comments managed to offend many of the young women in the lodge. Whilst not grotesque, they were sufficient to make the women feel uncomfortable....
July 2010
4 posts
Living beyond your means
Some people in this world are good at saving. Others are good at spending. All in all, most of us are able to live within our means. Some of us carry a bit of credit card debt and some HECS or maybe the hangover from a recent holiday. But it is all dwarfed when you go and get yourself a mortgage.
My parents told me a pretty sad story the other day. Friends of theirs have got themselves in to a...
Working To Live
We spend a lot of our lives at work. Somewhere between 40 and 50 hours a week. If you spend more than that, you need to find a new career. Now, whilst that is a lot of time, you spend almost double that not at work. So, applying the two ears and one mouth principle that says listening is twice more important than talking, not being at work is twice more important than being at work.
Cue the idea...
4 tags
Setting goals
I was taught in my business degree that goals should be measurable, timely and achievable. I am not sure who came up with this idea, but they are a genius.
Every December 31st I think about things I want to achieve in the upcoming calendar year. I ensure that they are able to be done in the pending 12 months and then I write them down. Sadly, each year I manage to fall short on about 2 or 3 of...
4 tags
Compromise
I have never liked making compromises. To me, they have always felt you had failed and were trying to salvage something from the wreckage.
But in the last few months, as I have been more reflective, I have realised this is far from true. My hard-line view on compromise was both selfish and to an extent, naive. More recently, I have often found myself in situations where a compromise has been...
June 2010
6 posts
3 tags
The Best Policy
Sometimes we get thrown a bit of a curly question. We get caught a bit short and the easy option is to tell a bit of a story to get out of a bind. At the time you think that you will be able to cover it up and no one will know.
But the problem is, you forget that you told the lie and at some point in the future, you get caught out. Maybe not right there and then, maybe not tomorrow, but chances...
5 tags
The mental clean up
We recently had a really big clean up of the office. Our team managed to fill 3 recycling bins with paper and boards. The place was a real mess and it was getting ridiculous. People were inefficient and sloppy. It just felt tardy.
With the clean up now done, all of a sudden, the place feels clear and spacious. There is room to move and room to get on with things. And people are better able to...
Fuck you enviroment
On August 21st 2009, The West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea exploded, sending a reported 400,000 litres of oil and gas into the Timor Sea. Several attempts were made to stem the flow over the subsequent 2 months. It was finally brought under control in early November.
The event received little to no media coverage in Australia. The reasons behind this are unclear but there was no doubt political...
7 tags
The joy of sharing
I believe that sharing a problem makes it easier to solve and lessens the burden on you. The person who came up with ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’ is a genius. I have no doubt they came up with other gems like “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” and “Pinch and a punch for the first of the month”.
I have recently discovered that sharing your success is just as rewarding. Having...
Mind Your Own Business
“People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” “Let he who is free from sin cast the first stone.” You’ve heard them before, and no doubt many others that are far less polite.
I am guilty of often worrying about people around me and watching the way they are living their life. Done at the expense of spending the time making sure I have all my own ducks...
May 2010
4 posts
5 tags
Reward Yourself
It sounds pretty fundamental. But it is amazing how often you forget to give yourself a pat on the back. Now, rewarding is different to justifying.
Justifying things to yourself, as previously talked about, is a cop out. It is when you don’t do something, or do something that is a bad for you, but you justify it as being ok. For example, ‘I went to the gym this morning so I can justify having junk...
5 tags
Wishing away your life
Life is precious and can be taken away at any moment. If you need any proof of this, take a walk through your nearest emergency ward or intensive care unit. At some time or another, each one of those people has felt invincible. Each one of those people has put something off til tomorrow because they were lazy or unenthused. Each one of those people has wished away part of their life.
I’m sure you...
7 tags
‘What would you attempt to do if you knew you...
This question was on the side of a building and posed to me the other day. Upon giving it thought, I discovered it is very difficult to answer. Whilst at first glance it appears to be quite philosophical, the more I thought about it, the more I realised something.
Everything I set out to do, I do so in the belief that I will not fail.
I’m not sure if it is a product of my sunny disposition or a...
5 tags
Life, be in it.
Getting outside your comfort zone is an old adage. And one that I think is critical when it comes to personal development. Getting outside your comfort zone allows you to push the boundaries of your own self and to find out what you are made of.
