Pilates

As I may have mentioned before I have found exercising really beneficial to improve physical and mental well being and can be slightly addictive.

I have been running regularly for the last 10 years or so and cycling for about 5. I also try to do a bit of amateur yoga as I am not the most flexible.

However, I pilates recently and what a difference, it improves posture, composure as well as conditioning and strength I hope. I remember the recently retired Manchester United player Ryan Giggs stating that he felt his career had been prolonged by regularly taking pilates classes.

I'm still a complete novice and have only tried beginners videos on Youtube but it is well worth a try.

Cheers

Self Esteem and Dopamine - Simon Sinek

I really enjoyed Simon Sinek's youtube interview about the generation known as millenials. He talks about many of the subjects we have covered here; self esteem as a result of failed parenting strategies and dopamine hits as a result of getting positive feedback on social media. These factors have affected younger people more than others.

He goes on to say prolonged periods on social media result in people feeling worse rather than better about life. Younger people are becoming reliant on devices rather than friends resulting in superficial friendships. It all sounds like a recipe for a lack of confidence and increased likelihoods of depression.

Instant gratification is another expectation younger people have; however, we only become fulfilled where we put the work in over the long term. Really interesting viewing.

What it here at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hER0Qp6QJNU

Cheers

Happy New Year?

There is a view that 2016 was not a great year; a stream of very popular celebrities many for here in the UK passed away at a depressingly speedy rate throughout the year.

Combine this with the puzzling Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump across the Atlantic many would have you believe that last year was the worst ever.

But was it really?

The UK team enjoyed unprecedented success at the Rio games, Andy Murray won Wimbledon and my own football team enjoyed a very successful time.

So what can we conclude from this?

All the events I mentioned are objective, there are plenty who have a completely opposing view. Also I had no direct influence over them. We can be hostages to fortune if we look to external events to ensure we feel happy.

Happiness and confidence are an inside job, for every time your team or sports star overachieves they will also fail to meet expectations. So how to we ensure we are happy; meditation, eating healthily, plenty of exercise and treating others as we would like to be treated ourselves.  That's what I'll be doing as well as having my fingers crossed Donald Trump isn't re-elected in 202, hopefully there will only be four years of damage done!

Cheers

Daniel Coyle

I always enjoy reading Dan Coyle's blog and his recent article on leadership and how strong leaders are often willing to undertake mundane and seemingly trivial tasks like sweeping up or collecting litter.

It ensures that the rest of the team don't believe that they are superior and that the success of the team is more important than anyone individual.

You can read more at http://thetalentcode.com/

It must take a huge amount of humility and inner, quiet confidence to be able, as a leader, to tidy up and sweep floors as some of the leaders like John Wooden or Ray Kroc do as described by Coyle.

On the same subject there is a great book on the ethos of the All Blacks rugby team called Legacy by James Kerr which I strongly recommend. Kerr discusses one of the All Black's core rules to be part of the team and ensure continued success. "No Dickheads." is the protocol stands out and it says it all really

Cheers

What have I learned so far?

When I started this project back in July my somewhat ambitious objective was to blog about confidence every day for a year to see if this would have an impact on my own confidence levels. This is an idea I had stolen from a book called the Happiness Project which had the same aim except with happiness obviously.

I managed to keep the daily posts going for the first few months but it became increasingly ore difficult to find the time and subject matter to blog every day.

However, I am keeping going and still posting as often as possible when I have the time and something to say.

What is the most important lesson I have learned so far?

Confidence is partly a skill we can develop and improve upon although individuals begin with differing levels of self belief initially.

However, it is in our own hands and if we implement some of the tools and techniques available we can build our self belief regardless of what life may throw at us.

Cheers

Well what a week

I think the world is now beginning to calm down slightly after the shock of the Trump election victory across the Atlantic.

Here in Britain, in particular, there are few who are not slightly concerned about the implications domestically and on the international stage. It was also a little disconcerting to see our very own political firebrand Nigel Farage on a jolly with the man of the moment at Trump Towers.

For those of us lacking the confidence (or arrogance) levels of Trump or Farage it is difficult to square the circle. How can they face the cameras, smile and joke when they know so many people worldwide hold them in disdain for their extreme views?

Would it be an advantage to have those levels of confidence? Perhaps it doesn't appear to have done that pair any harm.

However, I think most of us, even with a modicum of self awareness, realise that they are also slightly detached from reality. The smiles will be over soon enough a couple of years down the line when the promises have been broken and the situation is worse rather than improved.

I don't think we should aspire to have those levels of confidence where it is actually arrogance as a little humility is actually a far more positive trait. 

Cheers

The big vote

Today sees many millions of American voters take to the polls to elect their next president. The world watches on, with many here in the UK hoping for a majority for Clinton. Neither candidate is especially inspiring but the prevailing view is that the Democratic candidate will be a safer pair of hands as opposed to the unpredictable demagogue.

On the International stage someone as volatile and unpredictable as Trump is a clear liability. It appears he has no understanding of the risks invovled or the delicate relationships that maintain peace. The mutual repect he also has with Putin may come to an end pretty quickly too. It appears he is just there as a result of his own confidence and self belief. And a fair dose of arrogance.

If we could just have a small amount of that confidence. Just not too much!

Things I am grateful for

1. My wife has a university assessment today and I'm really proud of her as she is doing so well.

2. Scotland play England at football on Friday night which is exciting many of us here in Glasgow.

3. The snow that has been forecast looks like it may be rain now, which is a relief although I must be getting old. I used to love the snow!

 Cheers