Pure Potential Consulting

Read one of my latest blog posts on how to achieve happiness..

The Ultimate Recipe for Happiness It’s simple — only 3 ingredients and no preparation time!

I often ask my clients to estimate how much time their thinking is either in the past or the future vs. the present moment.

The answer I get is usually around 90%!!

Most of the time we’re either thinking about something that's history - gone, done, dusted, behind us and that we can no longer change.

Or we’re thinking about the future - planning, anticipating, expecting, hoping, worrying, fretting, looking forward to something or dreading an approaching event.

Even in the pre-Covid world, the future was never guaranteed... plans go awry, circumstances change, events get cancelled.

Things we dread often end up not being so bad after all. And plans we look forward to sometimes aren’t as great as we thought they’d be.

All we’ve ever got is the present moment, yet we spend so little time there. Is it any wonder that we’re not happy? Happiness resides in the here and now.

Yet we tend to live in the past (gone) or the future (may never come or will probably be completely different than expected).

Why not consider the “Covid effect” (not being able to plan ahead with any certainty) as a blessing? A reminder that all we’ve ever got is the present moment anyway.

Embrace the NOW and see the difference it makes.

I rarely suffer from stress, anxiety, or depression. Do you want to know my #1 Life Hack for feeling great every day?

It’s having an “attitude of gratitude.”

Practicing gratitude leads to physical, emotional, mental and social benefits and there’s scientific evidence which backs this up.

The benefits include:

· Increased optimism

· Better decision-making

· Greater long-term happiness

· More resilience

· Increased self-esteem

· Improved sleep

· Better relationships

· Fewer instances of depression

When you have a grateful mindset, it changes the way you see the world around you. The more gratitude you feel, the more you begin to notice and appreciate the good things in life, and this leads to a more positive outlook.

And the good news is that there are so many ways to practice gratitude:

· Post about something you’re for on social media

· Thank people whenever possible

· Set an hourly reminder on your phone to pause and think of something you’re grateful for in that moment

· Write a positive review for a business that recently gave you great service

· Take time to appreciate nature

I am grateful for the new addition to my family arriving on Sunday.

Are you grateful every day?

How many times have you read about the importance of finding your purpose in life?

It makes it sound like it’s lost. That you’ve misplaced it. That it’s somehow out of reach.

But, the truth is that your purpose is inside you and it’s never been lost.

If it’s out of your reach, that’s only because it’s likely crowded out by busyness, stuff and mind-numbing activities.

Purpose is “action driven by passion” – the energy that nourishes our dreams, desires, ambitions, and goals.

When your action is driven by passion, you’re in the state of “flow” (peak performance) and time stands still.

Here are 5 things you can do to fuel the fire of pursuing your passion in life:

· Slow down – immerse yourself in the present moment.

· Become aware of what makes you smile and what brings your joy.

· Explore your memories – What did you love to do before you got too busy/tired/old to enjoy it?

· Make time – prioritise and embrace things that make time stand still or energise you to take action.

· Do something – move toward your purpose every day, no matter how small the action.

I love being in that state of flow.

Do you think there are different types of flow?

Are there varying degrees of flow?

"What would you do if you could not fail?" - Robert H. Schuller

Most people don't know that I'm a chef, who owned and managed a restaurant in Spain for many years. Nevertheless, the roast lamb I made last Sunday was a disaster. Perhaps not a complete disaster, but let's just say that "it didn't fall off the bone," because I experimented with a new way of roasting it. It was definitely a culinary failure!

Fear holds us back from doing so many things. Often, it's a fear of failure.

If you think about it, it makes no sense. A baby learning to walk will fall down and fail at walking, time after time. But the baby just gets up and tries again until he or she masters the art of walking.

Learning anything new implies a certain amount of failure until we get it right.

What if you could "reframe" failure as a sign that you're growing as a person, entering uncharted waters, and stepping out of your comfort zone? What if you could embrace failure as a sure sign that you're learning something new or strengthening that muscle of resilience?

