Here is your Seven-Bullet Monday
1. A quote I am pondering:
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus
Don’t you find that those cold, dark winter days are much better when you wake up with some feisty go-get-it summer attitude inside you? Choosing to embrace winter days, getting your exercise in and being cheery will help you and uplift those around you.
2. A question I am asking myself:
How do I get back into my productive morning routine?
With moving house and work travel over the last three weeks, I have let slip my early morning routine of journaling, day-planning, exercise and the dreaded one-minute cold shower. That has left me feeling uninspired, unmotived and generally ‘blah’. This week I am back on the wagon and expecting good things to happen.
3. A book I am reading:
The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team - Patrick Lencioni
Patrick Lencioni is one of my favourite authors on organizational psychology. His latest book outlines six types of work that bring either joy and energy or frustration and burnout, depending on your character type. I found the model and frameworks he presented simple and easy to understand. They showed me how we could better tap into one another’s productivity and reduce judgement once we understand which type of working genius is our fellow worker.
4. My favourite podcast this week:
The School of Greatness – The Top Foods You Should Avoid
In this podcast, Lewis Howes recaps previous interviews with three different food experts and their takes on what foods we should and shouldn’t eat. I understood that the way vegetables are prepared and cooked is essential. It also opened my eyes further to how deceptive the US food industry is with its advertising of seemingly healthy foods when you should be staying clear of them.
5. Hugh-Tips
Don’t be afraid to sell your losers
Investors and stock traders love to talk about their big wins but tend to stay very quiet about their significant losses. This same psychology drives decisions to sell winners, as it feels great to book a trading profit and to hold onto losers because of not wanting to lock in a painful loss. Once a stock has been on a protracted decline, there is no guarantee that it will rebound, and hope is not an investing tool. It’s essential to be realistic about the prospects of investments that have performed poorly over time. Even though it can be painful to admit you bought a loser, don’t let that hold you back from offloading it before the losses worsen. It will be a valuable lesson for the future, but there is no point in making it a more expensive lesson than it needs to be.
6. My highlights over the last ten days
Attending our Company’s Christmas Parties
I attended three Conuma Christmas parties over the last ten days, two up in NEBC and one in Vancouver. The two parties up north had over 600 people attending them and were full-on affairs with excellent catering, a live band, and some fabulous door prizes. The Vancouver dinner, with around 25 in attendance, was a smaller, more intimate night out but just as enjoyable. With the 2020 and 2021 parties cancelled due to COVID, it was truly special to see these venues packed out this year with people having a wonderful time and so appreciative of the Company putting on such fantastic events.
7. My challenge for you for this week
Practice meditating or just being still for a few minutes each day
Bringing ourselves to a place of stillness is powerful and has proven mental health benefits. It’s not easy for most of us because there is so much going on, and we are surrounded by constant activity and noise. But if we can find a quiet place for even five minutes a day (early morning is probably best) and be intentional and mindful during that time, we will reap the benefits. Many tools help us do this, from different breathing methods, to verses or phrases to meditate on, to meditation apps such as headspace. Try out a couple of different ways and once you find something that works, make it a habit to continue to reap the benefit.
Have a festive week