The archive
Ten years of writing, as it was written.
30 pieces, published between 2015 and 2026. They were written for LinkedIn, mostly late at night, mostly because something had annoyed me or moved me that day.
I have not rewritten them. Dead links and the sign-offs for a business that closed in 2019 have gone; the arguments, the statistics I was quoting at the time and the occasional typo have stayed. Read the older ones as what I thought then, not as what I would write now.
Start here
If you only read a few.
Nowhere to put it down
I call myself a coach because people know what that means. It is a useful word. It gets you into the room without a fifteen minute explanation. But it does not really describe what I do, and the longer I do it the less...
The thing that got you here is the thing keeping you stuck
I have spent the last ten years or so working with people who are, by any measure anyone actually uses, doing very well. Partners in law firms. People running businesses. A few whose names you would probably know. And...
It isn't the standards. It's the not knowing, and the being seen.
Years ago now, for my MSc at Goldsmiths, I did a piece of research on perfectionism in working professionals. Not students, which is who most perfectionism research is done on, for the very good reason that students are...
Uncovering the Mental Health Crisis: The Impact of instant gratification and tech exploitation
Are you tired of feeling constantly distracted, overwhelmed, lonely, and unsatisfied? You're not alone. In our fast-paced digital world, our brains are hijacked by instant…
Decisions I'm not ready to make
I’m a little confused, and maybe a tad sad. Even with all the knowledge and skills in the world, I can’t seem to fathom why (well factually and physically I can) I am in the…
Trust.... without trust, you're finished before you start
Trust yourself. Trust your gut. For most people this the most difficult part of making an impact on their lives. We are often very distrustful and cynical as adults which makes…
Everything else
The archive, by year.
2026
Nowhere to put it down
I call myself a coach because people know what that means. It is a useful word. It gets you into the room without a fifteen minute explanation. But it does not really describe what I do, and the longer I do it the less...
The skills that have to outlive it
I want to write about something I have thought about for years and rarely say out loud, partly because it sounds like a complaint on behalf of people nobody feels sorry for.
The cost of not knowing
Of everything I measured for my MSc, the one that has been most useful to me since is intolerance of uncertainty. Partly because it explains so much, and partly because almost nobody I work with has ever heard the...
The thing that got you here is the thing keeping you stuck
I have spent the last ten years or so working with people who are, by any measure anyone actually uses, doing very well. Partners in law firms. People running businesses. A few whose names you would probably know. And...
Who actually decided that?
There are three kinds of perfectionism in the research, and the one almost nobody talks about is the one I think does the most quiet damage to people in visible roles.
It isn't the standards. It's the not knowing, and the being seen.
Years ago now, for my MSc at Goldsmiths, I did a piece of research on perfectionism in working professionals. Not students, which is who most perfectionism research is done on, for the very good reason that students are...
The perfectionist who is completely fine
There is a finding in my MSc research that I did not expect, and which I have found more useful in practice than any of the results I actually went looking for.
2024
Uncovering the Mental Health Crisis: The Impact of instant gratification and tech exploitation
Are you tired of feeling constantly distracted, overwhelmed, lonely, and unsatisfied? You're not alone. In our fast-paced digital world, our brains are hijacked by instant…
Is it time for a Dopamine Detox: Navigating Dating Apps in the Age of Addiction
Table of Contents Introduction The Neurochemistry of Dating Apps The Dopamine Loop The Ethical Implications The Impact on Relationships Breaking the Cycle Expert Insights: Stacy…
2019
Decisions I'm not ready to make
I’m a little confused, and maybe a tad sad. Even with all the knowledge and skills in the world, I can’t seem to fathom why (well factually and physically I can) I am in the…
Addiction - are we all turning into addicts?
I have been studying for sometime addiction, more specifically the 'addictive brain' . Having specialised in perfectionism, it felt natural to investigate and become more self…
Dating in 2019..... a reality point of view
Dating..... I'm currently having some time off this kind of activity, so I thought, as it was Valentine's Day I would pen an article about dating, with the hope that maybe I could…
2018
Be in the room - be here, right now... There is nowhere else you need to be
If you're in the room, be in the room So, you are already thinking that I'm a bit of an idiot, and that's a silly statement to make right? I mean, if you are in the room, then you…
Suicide - the warning signs
Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully…
The perfectible self - a pattern of thinking
As a performance coach, I come across perfectionism all the time. Working predominantly within the finance world - 95% (if not higher) of my clients are perfectionistic. When I…
How stressed are you? The symptoms of stress, as a self-check
Check each symptom that you have experienced in the last month, and then count the number of items that you have checked. The symptoms must be experienced to the level that you…
Mental Health - some truths
About a few weeks ago I nervously but angrily wrote a status update on my LinkedIn page, it went like this: 'I cannot hide my concern any longer - so I'm gonna call it out. It…
The basics - mental wellness
Fundamentally, I keep coming up against some of the points I'm about to raise, so thought that it was worth putting my thoughts (based on evidence) on to paper. I'm going to…
2016
Strengths... do you have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday?
Last weekend, I competed the Gallup StrenghtsFinder and I wanted to share with you my thoughts. It never really occurred to me how much we tend to concentrate on the things we…
Time
Following a meeting yesterday with a potential coachee, I began to think about the gift we call time. In a nutshell our discussion was around how when you get to the end of your…
2015
Depression.... and men
In my past posts I have talked a lot about anxiety and stress, today I want to discuss depression and men. So what do we mean by depression? Depression refers to both negative…
Understanding the problem: the five components
How we understand our problems has a direct effect on how we cope. In order to understand your problems you need to ask yourself some questions about these five aspects of your…
There is no path to happiness: Happiness is the path - a personal reflection
Recently, I was inspired by a post I came across on another social media site. It was a insightful piece that got me thinking about my life, my decisions, my ambitions and my…
Understanding Anxiety - one of the most distressing emotions that people feel
We often refer to anxiety as fear or nervousness. The word 'anxiety' also describes a number of problems including phobias (fear of specific things or situations such as heights,…
Trust.... without trust, you're finished before you start
Trust yourself. Trust your gut. For most people this the most difficult part of making an impact on their lives. We are often very distrustful and cynical as adults which makes…
Managing anxiety
Anxiety is a part of everyday life. It is a normal emotional experience. Something that is different to anxiety which is a normal response to environment stressors are 'anxiety…
What are your values? do you know?
If I was to ask you what you values are, would you know? More importantly, would you know how to utilise them? Understanding your values is a fundamental part of making the…