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The Ultimate Productivity Tool To Focus On

The Ultimate Productivity Tool To Focus On

The world has changed dramatically in the last twenty years, but the value of focused effort has not. If you want to accomplish a specific goal or raise the bar on your productivity, try these four simple steps to focus your efforts and attention in a world brimming with distractions.

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Are you tip-toeing through life?

Are you tip-toeing through life?

"Most folks tiptoe through life only to make it safely to death." - Eleanor Roosevelt A woman I run with was telling me about her brother and sister-in-law's fear that their two school aged children might be kidnapped.  I asked if they were particularly wealthy, or if...

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Forgiveness: Is holding on to anger holding you back?

Forgiveness: Is holding on to anger holding you back?

I’m sure that you have experienced people who haven’t always been reasonable or rational to deal with; people who can be quick to judge and slow to forgive. Even worse, people who have acted maliciously toward you or left you feeling betrayed.  And perhaps, like my...

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Got Tall Poppy Courage?

Got Tall Poppy Courage?

Growing up on a farm in rural Australia meant growing up with something called the Tall Poppy Syndrome. It may sound like some ailment associated with cocaine addiction or a nasty chronic medical condition, but it’s actually a cultural condition. While I’m not...

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Procrastination: How is it costing you?

Procrastination: How is it costing you?

I've always liked to think of myself as a "do it now" sort of person. But over the last week I've realized that actually, I'm sometimes use "busy-ness" as an excuse not to do the things I know I really should. Not the little things (like cleaning out my kitchen...

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Want to build more trust in your relationships?

Want to build more trust in your relationships?

Emerson once wrote, “distrust is very expensive.” The fact is, without trust, influence wanes, intimacy erodes, relationships crumble, careers derail, organizations fail to prosper (and ultimately, also crumble) and, in short, nothing much works. Wherever trust is missing, opportunity is lost — opportunity to prosper, to exert influence, to deepen intimacy, to enjoy harmony, to collaborate, to foster understanding, to succeed at the very things that matter to you.

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What the Japanese can teach us about courage in crisis

What the Japanese can teach us about courage in crisis

Courage and honor lie at the very heart of Japanese culture. And amidst one of the most catastrophic disasters of modern times we have seen it shine through in the most inspiring ways. The immensity of the disaster is still incomprehensible to me. As I sit in my...

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The single biggest factor that holds people back…

The single biggest factor that holds people back…

Two weeks ago I said yes to a morning at trapeze school. Naively as it turned out. It was absolutely terrifying! But I jumped anyway. Five times in all. And while I wouldn't race back to do it again, I'm glad I did it.  Because hanging upside down 23 feet above the...

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Letting our kids (family & friends) walk their own path

Letting our kids (family & friends) walk their own path

Last Sunday my oldest child Lachlan became a teenager. Born on February 13th…  just one day short of the “Day of Love.” But I was two weeks overdue, with a belly about to burst, and when the doctor asked if I wanted to wait one a day longer so he could be born on...

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Presents and Presence This Holiday Season

Presents and Presence This Holiday Season

As I look back on the year gone by, the phrase "the best of times and the worst of times" comes to mind.  Losing my brother Peter earlier this year to an illness that robbed him of his dreams, confidence and desire to live was the saddest experience of my life. By...

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It’s Beef Tenderloin For Me This Thanksgiving

It’s Beef Tenderloin For Me This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, and the busy holiday season in general, can create a lot of anxiety and stress for many people.  While it may be the most festive season of the year, it's also one laden with expectations, idealized images, conflicting demands on our time (and our...

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Lessons from the BP Oil Spill

Lessons from the BP Oil Spill

You’d have to be living in a cave the last month not to be aware of the growing environmental disaster caused by an explosion on a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Having a long-held fondness for the company that gave me my first "real job" as a Graduate Trainee in...

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Whether you want to make a change, grow your leadership, or better the world, The Courage Gap is your roadmap to close the gap between who you are and who you’re meant to be. 

If you ever wish you felt braver, this podcast is for you. You’ll gain inspiration from a host of incredible leaders. I also share my own insights on how to be a bit braver in our relationships, leadership, and life.

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