I was asked to share my experience of volunteering as a mentor for The Albert Kennedy Trust with some employees of a bank recently. I wasn't sure where to begin so I found myself sharing the story of how I got into volunteering. As it's Volunteers week I thought I'd share my journey with you here, why I started and how helping others helps me.

I've set myself a goal to read one self-development book per month.This month I’ve been reading Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman

This book has been sat unread in my office for years. Literally years, I can’t even remember how many. All I can say is that the topic was fairly new when I was given it and I guess it wasn’t top of my reading list. Now that I’ve read it I’m wondering how I’ve lived my life without the information contained within it.

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 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** By Mark Manson

It took less than 5 minutes for my tweet to be rubbished by a male associate of mine. My idea wasn’t perfect but it obviously had merit, so why point out small and irrelevant downsides when the overall suggestion was helpful? Why had this guy been so mean about it?  A few days later I listened to a fantastic podcast about the linguistic rituals men and women use in the workplace. It made me think. Perhaps my Twitter friend hadn't been so mean after all!

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 Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions By Dan Ariely

Relationships, public speaking, performing a song for Simon Cowell. All things you should put as much of yourself as you can into. A lion's den, a pair of hotpants 2 sizes too small and difficult conversations-all things you absolutely take yourself out of. I don’t mean don’t have difficult conversations but, as far as possible, we should take ourselves out of them.

Throughout last week I was asking for your thoughts on meetings on social meeting. Having spent the week delving into the good, the bad and the just plain infuriating, I thought I’d share what I learnt.

The first thing I discovered is that pretty much everyone knows what good practice looks like in a meeting and absolutely everyone knows what makes a bad meeting. So, if we know what makes a meeting run like clockwork and what drives our colleagues crazy, why don’t we actually do all the good stuff?

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 want to share something with you I came across a couple of years ago but I wish I’d discovered sooner.  It’s an idea that comes from economics but one that also applies to the investment of emotional and mental resources too.

Have you ever noticed that when you are doing something you love, no matter how physically demanding it is, you often feel like you could keep it up all day? Yet, when you are doing something mind-numbingly dull you find it tiring to the point where you could very easily fall asleep?

Why is this and how can we find ways to get more of that energised feeling?

Have you set some goals for the new year?  80% of New Years Resolutions fail by the second week of February. Here's 5 things you can do to increase your success rate in 2018.

It was the best of years it was the worst of years. No I'm not attempting some awful reboot of Charles Dickens (what's with the reboot trend anyway?)  It’s a description of my 2017. It's featured the lowest lows and also the highest highs life can bestow upon a person. Perhaps that's why I pre-ordered Derren Brown's Happy: Why Everything Is More or Less Absolutely Fine. 

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.

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. 

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. 

Modern technology is a wonderful thing when it works for us. However, when we become a slave to technology it can kill your productivity and cause you to lose hours each day.

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.

We all like to be smug. Who doesn't like the feeling of proving ourselves right and proving others wrong? It's a great feeling. Or at least it should be. 

I'm always amazed at how some people are so pleased to prove themselves right even when it means sabotaging themselves.