Rest is often seen as something we take for ourselves. But have you ever noticed the effect it has on others?

I’ve been thinking about Oliver Burkeman’s advice for avoiding information overload: treat your "to read" pile like a river rather than a bucket.

Most of us wait until we’re overwhelmed at work before we say no.

By then, it’s too late.

In Stoicism, "suffering twice" refers to the suffering we cause ourselves by worrying about things that might never happen.

“Imposter syndrome is a paradox: others believe in you, you don’t believe in yourself, yet you believe yourself instead of them.” — Adam Grant.

I came across some new (to me) terminology in an article from Cal Newport’s blog that I think is useful: additive and extractive technology.

Radical Acceptance, in its simplest form, can be expressed as follows: Pain + Resistance = Suffering.

Does this working week sound familiar?

Somewhere along the way, many of us picked up the idea that we should finish what we start. It's what adults do. But…

If you want to become an expert at something, hard work matters. Research suggests that it takes around 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert in a particular field. We tend to focus on that part: the work. But there’s another essential piece we often overlook: deliberate rest.

Because I write, doodle, and speak about productivity, you might assume I’m in a permanent state of productive flow: focused, energised, and ending each day with a clear to-do list. Let me reassure you: that’s not always the case.

Resting when you are already exhausted is too late.

“Practice makes perfect” might not be a phrase I love (perfection isn’t the goal), but the core idea holds up. We improve at what we do often. The thing is, this works both ways.

Positive self-talk... I know it sounds a bit woo-woo, but it matters.

If your work involves leading or supporting others, you’ll know how much energy it takes. Some activities leave you feeling energised, while others drain your reserves.

It’s tempting to fill our calendars with back-to-back meetings. But without space to think, process quick actions, and (at least for me) decompress, we carry mental residue from one meeting into the next.

Every situation presents us with two handles. One leads to frustration and negativity, while the other offers understanding and growth. The choice of which handle to grasp is ours.

On 1 June 2024, I made a decision that has (and I know this sounds dramatic) quietly changed my life. That decision was to take a month off drinking alcohol.

The best leaders I’ve worked for followed what Mike Fisher calls The New Golden Rule.

I’m a slow runner. Not "slow for a beginner" (I’ve run two marathons). I’m just... slow.