I learnt something new on the weekend. I discovered a new way of getting outside your comfort zone. And it didn’t involve being uncomfortable. It just...
Paradise Lost
I went for dinner at my parents house last night. The house that I grew up in for 25 years. I love heading home and seeing my parents and try and do so once a week.
However, as I left to head back to my apartment. I walked down the driveway with a feeling of unease. There was nothing different about this walk. The one I have done thousands of times before. Other than the fact that just under a...
April 2010
6 posts
4 tags
The cost of eating healthy
I have recently been given a new portfolio of clients at work. One of whom is a FMCG food client. So as part of this I need to get up to speed with food pretty quick. I have always enjoyed cooking, but I need to start to love it as food is going to consume a lot of my time over the next few months.
My first insight is that eating well is expensive. A big shop at Woolies or Coles with fresh fruit...
5 tags
Changes
It was bound to happen one day. After all the grief I have dished out over the years, there was bound to come a time when I too ‘changed’.
It seems that in my reflection of life as I approach 30, my attitude to living has changed. No longer is it about being out all weekend, every weekend. No longer is it about saying yes to every invitation and spreading my time thin amongst too many...
A revolution is never a complete circle
I see myself as a bit of a juggernaut. I take off at 100 miles an hour in one direction and often don’t stop to check it is the right direction. Eventually I stop if I realise it is not right or perhaps someone points it out to me. At which point I take off in the new direction flat out.
As a result of understanding this about me, I now try and book in reviews at work more regularly than 12...
“Obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is really worth fighting...”
– Unknown
7 tags
The Grand Plan
I wonder how many kids actually grow up to be what they dreamed? Not everyone can be a fireman or a ballerina or an astronaut. So, what can we learn from this?
Plans change.
I had a conversation with a close mate the other day that seemed a little desponded. He commented that he felt all his mates were overtaking him in life. Not so long ago he felt he had everything. At the time he loved his...
6 tags
Fit. For Life.
So things have got away from me a bit so far this year. I can’t believe that we are already in to April. The first quarter of 2010 is behind us! And the biggest issue is that I have not been following my own advice. And for the first time in 2 years I have put on weight.
My table legs are out of whack and I am noticing the imbalance.
I remember how hard I worked to lose that weight and it shames...
March 2010
9 posts
4 tags
A new type of balance
A lot of focus is spent ensuring that we exercise enough and eat the right type of food. These are obviously critical to a healthy lifestyle. But further reading has recently brought to my attention that there is a third aspect that needs careful consideration. Sleep.
This is just as important to our overall health as diet and exercise. Yet it gets nowhere near the same focus as the others. A...
Fantastic Quote
“Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
4 tags
The Socialist Friendship
Now, it could be argued that to an extent, this theory already exists in life. But I have been bantering around this idea of a socialist friendship.
The way it would work is reasonably simple and is as follows:
All pub rounds, dinners, holidays etc are split in a ratio proportional to your earnings. So, if you earn the most in the group, you end up paying the most. If you earn the least, then...
5 tags
The Big Cat phenomenon
Casting my mind back, it would be about 10 years ago now. It was on a trip to Whistler that I first became exposed to the ‘cougar’ phenomenon.
Now, if you ask me, real cougars are found in ski resorts. They have plenty of cash. They wear outfits too tight and they must have at least one piece of animal print on.
The Whistler Cougar has a Descente or Chanel one piece ski suit. Usually white, with...
4 tags
Form is temporary
Back in my early university days at Sydney Uni, a friend was running for Student Council. He had t-shirts made up to support his cause with a famous slogan:
“Form is temporary. Class is permanent”
And how true it is. I see examples of this all the time. There are people who come along and are merely a flash in the pan. Nothing more than a one hit wonder. No sooner are they on the scene than they...
2 tags
Being an Old Boy
My parents made a lot of sacrifices to put my sister and I thorough high school. There was the school fees to begin with. Plus all the other costs that really added up. The books, stationary and uniforms for a start. Then, on top of that, I never went without when it came to sporting gear. My dad was a legend. If I need a new bat or some new boots, we would always go shopping. He and my mother...
The honeymoon period
You know that time when you start something new and everything seems apples?
Perhaps you have just started a new job. There is an office full of new people to meet, remember and judge. New clients and new processes. Perhaps you have just moved in to a new home. It is fresh, clean and just feels new. You may have just shelled out a whole bunch of beans to get a sweet new ride. Or perhaps you have...