They say that there's no such thing as failure, only feedback. When Thomas Edison invented the 1st commercially practical lightbulb he said, "I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work."

What failures can you celebrate today?

Are you praising your employees enough?

Some managers believe there’s no need to praise employees for doing the job they’re expected and paid to do.

Others believe that recognition and praise are vital for motivating staff.

Where do you fall on this spectrum?

In today’s world, where so much is about instant gratification, receiving recognition once or twice a year In an appraisal might not cut it.

A Harvard Business Review article on the effects of positive vs. negative feedback on team performance showed that the highest performing teams had an average ratio of 5.6 positive comments for every negative one.

Negative feedback is essential for stopping inappropriate behaviour and putting things back on track, but it doesn’t motivate. Positive feedback motivates people to perform with determination and improve even more.

This outcome mirrors an analysis done on the likelihood of couples staying married or getting divorced. The single greatest determinant was the number of positive vs. negative comments that the spouses made to each other.

How many positive comments do you make every day at home and at work?

The Show Must Go On (Part 2)

Yesterday, I wrote about some of the gaffes I’ve seen when television presenters are working from home studios.

Perhaps you’ve been paying closer attention in the last 24 hours and have seen some interesting or funny things as well. I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.

In the meantime, here are 5 more ways to improve your Executive Video Presence.

The Show Must Go On (Part 1)

Many TV presenters have had little choice but to broadcast from home during the COVID-19 Lockdown. While I applaud their efforts, I'm consistently shocked by the video presence of many of these broadcasting "professionals."

I’ve seen everything from having the camera pointing up to the ceiling to having the dishes stacked up on the kitchen worktop in the background. And while a bookcase backdrop may look scholarly, many of the bookcases I’ve seen have been a “hot mess.”

If the professionals are getting it wrong, how have you been faring with your business video calls? Cats walking over your desk? Children bursting into the room at the most unfortunate times? Dogs barking?

I will hold my hands up and admit that I’ve even had my naff cuckoo clock play “I Love To Go A Wandering” just as I was about to sign up a new client. Talk about embarrassing!

Today, I’m posting the first 6 (of 11) Ways to improve your image during Video Calls. Watch this space for 5 further tips that I’ll be posting tomorrow.

5 Tips for Navigating Difficult Conversations

Just the thought of having a difficult conversation can fill people with dread and raise their level of anxiety. This is not the state of mind you want to be in for such a discussion.

Here are 5 tips to help make those conversations easier:

1. Don’t catch people off guard

People tend to react very defensively when they’re surprised. Tell the person that you’d like to speak to them at a certain time to discuss the issue.

2. Be clear and direct

Deliver any bad news or state the problem simply, clearly and with respect at the beginning of the conversation. Plan and script exactly what you would like to say.

3. Have a clear objective

Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Plan how you will end the conversation, what action you would like the person to take, and what support you’re prepared to offer.

4. Manage your emotions

If you become emotional, the other person may become emotional too. Remain professional at all times, stick to the facts, and don’t play the blame game.

5. Be comfortable with silence

During these pauses, the other person may be taking a moment to think before they speak. If you allow them this time, rather than interject, it usually leads to a better result.

Is The Corporate World Starting To Accept The "New Normal"?

This week my leadership mentoring and training business has started to pick up. The phone is ringing, I've received an RFP and I've had numerous conference calls. It's like somebody has flicked the switch.

Just weeks ago, companies were rescheduling events for later in the year and waiting for things to get back to "normal." Now I've seen a distinct shift of mindset and an acceptance that things may not be back to "normal" for a long time.

This may, in part, be due to the government briefings, which now seem to be bracing us for the length of time that social distancing will have to remain in place.

There has been a move on behalf of many companies to "pivot" the way they do business in this new world. Many manufacturing companies made this "pivot" much sooner, especially those that could shift production to items that were in great demand, such as hand sanitiser, masks, and other personal protection equipment.

So has the service industry now woken up and accepted the "new normal"?

I'd be curious to know what you're experiencing and what your company is doing to "pivot" the way you do business.