The All Blacks are probably the most consistently successful team in history, having dominated Rugby Union for decades, perhaps almost a century. In the professional era, they have a win rate of 86%. James Kerr is an author who was embedded with the All Blacks for 5 weeks. It's written so lyrically and with such pathos, that it's almost like poetry. He weaves powerful Maori proverbs into All Black sayings and shows how these teachings can enrich and guide us in life. Maori believe that the haka draws up tipuna, our ancestors, from the earth to the soul. It summons them to aid us in our struggle here on earth with the sound of ngunguru, the …
Getting fit for fatherhood
I’m 40 and just about to become a dad for the first time. I’m told that I need to work on my core and my lower back strength because there’s going to be a lot of lifting and a lot of bending over. I have a glass back these days so this prospect scares me a bit! After poo-pooing it for a long time, I’ve signed up to my first pilates class at my local gym. I’m expecting to be terrible at it but hoping it gives me a much stronger core. I’ve upped my speed work on the treadmills and trying to run faster instead of just steady-state 30 mins runs and I’m definitely feeling the benefits of extra lung capacity when I’m breathing in and …
4 speeches to put fire in your belly and put hairs on your chest
These speeches will make you stand a little taller, with your chin held up, with your chest puffed that bit further out. And put fire in your belly and hairs on your chest. I watch these whenever I need inspiration and some courage. Hopefully, they give you some too! Al Pacino's speech in Scent of a Woman (1992) If you haven't seen this film yet, then watch it before this humdinger of an ending speech. For a very useful transcipt of the Pacino's barnstorming speech, see this link from American Rhetoric. Arnie's 6 Rules of Success Arnie is the man. Plain and simple. Champion bodybuilder, self-made millionaire …
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How you can save money effortlessly using Monzo, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, and Moneybox
I'm not a great saver. In general, I'm a spender. But I want to become a decent saver so that that I can invest it and make a good pile of money before I retire and hopefully live well before that. Given my spending nature, for me, it's about creating systems that take out the need for willpower and that make it easy for me to spend less and save more. Monzo, Marcus, and Moneybox help me do that. Monzo Monzo is a new bank account that's mobile-only and aimed at young people. It has a cool bright pink card that when you tap it or use it, sends an instant update to your phone. So I know immediately when I buy a coffee or lunch. It …
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker – key takeaways
Why We Sleep is a ridiculously valuable book for anyone who doesn't sleep much on a consistent basis. Whether that's due to insomnia or to being a total badass who thinks that sleep is for the weak and lazy. Matthew is someone we should listen to. He's professor of of neuroscience and psychology at UCLA and before that he was a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also works as a sleep scientist at Google Life Sciences (Verily) The main takeaways from Why We Sleep Consistent sleep deprivation is really, really bad for you. By sleep deprivation, he means anything less than a solid 8 hours of sleep. Walker links …
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What does it mean to eat well?
For lots of people, eating is something to get done. For these people, food is fuel. But what if we ask the question: “What is the best that eating can do for us?” the idea that ‘food is fuel’ becomes a deprived way of looking at eating. (Pint of Huel anyone??) At its very best, food nourishes the body and nourishes the soul too. Body. At the very least, what you eat should be nourishing for the body. It should be nutrient-dense, packed full of vitamins and things that help your body function at its best. It should give you energy, help your muscles repair and help your body’s complex chemical make-up be at its …
If you were asked to introduce yourself, would you sell yourself short vs what the objective reality was?
Angelique told me about something that happened at her work. She was in a meeting where a new senior hire from the Product Team came to introduce himself to her team. Everyone in her team introduced in turn introduced themselves back to the new hire. When it got to Angelique, she said that she was a bit nervous, and stumbled a bit, and when she sat down afterwards, she was mortified. Bear in mind that Angelique is an experienced professional, with nearly seven years at her company, and is also a veteran public speaker. If it can happen to her, it can happen to all of us. It could certainly happen to me. Lots of career advice I read …