Nicholas Bate

Zero to Seven

0: chance the speaking clock will be 'in the right place' when you ring.
1: clear decision is needed this Saturday. Take it. No TAKE IT! Now: don't you feel better?
2: eyes for amazing depth of perception. Read this cool book.
3: wise men. For a very good reason. One gets biased/polarised. Two gossip. Four or more's a crowd. Three's perfect.
4: valency of Carbon, essential to Life.
5: amazing starfish.
6: throw the dice parenting. 1=to the museum; 2=bake bread; 3=football in the park; 4=gardening; 5=Lego; 6=camping in the garden.
7: days a week. Live them long, wide and deep.

Get down there now..

..as this may be one of your last mellow Saturday mornings in your local Starbucks. Especially if you want a bold brew.

Baseball and Life

I know we Brits think football is Life...here are the real rules of Life....especially for kids.

Blast from the Past

Originally posted July 2007

What's REALLY stopping you from:

starting that business?
ending the aggression from your manager?
taking a 6-month sabbatical?
writing your novel?
starting that relationship?
ending that relationship?
radically changing your lifestyle?
recording an album?
going part-time?

Perhaps it's

FEAR
Of what exactly? Because you have never actually written it down and really rationalised it, it has been able to grow and grow in your mind. You can overcome this fear just as you have with so much in your Life to date. Write it down and decide how to manage it.
LACK of TIME
You'll never have enough time. You need to get focused. Drop a few things (yes-you can) and start giving this more attention.
The ADVICE of your PARTNER or FRIEND
Something to consider: are they encouraging you to grow? To become the best version of you? Or are they trying to hold you back and curtail your dreams? Which kind of relationship do you want?
a concern about what OTHERS MAY THINK
Listen to them. Take feed-back. Stay polite. But then ignore them. It's your Life; get on with it.
a LACK of ENERGY
Get energy by practising what you know to be essential for you personal motivation: MEDS. MEDS is meditation (take time out)/exercise (use it to gain it)/diet (eat for energy not just calories)/sleep (clear sleep debt).
is it just YOU?
That's easy. You're not going to block your own growth? Your own dreams? Are you? So: start now. Do something about it. Now.

Is and Isn't

1.Planning isn't really about the plan; it's actually about anticipation of challenges.
2.Presenting isn't actually about the slides; it's actually about communication.
3.Project planning isn't actually about the Gannt chart; it's actually about getting it done on time, to budget.
4. Reading to the kids in the evening is not about the story; it's about really getting to know your rapidly developing child.
5.Your career isn't actually about the salary; it's about how the heck you express yourself for a large percentage of your Life.

Productivity+Tension

with top productivity guru Matt.

Responsibility+Happiness

here.

Thursday's Theme

There is a time for daring and a time for caution, and a wise man knows which is called for.
John Keating, English Professor in film: The Dead Poets Society.
Today: be especially wise.

Wednesday Wins

1. Walked 3km to work. Win.
2. Coached new team joiner. Win.
3. E-mail to zero. Win.
4. New client closed. Win.
5. Home for kid's bath-time. Win.

Zero to Seven

0: calories in the fizzy drink. Yep, but what did they add to be able to do that?
1: answer to work/life balance issues: just say no!
2: to be or not to be. It is clearly the only question.
3: the perfect number for a self-managed learning team.
4: 1984. Orwell's amazing novel.
5: A high 5. Energetic and friendly.
6: represents harmony between physical and spiritual with two intersecting triangles.
7: universally lucky.