August Newsletter
Tim Brown Business Coach London
Business Growth ? Team Performance ? Exit Strategy ? ValueBuilder Coach ? DiSC Trainer
Welcome to my August Newsletter
Your go-to place for proven ideas, challenging insights and anything in between that could add value to your day. Enjoy the read and let me know what you think.
Can You (Actually) Develop a Positive Mindset?
If you spend any time on social media browsing your newsfeed, you’ll come across your fair share of posts about having a positive mindset.
These tend to fall into one of two categories:
Please don’t get me wrong – I’m not being critical of these. Very often I’ll come across a quote or someone’s ‘take’ on this, and it adds a little something to my day, which is great in its own right.
But as an ‘over-thinker’, I found myself realising they were very much focussed on the ‘Why’ and the ‘What’ – and not so much on the ‘How’.
If we only consume posts that are focussed on the ‘Why’ – the danger is that ‘having a positive mindset’ becomes like those New Years fitness resolutions.?
Join me in this exploration of the 'how' behind a positive mindset. Let's move beyond the surface-level narratives and embark on a journey of intentional actions, self-discovery, and lasting transformation. Remember, this is not about instant fixes or unattainable perfection – it's about crafting a resilient mindset that thrives amid life's ebb and flow.
Book Review: The Headspace Guide to Meditation & Mindfulness by Andy Puddicombe
This was the booked that helped me understand the point of meditation – which as I see it, is to achieve a higher degree of mindfulness. I.e. being more aware of and then more in control of the thoughts that buzz around our brains, in order to be more ‘present’ in the here and now.
Andy’s skill is to make a subject that is steeped in myths and mystery, accessible for the everyday person to use - everyday.
After reading this I tried an introductory course for 3 months – coming from the perspective of being curious and open-minded whilst not necessarily convinced.
What I noticed - without doubt - were 2 main things.?
Firstly, I was way less distracted which enabled to me to work on projects and get more done in less time.
Secondly, and very markedly, I experienced a big increase in the number of innovative ideas that popped into my head – both for my own business and for my clients.
Like any good habit that only yields benefits after consistent application, it’s easier said than done. But that actually only underpinned the usefulness of the practice. I could notice the difference after a period of doing it – and after a period of not doing it.
Now it’s just part of my routine.
领英推荐
Have a read and let me know how you get on.
If you want to read more and are struggling to get round to it - or aren’t sure what to read, check out our monthly Business BookClub. We meet on zoom on the last Weds of the month from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.
This month (Weds 30th Aug, 5:30pm to 6:30pm) we're reviewing ‘Happy Money’ by Ken Honda.
GrowthCLUB Online
Are you in need of some strategic clarity in your business?
According to a survey by Barclays Bank, less than half of the UK’s SME owners have a business plan – and half of those never see the light of day.
I suspect this is because most business plans are designed purely to support a request for funding. Which is why they are reassuringly long, with lots of impressive extrapolations and way too much ‘why’ and ‘what’ – and nowhere near enough ‘how’, Which in turn is why they end up in a drawer / bin as soon as that finding has been secured.
But: business planning is hugely valuable.
Making time to stop, think and learn. Identifying the logical next steps – and what ‘best practice’ looks like for those steps.
Bringing the team together and identifying when it’s time to celebrate – or if things aren’t going quite so great, to trigger the process of displacing anxiety with (the correct) activity.
This isn’t something to do if you have the time and budget.
It’s the thing to do if you want to make the time and budget.
Our next award-winning quarterly business strategy session is in June and comes in 3 parts:
The Business Excellence Podcast
In the latest episode (released Thurs 17th Aug) we interview Jasmine Birtles, founder of MoneyMagpie.com and TV financial expert - who you might know as the Daily Mail’s columnist, Miss Moneysaver.?
The aim of the podcast is to be as valuable as possible to business owners and every week we’ll be bringing you interviews with thought leaders in sales, marketing, mindset, finance, valuations – whatever you tell us you need.
Thanks for sharing!