It can’t be done / I can’t do it This is my number one pet hate. It’s demoralising, dis-empowering and defeatist. It is such a “final” statement it leaves you no room to move. No room for imagination, no room for motivation. It basically translates to “I give up”. Sometimes it’s a sign of defiance as in “I don’t want …
Business Planning Myth – “I don’t need one”
“Most business plans aren’t worth a thing – they’re false security! I’ve never had one! Broke people who want to be rich seek business plans.”* I saw this quote on one of the social networks this week and noticed that it generated quite a few hoorahs! After pondering for a little while about whether to respond as the lone dissenting voice, …
Listening vs Hearing
Hearing – you noticed a sound. Listening – you made an effort to understand that sound and find its meaning. Yes, there is a distinction and it’s important. Pay attention because many conversations go awry because of this distinction. In some circles, listening properly, as I would call it, is referred to as active listening. In the simplest terms, it means you …
The Tipping Point
I was so impressed by the Outliers that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Malcolm Gladwell’s other books. The Tipping Point was his first and Outliers , actually his third, so I’ve gone about it a bit back to front. I’m glad I did though because I feel that if I had started with The Tipping Point, I may …
“Self-motivation” is rubbish!
Coach Mi definition motivation – a strong, persistent desire to act The word “self” is redundant because there is no other kind of motivation. All motivation comes from within. If you are motivated by something external, it’s not motivation, it’s coercion. Something external – someone or an event can start the process for you and break or drag you out of inertia but …
Dealing with negativity
For some reason, negativity seems to be more contagious that positivity. We seem to be drawn to the negative, the depressing rather than the positive and uplifting. I was part of a group feedback session once and noticed that the person receiving the feedback had received three times as much positive feedback than she had negative but couldn’t help herself …
What’s the difference between an excuse and an explanation?
Coach Mi Definition: Explanation – A reason for why something happened. A process to help the listener understand. Excuse – An attempt at an explanation, but with the aim of absolving self or others from responsibility. Do you offer explanations or excuses? To the listener, an excuse usually has a hollowness to it, a lack of believability. So if you’re not …
“No pain, no gain”
If you really believe in this saying, you’d be a masochist. Think about it. People use this phrase to push themselves or others through tough times, to motivate and encourage but realistically how can pain motivate? I think this belief may be the cause of many failures.
Business Planning – Clarifying your Vision
Getting your vision clear (and I don’t mean your eyes!) is such an essential part of the business planning process and yet to many, this seems like the wishy washy-est part of the process. Hopefully, if you are reading this article, you don’t need to be convinced of the value and are looking for tips on how to craft your …
Why Men Don’t Listen and Women Can’t Read Maps
Some of you might wonder how I could follow the Brain that Changes Itself with something as fluffy as this. Well, sometimes it pays to be open-minded. A book like this wouldn’t ordinarily catch my interest because I don’t like stereotypes and I particularly dislike “being” stereotyped but the title “…. and women can’t read maps” was a glaring challenge …