Blog
I Just Want A Cuddle (WT624)
This past week or so has been tough. I woke up with a sore throat. Ross teased me and said it was because I snored all night. Very funny! The next day I had to cancel a lunch. I rang my friend and as soon as I spoke she started to laugh. “Cancelling lunch today Shirl?” I thought I had what people were calling the “Superflu”, so I went to get a PCR test to confirm. I was totally shocked when the results came back to say I tested positive for Covid-19. Oh boy! Seven days in isolation. Now that was going to be tricky. We don’t have a spare bed and I wasn’t going to sleep on the lounge. I social...
For What Purpose? (WT623)
As always, I love to hear your feedback and especially to know that you are sharing the thoughts with your friends, family and colleagues. Last week I received a number of responses regarding saying “No”. Thanks everyone for your replies. There is one response in particular that I want to share with you. It comes from a long time reader and supporter, John Lizzio. Thank you John. John shared that his colleague Catherine Cooper Norwood (RIP) used to say the three most important words in any language are “For what Purpose”. A question to be asked constantly and then followed by a resounding...
Say “No” – Get Your Time Back (WT622)
This concept comes up time and time again. Pardon the pun. It’s so important to be able to say “No” to things that don’t serve you or move you towards your goals and outcomes. Here’s an example. I have to say, I’m feeling very proud of myself right at this minute because I said “No” and I now have extra time to write to you as well as a topic to discuss with you. Since launching my book, The Loyal Lieutenant, Kellie O’Brien, my marketing lady, has been looking for opportunities for me to be a guest on podcasts etc. She’s put an enormous amount of effort into finding the right hosts and...
Because John Said (WT621)
Twenty years ago, I shouted myself a gold signet ring with the initials R&S etched onto the face of the ring. Overall, I was happy enough with the ring, however one thing bothered me and that was the shape. In my mind, I had visualised the ring to be more elongated. To me, it was a bit “fat”. Each time I would look at the ring, I would feel a bit of an “uggh”. This week I was talking with John who owns a very successful jewellery store and I showed him my signet ring. He asked to look at it more closely, so I took it off and gave it to him. “When I look at the ring Shirl, it looks like a...
Overwhelm is a State of Mind (WT620)
This week I’ve been hearing myself and many others describe their feelings of overwhelm. “I can’t get it all done.” “There’s not enough time.” “There’s too much to do.” And my favourite, “I’ve got a To Do List as long as a toilet roll”. It’s time to reveal the truth about overwhelm. Overwhelm is a state of mind. It describes how we are allowing ourselves to feel. Thanks to David Bayer, I discovered the unintelligent thinking around overwhelm. When we’re feeling overwhelmed, we are in what Bayer calls, the “Primal State” where we experience stress, anxiety, indecision and procrastination....
It’s Just Data (WT619)
When things happen, do you get emotional? I do! Although these days I can usually calm myself down fairly quickly and coach myself out of a full blown tizzy or an unthoughtful reaction. I thought it might be a useful discussion this week. When I worked for Kip McGrath Education Centres I really appreciated working with Storm McGrath because he had the ability to be detached. If something happened (and keep in mind, this was 20 odd years ago), and I got emotional, I knew my logic went out the window. You may know the saying, “When emotion is high, intelligence is low”. Well fortunately...
The Happiest People (WT618)
You’ve probably heard of Anh Do. He’s a TV presenter, comedian and author. He wrote a book called “The Happiest Refugee” based on his experience as a Vietnamese refugee. From what I have seen of him, he is a great role model for someone who is grateful. His book title was the inspiration for this week’s thought – The Happiest People. In my experience, the happiest people are those that are grateful. They are the ones who gush praise and thanks when someone does something for them. They are the ones who see the job completed and are so happy that it has been done. They are not the ones who...
The Value Is In The Offer (WT617)
This week’s thought comes as a result of an Easter catch up with a long time friend and business colleague of mine – Libby Cornish. I don’t recall how the conversation got here, however I think it’s a great point to note, especially if you’re in business or a customer service role or you’re dedicated to your customers. Libby said, “The value is in the offer, Shirl”. “What does that mean?” I asked. Libby explained with a little story, “Years ago when I had my hair salons, I used to send welcome offers to new clients and also birthday offers. When we analysed the results, only about 20% of our...
Almost a Blotched Record (WT616)
It’s Good Friday. I was at the sink washing up, preparing for family to come to lunch. “OMG! I forgot the Weekly Thought”, I screamed to Ross. With 10 minutes before our guests arrived, I’m sitting here writing to you because I don’t want to ruin my record of not having missed a week in almost 12 years. It’s an important goal and commitment of mine – to be consistent. I’ve been working really long hours the past few weeks and I set another goal that I would finish work last night at 5pm and have 4 days off over Easter. Well, I finished at 6pm, so an hour later than I planned. Still, I was...
There’s No Need To Point The Finger (WT615)
One of the profiles I use in my coaching and leadership experiences gives us a score between 1 and 10 for what we call “Impression Management”. Impression Management is the degree to which we want others to see us in a favourable light. It’s our lie detector. It shows us whether you’re a people pleaser or not. The higher the number, the more it matters to you that people like you and/or that you are concerned to do the right thing by others. The lower the score, the less you care what others think of you and the more critical you are – critical of yourself and others. When I first completed...