Introduction: I’m always looking at ways to enhance my routine, improve my good habits and eliminate the bad. One I’d been struggling to keep over the last year or so was going to the gym 3 times a week, I was very good at going at the weekend but with a busy job and wanting to see friends I struggled to go during the week. In this piece I want to explain how I managed to hack my morning routine and…
Introduction: On a holiday to Cote D’Azur in 2016, a post on which you can find here, I finally had the time to read Nassim Nicholas Talebs thought provoking book ‘Antifragile’, available to buy here. His book is part philosophical thesis, part whinging and complaining, however reviewing it in detail is not the scope of this piece. The focus of this piece is on the role of optionality and the importance of having optionality to be antifragile, leading to a…
Introduction During my recent reading around the topic of Stoicism, I came across the now famous ‘The Obstacle is the Way‘ by Ryan Holiday. If you recognise the title but haven’t read it, that might be because it has been made famous by its rapid spread across American sporting teams. For example, on the way to winning the 2014 Super Bowl a copy of the book was given to each of the players and staff of the New England Patriots….
I often write long and detailed posts which go deep down the rabbit hole of the given topic to ensure I have covered it sufficiently. I do this because this is the way my brain works – I’m an analytical person and find I need to dig down as far down as possible to convey a topic and my views on it fully. This post will be different; it will be short and sweet (relatively!). This is because the…
Introduction The aim of this blog is to explain the three reasons why I think podcasts are so useful and why everyone should listen to them. In short these are: The fact they are free They don’t require a constant internet connection You get a large spectrum of content After covering each of these in more detail, I’ll explain when I listen to podcasts and why, showing you how they can easily be fitted into your busy day. Back in…
Introduction In another post I have detailed the theory, application and importance of successfully forming good habits and routines, you can find it here. As important though, is how to break bad habits and routines, which is the topic I want to cover now. While I think there is a set process everyone can follow to create a good habit, breaking bad habits is a lot more personal, and therefore I would suggest a trial and error approach, not just…
Introduction We are taught from a very young age that we should say ‘yes’ to things and embrace the positive outcomes associated with saying ‘yes’. Saying ‘yes’ makes you a fun, courageous, dedicated, social and risk-taking person. Equally we are actively discouraged from saying ‘no’ and as such there are a number of negative connotation associated with saying ‘no’. These negative connotations include being classed as: selfish, lazy, boring and uninteresting. I want to challenge these stereotypes, not to argue…
Introduction In a previous post I have explained why I place so much importance on having a clearly defined and repeatable morning routine to ensure you maximise your time in the morning and set yourself up for the day in the best possible way, you can find that article here: http://jablifestyle.net/2016/06/05/morningroutine/. The aim here is not to repeat myself but help those individuals who feel as through the creation of a morning routine is a pipe dream, just getting up…
Introduction The concept of passion is an emotive and contentious topic, a thorny issue and that’s why I want to cover it. Is it a good thing (an enabler) or a bad thing (constraint)? Let me start with a brief definition so we are all on the same page, I am defining a passion as something which you have a strong and intense love for, or interest in. I have two fundamental views on the importance and role of…
Introduction Social accountability has been a significant buzzword in the blogosphere in recent months and years, yet it remains a massively encompassing topic and can take on a many different means. The aim of this piece is to focus on why social accountability can be good for personal growth and help you reach the targets you’ve been struggling over for a long time, I’ll also touch upon how it can help society improve at a macro-level. I should start by…