Truth #5
OK then…
Reasons #8
Monday morning, and you are in the office early – 7am here, and just getting light outside, what possible reasons could there be for being cheerful?
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The clocks may have gone forward, so the evenings are lighter – so getting in earlier means getting away earlier as the summer months get closer.
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Maybe its your sons birthday tomorrow and his excitement is rubbing off on the whole family.
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No-one else is in the office and you are already cranking the handle of your to-do list.
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Maybe you spotted this – the best tabloid headline ever, or maybe this REALLY is.
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Oh, and if you need a soundtrack – EMI have remastered and rereleased all of Duran Duran’s back catalogue. You can find their stuff over on Spotify – may I suggest ‘The Chauffeur’ for some Monday morning memories
Anyway, its Monday – why are YOU so cheerful?
Sunday Inspiration #21
Up early to watch the Melbourne Grand Prix – even earlier if you take into account the clocks going forward. Time for a poke round the internets for some interesting links – but first, of course – our Sunday morning tune. This week, its Tower of Song by Leonard Cohen – I absolutely love this song, from its Casio/Bontempi rhythm up to the laconic humour of the words:
I was born like this, I had no choice,
I was born with the gift of a golden voice.
Give it a spin whilst you browse these links…
- Death Drive – clever photography exhibition of ‘celebrated’ final drives. Slightly morbid, but beautiful photographs.
- Improve your technical slides – nine inspirational tips to boost your slideware at your next presentation.
- 10 fantastic Spotify sites – looks like my favourite music streaming site will be coming to the US soon, so it is worth refreshing on some of the best supporting sites. Use these to find some great new music to listen to. My playlist is still here.
- There’s an app for that – Lady Gaga’s Poker Face ‘recreated’ using only iPhone apps. Very impressive.
What’s your Sunday Inspiration?
A Hero Speaks #20 – Passion
A person is a success if they get up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do. Bob Dylan
For me, this is the best measure of success, above money and a great job title – is true job satisfaction. If, like me, you are passionate about what you do, that is motivation enough.
What makes you passionate?
Sunday Inspiration #20
Back home after two weeks in the US – jetlag is not as bad as feared, I must have used some of my own advice. Todays inspirational music is ‘The Homeless Wonderer by Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou’, an Ethiopian nun who plays mainly from recluse, stunning music and an interesting story. Start that up, then read on for some of my sunday morning links:
- Great advice from Nicholas Bate – Don’t be so busy that you miss…
- A fantastic photographic collection of French signage – always my favourite thing when I am wandering through France, this blog collects some of the best.
- Bye Bye Vancouver – the 2010 Paralympics are now wrapped up, this set of photographs from the awesome boston.com Big Picture blog highlight the best of the games.
- Overcoming frustration – if something isn’t going your way, how do you cope? Here are some great ways to overcome the situation.
EDIT : added the link to French signage – thanks for letting me know @7breaths_
What has you inspired today?
A Friday Hero Speaks #19 – Success
Action is the foundational key to all success. Pablo Picasso
So that, is what I’m doing – taking action and pushing forward. It is not just what is on the to-do list, it is what you add from inside you to make those things happen.
Who is your hero today?
Travel – some tips to cope with jet lag…
There is no avoiding it, you’ve landed the job, bagged the big project or been invited to the conference and you need to travel across continents to be there. Inevitably, you’ll be shifted out of your time zone and end up feeling exhausted, disoriented or just plain out of sorts.
Jetlag can be a true pain, you want to be on top of your game, but you need to get back in sync. After a week here in Seattle – 8 hours behind my body clock, I thought I’d jot down my tips for overcoming jet lag.
- Charge up the sleep bank – before you fly, make sure you are rested, if you are going to lose sleep it helps not to be tired before you go.
- Hydrate – don’t drink too much on the plane, however tempting the red wine is in business class – it doesn’t do you any good. Switch to water after your meal and stay well hydrated. Avoid the caffeine though, juice and water are the best.
- Keep the blood flow going – if it is a long flight, get up and stretch, stand up for a little while and keep the blood moving. Most long-haul flights recommend some stretches you can do in your seat, take advantage.
- Adjust your watch – I always change my watch immediately on take off (also on my PC if I am going to work on the flight) – this minor act can get you mentally prepare for your destination timezone.
- Daylight – on arrival, try and get some sunshine on your face – or at least natural light – it will help your body adjust, you could even combine that with the next suggestion.
- Exercise – 30 minutes light cardio – maybe a gentle workout or even a walk, is the most potent weapon you have to get the blood flow going and help combat the fatigue.
Hopefully these tips will help you avoid medication – which I’m not a fan of – I try and follow some of these, I’m not always successful and I find myself awake at some early hours – but if that happens, I try and embrace them a little bit and enjoy the quiet time at the start of the day.
What are your tips for avoiding jet lag?
A Friday Hero Speaks #18 – Networking
A good deed here, a good deed there, a good thought here, a good comment there, all added up to my career in one way or another. Sidney Poitier.
Networking is not all about handing out business cards and filling your contacts folder, it is about doing good deeds, passing on a favour without asking and building a circle of trusted advisors that will do the same for you. Networking is not collecting people.
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