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Prioritize what matters most… then say no to the rest.

Prioritize what matters most… then say no to the rest.

Saying yes is easier (at least in the short term) than saying no. It gives us an immediate hit of people-pleasing gratification. If it were easy to say no when we need to, everyone would be doing it. If it were easy to say no, there wouldn’t be so many busy people so dissatisfied with their lives. But whether in our work, relationships or how we manage our daily lives, sometimes we are called to make a change, to let go the familiar, and say no to something that is “good” to open up the possibility for something better.

World Cup Wisdom: Play To Win vs. To Not Lose

World Cup Wisdom: Play To Win vs. To Not Lose

The World Cup holds many lessons on creating a game-winning strategy beyond the soccer field. One of the most important is the difference between playing to win, versus playing to not lose. When you are playing to win your energy is channeled into creating new opportunities, breaking new ground, and going after what you want to happen versus protecting what you don’t want to lose. Playing to lose, on the other hand, is about shoring up what you already have. While it may feel like the safer path, it often leaves people and organisations being left behind in a world marching steadily forward.

Hate your job? Either change WHAT you do or change HOW you do it.

Hate your job? Either change WHAT you do or change HOW you do it.

Hate your job? While it’s unrealistic to expect to always love what you do, it’s not unrealistic to genuinely enjoy your work (most days). Given you spend a third of your adult life at work, it would be a shame to spend it doing work you hate, or to simply hate going to work. So if you don’t like your job the solution is simple: Either change WHAT you do or change HOW you do it.

Are you making yourself miserable? What you focus on expands!

Are you making yourself miserable? What you focus on expands!

What you focus sets off a ripple effect that filters into every corner of your life. It’s not about white-washing those things which need your attention. It’s about not wasting your precious energy focused on things that amplify negative emotions, smother positive ones and fuel your misery.

Beyond Facebook: Why it’s important to share our struggles, not just status updates

Beyond Facebook: Why it’s important to share our struggles, not just status updates

Perhaps your Facebook status updates reflect what’s really going on in your life. However if not, then I encourage you to be more courageous in connecting with those around you, dropping your guard, letting go the need to show you’ve got it all together, and sharing how you really are (i.e., the stuff you might never post on Facebook). While our fears drive us to avoid situations that put us at risk of rejection or ridicule or criticism, only when we have the courage to do just that can we forge the rich, and incredibly rewarding relationships that help to buoy us over life’s bigger waves, and retain our sense of humour as we go.

Wish you felt more self-confidence? How to build it & banish the doubt

Wish you felt more self-confidence? How to build it & banish the doubt

Over the last two days I’ve had the opportunity to speak at two leadership conferences. After each event I had the chance to speak with attendees who shared their challenges, their aspirations and anxieties. One of the common threads that wove through our conversations was about their self-confidence. One particular person asked me how I’d become such a confident presenter and if I had any tips. As I shared with her…

Don’t wait to know everything before you do something

Don’t wait to know everything before you do something

I don’t know what it is you’d really love to create or achieve or change or pursue. However I do know this – waiting until you have everything figured out before you start out is a recipe for missed opportunity, frustration, resentment and regret.

Stand for something… or fall for anything.

Stand for something… or fall for anything.

I hope you will also take some time out to think about the message you want your life to share… does it reflect compassion for the suffering of others? Does it honor your talents and dreams and the blessings? Does it leave people better off for having known you? Does it challenge you to learn more, to do more, to grow more and to become more?

Do you care too much about what others think?

Do you care too much about what others think?

We all like to be liked. Nothing wrong with that. But too often we let what OTHERS think matter more than what WE think. Next time you find yourself at a moment of indecision, ask yourself what you would do if you had didn’t need to impress or be liked; if you were being really courageous.

Sheryl Sandberg, Beyonce, We Need To Embrace Bossy, Not Ban Bossy

Sheryl Sandberg, Beyonce, We Need To Embrace Bossy, Not Ban Bossy

Like Sandberg, since as young as I can remember I was called bossy. As a big sister of seven, I was forever telling (i.e. assertively coaching) my siblings what they needed to do, and not letting them off the hook until they did it (i.e. managing accountability.) Then as one of only fifteen students in a small rural Australian school, my assertive streak only grew stronger. Those who knew me could count on me to take charge. When they called me bossy, it felt more like a compliment than criticism.

