Do I really need a minutes template? I put out a post last week asking people what would they like me to write a blog about, and the results astounded me. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people wanting a simple, easy to use minutes template. Lots of people have to take minutes
Forgetting This One Little Thing Makes Every Day More Stressful You cannot control exactly what happens in life, but what you can do is control how you respond. ACT don’t REACT, this is your greatest power. Learning how to respond to life’s surprises and challenges more effectively is one of the best skills you can
6 Things to do this summer that will make a positive change. Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time and start again. But what we ca do is start again today and write a brand new story. Today can be the start of a whole new future… if you choose to make positive changes
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication This famous quote from Leonardo Da Vinci could not be closer to the truth. Now I am not saying that I live my life by this quote, sometimes I am my own worst enemy! That does not mean though that I do not agree with
How to pick yourself up when life brings you down So often in my life I have felt drained, anxious, negative, stressed and down. I have tortured myself with negative self-talk and have let fear dictate my actions and decisions. Sound familiar? I bet everyone reading this has felt at least one of those
The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on pain For every amazing thing that happens in life, there is always going to be pain. There is the kind of pain that leaves you feeling empty, this is usually when you leave something behind, graduating from University and leaving your friends, leaving the workplace for new opportunities or
I don’t want to feel stressed anymore! Life can be hard – FACT. Often, when you think it can’t get any worse, it does! But sometimes however hard we try, life just doesn’t give us what we WANT. This is because we often NEED something different to what we want. You won’t always understand
Negative thinking, positive life… I doubt it! Out of all the choices we make every day, what choice do you think most people get wrong? The way they choose think about things. The majority of people focus on the negative, not on the positive. “I don’t want to go to work”, “I’m too busy”,
Comfort Zones are fine… as long as you are 100% happy We’ve all heard the phrase comfort zone, people use it all the time, however did you realise that while you live in your comfort zone, nothing ever changes? It’s absolutely fine to live in this way, as long as you are happy. If
I’m just too busy! I’m just too busy! How often do you use that phrase in a day? Once, twice, fifty, one hundred times? Come on, be honest, we all use it as an excuse! I certainly did, all the time actually, I was even proud of it, I wore it like a
Let’s have a reality check! A few years ago I was fat, unhealthy and unhappy. There is no way to dress it up, that’s the reality. I was told by my Doctor that I was obese and need to lose weight (I am not sure if a size 16 and 12 stone 3 is
When life gets monotonous – heres how to keep going Growing up I was so passionate about reading. By the age of 10 I had read every book in the school library, my Mum even went into school as she didn’t believe me! I spent hours in the local library reading everything from
Important life lessons that I learned from breast cancer I’ve recently supported a very dear friend of mine through breast cancer. While she is doing really well and hopefully will be in remission when she goes for her review at the end of February, it was really interesting supporting her through this
My guide to surviving Christmas the fun way! Christmas is approaching again and if you are anything like me you will be frantically putting together Christmas lists; who wants what, how much will it cost, when have I got time to put the tree up, when do I need to post my
Making 2017 count! Christmas is over, the decorations are packed away for another year and 2017 is here. If you are anything like me, the holiday season will feel like a distant memory already. Most people will have had that feeling of dread on January 3rd, it is time to go back to work…
Finding Inner Strength (when you need it most) In my career I have worked with more vulnerable families than I can count. I have worked with people that desperately want to keep their children in the family home and would do anything to make that happen, and others, who no matter what support we
Ways to Stay Strong as sometimes life is painful. A wise man names Heraclitus once said ‘The only constant in life is change’. Sometimes with that change comes stress and pain. It can take away all of your energy and resilience and stop you living a happy, successful and fulfilling life. If you are
I was stuck in a rut once as well... Not anymore! ‘I don’t know what to do.’ ‘I’m in a rut.’ ‘I feel stuck.’ Sound familiar? If so, don’t worry, this was me, so I know how you feel. I spent so long feeling lost and not knowing what to do then I read
What else could this mean? As human being we interpret the truth as we see it to be, this can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, especially if communication is by text or email. What we do naturally is interpret the message that best fits with our understanding. If we asked the question “What else could
The New Year is here, the family time and parties are over, and for many, me included, January feels like an anti-climax following a busy and exciting December. To combat this, I have come up with some great ways to make January that little bit better. Appreciate what you have!
My guide to surviving Christmas the fun way! Christmas is approaching again and if you are anything like me you will be frantically putting together Christmas lists; who wants what, how much will it cost, when have I got time to put the tree up, when do I need to post
Unless you have been living in an area with no access to books, TV or the internet for the last five years, you will be more than familiar with the idea that positive thought promotes positive behaviour. The evidence out there is mind blowing, yet as human beings we continue to think and behave negatively.
TNTA'S apprentice George tells his story. Hello, I’m George a Digital Marketing Apprentice at The National Training Academy and I’m going to talk about my journey so far, as well as some social media tips that hopefully can help you. I started out as an 18-year-old boy who had no prior
I've left school, why do i have to learn? “I’ve left school, why do I need to learn?” is a question I get asked so many times, and my answer is always the same. We learn every day, without learning we would not engage in or experience life. Learning allows us to develop
No, you can’t take a holiday, I’m running a business! Every Small Business owner dreads those famous words ‘can I book annual leave please’. It’s hard enough running a small business without the added pressure of having staff take holidays, especially if you are very small company. Having just one person on annual leave can
Kallum Wood shares his story. Just two months ago I was driving to work and feeling a little down. I was on a zero-hour contract and being treated like a low level member of staff, which didn’t motivate me or make me feel valued. I used to dread going in to work.
Growth is PANTS! On the 11th July 2016 children were failed again. Five girls who were sexually exploited, intimidated and subjected to "appalling violence" in Coventry were at risk for too long, a review has found. There were "a number of occasions" when the girls made current or historic allegations about sexual
Business quotes to help get through the tough times Running a business is hard, it’s like a roller-coaster up with many highs and lows. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. As a small business owner you might find these top quotes helpful to keep you going through the tough times.
Top tips for budding entrepreneurs Starting a business is hard, anyone will tell you that, but what makes some businesses successful and some not even able to get past the first hurdle? If I had a pound for every time I have been asked what advice I have for new business owners, I would
Lone working – personal protection techniques If you are a lone worker, then there may be times when you are at risk. By completing a risk assessment of the activity you are undertaking is the first step, but when all else fails you may need to protect yourself. What do you do
I am not an imposter… Growing up I always had an underlying feeling that I was going to be caught out. That sounds like a really weird phrase to use and without an explanation very confusing, but what I mean if I am brutally honest is, I never recognised my skills/talents/things I was good, I
Business & Volunteering-How they mix Before I went into business I specialised in ‘Family Intervention’, working with families who had a variety of multiple and complex needs that impacted on their ability to parent. When I left employment in 2011 and became self-employed, I knew that I wanted to still be involved in something
Top tips for minute taking Minute taking is a real skill, here are six top tips for effective minute taking. Ensure that all of the essential elements are noted such as the type of meeting, name of the organisation, date and time, venue, name of the chair or facilitator and the main topics for discussion.
