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« I did not fail. I just found 10,000 solutions that do not work. » – Thomas Edison – During a recent spring cleanup with my family, we ran into my sister’s primary report cards in a closet. If they were actually quite good, I was strongly challenged by the comments of his teachers – she salutes by the way! These emphasized only the lack, the failure, the gaps. The positive comments were constantly followed by a “but Margaux has the ability to do better”. Thus, only the intellectual abilities were valued, not the efforts made. If I tell you [...]

Anxiety is a focus on the future, and rumination is a focus on the past. That means the only time we can meaningfully exist is the now – the present time. But what is the scope of the ‘now’, and what are its limits? Today? This minute, this second? I think we can choose, I think it is however long we want it to be. If you slice and dice your ‘now’ into micro-thin wafers of time, then you shorten your present, and sacrifice the every-decreasing offcuts by allocating them either to the past or the future. This creates an [...]

Over 20 years ago I was fortunate enough to take part in the Springboard Women’s Personal Development Programme. At that time I was an engineer working for BT, one of the first users of the Springboard programme. I became part of a cohort of 80 women supported to undertake this award-winning programme that has been running for nearly 30 years and is now delivered in more than 47 countries globally. The programme provided a platform for my development, an opportunity to learn, insights from female leaders and provided a network of fellow ‘Springboarders’ to enable and challenge. Fast forward to [...]

Taking the time and headspace to make a more considered response is one of the most assertive things you can do. Be kind to your future self, and try this. Maybe you’ve read a lot about assertiveness techniques, practiced some assertive conversation starters. You’ve spent time working out your desired outcome, and how you’ll handle it if you don’t get what you want (and if you do!). You are getting better at choosing assertive behaviours when it matters to you. Then something happens that you weren’t expecting: someone puts you on the spot, or you are asked a question you [...]

The morning alarm. Sometimes when my alarm goes off, I just don’t feel like it. I hit snooze. Perhaps I’m tired. Maybe I’m postponing something I don’t want to do. Sometimes, when the alarm goes off again, I’ll hit snooze. Again. Honestly, there have been occasions when I’ve hit snooze several times. The idea alarm. Sometimes I have an idea. Maybe for a workshop, maybe a solution to a problem, or a new home project. It seems a good one. I dare to be excited by the prospect. I hit ‘snooze’ on it. Sometimes, when the idea comes back later, [...]

As I returned to work from the Christmas/New Year break I found trying to muster the energy up to get back into work and perform at a high level somewhat difficult.  I think and reminisce of mince pies and over-drinking, and basically eating everything in sight had left me feeling depressed and unenthusiastic about anything. Working for Royal Mail your period of rest and relaxation over Christmas is limited to a very small window as you can imagine, and living with a Mail Centre Manager from the business whom lives and breathes Christmas 24/7 during the period of November to [...]