I've set myself a goal to blog about the books I read. I will extract wisdom from the best business and personal development books I've read and share it with you.

This time around I’m reading Maybe You Should Give Up by Byron Morrison

I've set myself a goal to blog the books I read. I will extract wisdom from the best business and personal development books I've read and share it with you.

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness Author: Morgan Housel

I've set myself a goal to read one self-development book per month. To make sure I really reflect on what I'm reading I'm going to extract the wisdom from the best business and personal development books and share it with you.

This month I’ve been reading Rich Dad Poor Dad: Robert Kiyosaki

A few years ago I came up with my 6-week theory.

It goes like this:

Whenever you start a new activity, stick at it for at least 6 weeks.

That's it-no quitting before week 6.

A man came to see me recently because he's not happy with his body.

He's so desperate he wants to do whatever will get the weight off quickly. When someone is in this state I know they aren't very open to taking a long term view. They make a choice which relieves the 'eurghhh' feeling but this is rarely a choice that feels good or is right for them in the medium or long term. My prediction is that unless he sees weight come off and can get into a state where he is thinking more clearly, he will give up before he even gets going. Most people do this. 

Being self-employed I was naturally drawn to this book when I saw it.  Of course, I’d like to monetise my expertise and build a solid business creating my own products but is it really as achievable as we are led to believe? The internet is awash with people showing you how to build a business online, most of whom I’m more than a little suspicious of, so it was nice to pick up a practical book from a reputable authority on the subject. Perhaps it can be done after all….

I've never been one to admit "I'm struggling". I don't like to bother people or bring them down with my woes and no one likes a moaner. I've never had much time for Jeremy Kyle 'guests' who air their dirty laundry in public either. In fact, I admit I've been quite judgemental about them. However, I have come to learn that both professionally and personally, talking about your problems with people is actually a bloody good idea.  

I pay people to make me uncomfortable –and I love it. 

No it's not a wierd sex thing.

Ever found yourself slowly slipping into bad habits?

Here are 5 warning signs that you are veering off course and how to spot them.

Ever done this? You've set out to achieve something, you take action and slowly you start to see some progress unfold but then you get stuck and you can't seem to break through and finally crack it? 

When you find yourself in this situation it might be time to pause and reflect. Here are five questions to ask yourself when you get stuck. 

Have you ever felt snowed under because of the commitments you have to other people? If you have then you may be training them to depend on you either practically or emotionally. Even worse your act of kindness might not be as kind as you think.

Fitspo' quotes. Do you love them or hate them? 

I love seeing quotes and memes on social media. Mostly on weight loss or fitness pages. I'm intrigued to see if I can tell what a person's motivations are. I think a lot of people post these quotes and memes to show how positive they are but they probably aren't aware that they are revealing more negativity than they realise. 

I've been doing a lot of research into procrastination recently for an online course I've written on productivity.  I uncovered loads of loads of great tips and 'hacks' for overcoming procrastination. Lots of cunning methods of tricking yourself into greater productivity but none of the dozens and dozens them of the articles or books I read addressed the cause of procrastination. 

Last week England limped out of the Euro 2016 with an abysmal performance, prompting Roy Hodgson to deliver his resignation speech to the waiting press conference. Not a surprise. But what did surprise many commentators was the speed at which his resignation speech was put together. Did he have his resignation in mind before the match even kicked off? What difference would it make if he did?  

Working from home sounds like the ideal gig but the reality can be anything but. Some people take to it like a duck to water but for others, loneliness can creep in and before you know it you can be overcome with feelings of isolation. Why does this happen and more importantly how can you overcome it?  

Ever wished you had an owners manual for your mind? In this blog I give an overview of the 'prime directives of the unconscious mind'. Any material on behavioural change will feature frequent references to the unconscious mind. There's a good reason for that. All change, learning and behaviour is performed in the Unconscious Mind. But what does the unconscious mind actually do and why does it cause us to think and do all sorts of random and seemingly self-defeating stuff? 

Ever described yourself as being in two minds about something? Have you ever stopped to wonder if there's some meaning to that? 

In this blog I explore the difference between two types of thought, or processing, our minds use and the importance of appreciating the role each is designed to play. If you often experience a conflict between what you feel you should do and what you actually want to do, it might be helpful to ask "Am I using the best part of my brain to solve the problem?"