I have this screen print by Eileen Revett hanging in my house. It’s titled “Infinite Possibilities”.
At first glance you might think it’s a repeating pattern but on closer inspection you’ll notice that every set of shapes is slightly different.
2024 offers infinite possibilities, things you’ll say “hell yes” to, things you’ll say “no way” to.
Each choice you make will change the pattern for what comes next.
It reminds me of my favourite quote from James Clear -
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it is actually big. That’s the paradox of making small improvements.”
You don’t have to start the year feeling overwhelmed by the need for radical change. Make a small adjustment to the pattern and watch the infinite possibilities unfold.
Life Lessons in Hiking
Three things I learned (and relearned) from hiking the Yorkshire three peaks last weekend:
Sometimes it works out well when you don’t take the route you planned.
Getting to the top isn’t nearly as exciting as the process of getting there.
Doing something hard is so much easier when you’re not doing it on your own.
Invest in Your Relationships
What can we learn from the world's longest study on happiness?
- Life is complicated.
- Sometimes the things we imagine will make us happy, don't.
- Our relationships are the biggest predictor of our happiness.
Don't leave your relationships to chance. Invest in them.
Thank you Robert Waldinger - when I get to the end of your beautiful book, I will go back to the start and read it again.
THE COMFORT ZONE IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
3 years ago I filmed my first series with the BBC - The Brain Lab.
We explored the key themes of wellbeing including growth mindset.
When this photo memory popped up on my phone, it reminded me how much the whole filming experience was like a growth mindset experiment. There was so much I didn’t know how to do.
🎬Filming in a studio was new to me.
🎤Reading naturally from an autocue was new to me.
🔥Keeping energised after “Take 5” was new to me.
I felt out of my comfort zone and I really did learn a lot!
Step out of your comfort zone occasionally.
Try to find lightness when it doesn’t go to plan.
Surrounded yourself with people who want you to do well.
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.”
#growthmindset
Want a little mood boost for your Friday?
Want a little mood boost for your Friday? Recent research has found that carrying out 'prosocial' behaviours (any behaviour with the goal of benefiting another person) can boost mood and wellbeing for the individual performing the action as well as the recipient. One really simple prosocial behaviour is to express genuine appreciation to another person.
"When it comes to giver cultures, the role -modelling lesson here is a powerful one: if you want it, go and give it." - Adam Grant
#wellbeing #gratitude #mood
How to learn (and fail) like a skateboarder
How can we shift our mindset to understand that failing is a normal part of learning?
Coping With Change
My latest project with the Premier League explores how transitions can impact on our emotions, and what we can do to help the change process go as smoothly as possible.
Build Back Better
Living through the pandemic will have presented us all with challenges but it may have also created an opportunity to reflect on our lives and how we want to live them.
So how do we make sure we hold on to these important lessons and embed them into our daily lives?
"How to Build a Life" - is a brilliant column by Arthur C. Brooks in The Atlantic. This week he talks about the 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Start Over' and how we can prepare for a better normal.
Arthur recommends drawing a matrix and reflecting on the things we like and dislike from our pre pandemic and pandemic lives. And then making a plan for what we'll keep and what we'll leave behind.
I really liked this idea. I made a matrix for anyone who wants to give it a go...
Happy New Year
I've been talking about well-being at work with Business East Monthly. Click here to read the article.
Article and images courtesy of the East Anglian Daily Times.
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