Be Bold & Brave: The Call to Courage on International Women’s Day

Be Bold & Brave: The Call to Courage on International Women’s Day

To create a more equitable world, a more just world and a more peaceful world, everyone of us has to do our individual part. We can’t rely on policy makers, politicians and corporate power brokers. We have to do our own bit, in our own way, to challenge and change that which we know could be better. And doing that will always call for courage.

Mental Illness: Extend compassion, not judgement

Mental Illness: Extend compassion, not judgement

I remember four years ago today trying to call Peter on his 31st birthday. I was at home in Virginia. He was in a psychiatric hospital in Sydney half a world away. I remember when I finally got through to his ward and a fellow inpatient got him to come to the phone saying Happy Birthday Pete. As the words came out of my mouth I knew there was very little happy about it. This wasn’t the first birthday Peter had spent in a psychiatric ward. He woke up on his 21st birthday in a psych hospital ten years earlier.

“Love Is As Love Does”: Spread a little this Valentines!

“Love Is As Love Does”: Spread a little this Valentines!

Real love is a verb. Poetic words of love are nice, but real love is about doing things that make others feel loved – it takes courage, it takes compassion, it requires generosity. So as you go about your day today, I invite you to think about what you could do differently to make those you interact with feel more valued, more appreciated, more acknowledged… more loved in some way, large or small.

Are you charting a course that inspires you? If not, why not? If not now, then when?

Are you charting a course that inspires you? If not, why not? If not now, then when?

If you don’t know where you want to go, then it’s highly likely you will end up in a place you don’t want to be. Of course you can’t change your current circumstances overnight, but you can change your direction. It starts by deciding what you want, and just as importantly, what you don’t want.

Are you stuck in default mode? Why flexibility is so crucial in the game of life

Are you stuck in default mode? Why flexibility is so crucial in the game of life

We all have our default style and approach of getting things done, solving problems and adapting to new circumstances. Responding with flexibility and agility in our rapidly changing world requires an ongoing trade-off between your naturally preferred way of responding to a challenge and a way that isn’t as easy or comfortable. For every strength you possess, there’s an opposite strength or trait that balances it out. But if you always approach your problems and challenges in the same default way, you won’t always approach them in the best way.” Sometimes you will respond to them outright ineffectively. Agility and flexibility is the name of the game.

Wishing You A Wholehearted New Year!

Wishing You A Wholehearted New Year!

Of course I also want you to have a happy year ahead also. But we human beings live along a spectrum of emotions as diverse as all the shades in a rainbow. To wish only to feel ‘happy’ would be to deprive us of the full human experience, living only on a very superficial level, and unable to infuse the tapestry of our lives with the contrasts of human experience that make it truly meaningful. – See more at: https://margiewarrell.com/?p=7812&preview=true#sthash.4yG4VKvn.dpuf

What Will You Focus On In 2014?

What Will You Focus On In 2014?

We live in an age of uber distraction. In fact I believe that after fear, it’s a lack of focus that gets in the way of people accomplishing what they are capable of over the course of a day, a week, a year or a whole lifetime. I mean, just imagine what you could do if you weren’t constantly distracted from the task at hand? A lot!!

Festive Family Feuds: Ten Ways To Stay Merry When Relatives Push Your Buttons

Festive Family Feuds: Ten Ways To Stay Merry When Relatives Push Your Buttons

Relatives push our buttons because they created our buttons. So while you may love them, but you might not always like them, and expecting that you should always get along like the Waltons can set you up for extra anguish. What matters more than anything else is not how they behave, but how you respond. And while hurts and animosities can run very deep, if you’re willing to do the work, you can always learn to respond in constructive ways.

Feeling more frazzled than festive? Time to unplug & play!

Feeling more frazzled than festive? Time to unplug & play!

While I realise you may have very different plans over the festive season, I hope you will also make time to stop all your busy-ness, turn off your gadgets and have some genuine ‘play time.’ It’s so easy to get so caught up in the seriousness of life that we forget to simply have fun. Yet unleashing our ‘inner child,’ letting our hair down and just having fun is such an important part of living well.

Q&A with Margie: Acting with courage in an increasingly busy & cautious world.

Q&A with Margie: Acting with courage in an increasingly busy & cautious world.

I was recently interviewed for an article in a magazine via email. I know my answers will be edited down to fit their word count but thought you might enjoy reading through this short Q&A about courage in an increasingly time-poor world. How do you define...

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