3 tags
Happy Place
Happy Gilmore imagined it as his girlfriend in lingerie with jugs of beer, surrounded by a midget cowboy on a tricycle and his grandma.
Whilst this is most likely not the dream for everyone, we do all have a happy place. A spot we go to that is uniquely ours to take refuge or time away from the world. It may be a secret park or the beach. A cliff face or perhaps it is a paddock. It may even be...
4 tags
The Personal SWOT
When it comes to business, it is 101 to know about a SWOT analysis. Everyone knows the areas of their business that are strong, and those that are weak.
But how many of us have taken the time to do a SWOT analysis of ourselves?
As part of our pursuit of personal improvement, taking the time to complete a personal SWOT can prove to be very profitable. I am very aware of what my strengths are. But...
February 2010
10 posts
3 tags
Breaking Bread
A tradition as old as time itself. And one that I very much love keeping alive.
It was started by old JC himself. Whilst the similarities between us extend no further than a beard and a penchant for sandals, he was on to something here.
There are few things I enjoy more than sitting down to a meal with good friends. Whether it be a meal prepared in my home, their home, or at a restaurant. All...
1 tag
Tolerance
Fact: The world is full of assholes.
Sadly, they are difficult to avoid. So rather than punching them in the back of the face, I have started to look for the good in them.
Sometimes you really have to dig deep. You may even need one of those subterranean drills to find it. But it is there. There is some good in everyone. For some reason when you come across the most evil of people, they have a...
4 tags
Managing the bad days
About once a month I have an off day. One where I get annoyed or frustrated. I feel down and want to hit someone with my handbag. I think that is pretty good. Very infrequent.
I am at a stage where I am able to identify these emotions and manage it. It is very rare that I will have 2 off days in a row. I generally consider my lows to be not that low. On the flip side, my highs are not overly...
3 tags
Saying Thank You
Self confidence is difficult to manage. Underplay it and you will come off as shy and introverted. Overdo it and everyone just thinks you are a wanker. This idea got me thinking about the struggles associated with saying ‘thank you’.
When people give you positive feedback, it helps to build your self esteem. Especially when you have made an effort. For example, if you have been working hard at...
Givers & Takers
There are two kinds of people in this world: Givers and takers.
Despite the innuendo within that comment, I’m referring to energy in this instance. There are people who add energy when they enter a room and there are people who suck energy.
I have made a conscious effort to surround myself with energy givers. And I believe that givers attract other givers. Givers are creative. They are generous....
Almost Famous
Being a celebrity is a double edged sword. Sure you get the perks of invites to bar openings and exclusive post award show events. Plus free samples from brands wanting you to promote their goods. But you also get the down sides. The stuff that ‘normal’ people don’t really get. You have to be careful how you behave, what you say with people around plus your life is constantly a topic of...
3 tags
The Concierge
Remember the movie with Michael J Fox? He was a concierge and had dreams of owning his own hotel. He was putting money aside and planned to one day build his empire. Bit of a chick flick, but given his role in Family Ties and its impact on my upbringing, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Anyway, in the movie, he can get people anything they need. He does deals with other concierge dudes around...
People judge books by their cover
This is fact. The way you dress when you turn up for a job interview sets the tone for the conversation to follow. The way you dress when you go on a first date determines the attitude of the person across the table from you. How tight your jeans are at the skate park determines your place in the hierachy.
Delving deeper, the way your present your body speaks volumes about your lifestyle.
At...
Monkey Bars
This is pretty straight forward. Don’t let go of one thing to you have another in your grasp.
Remember being a kid in the playground, playing on the monkey bars? You always had a grip on a bar or your dropped to the ground. I use this early discovery to great effect in later life.
I’m sure we can all relate to that feeling. The one you get when the phone rings and you have been offered a new...
Objectivity
Receiving feedback, accepting criticism and learning from it are very important parts of personal development. Both in your professional and personal life.
For a long time I used to hate it. I would get defensive and offended easily. So to help me overcome these issues, I have started to employ two techniques. So far I have found them to be really useful. In fact, so much so that I am now willing...
January 2010
11 posts
Three Strikes
So this law works pretty well in the USA. If you fuck up three times, then it’s off to do some hard time. It takes in to account the fact that we all make mistakes. And gives people a chance to redeem themselves.
So, I figure if this rule is good enough for the American judicial system, then it sure as hell is good enough for me. It seems to have worked for the game of baseball for many years...