The journey of Change and Growth

Let's talk about peer pressure, shall we? Not just the teenage "come on, have a ciggy behind the bike sheds" variety, but the subtle, grown-up version that's probably dictating more of your decisions than you'd care to admit. I read this book once, "Originals" by Adam Grant. Grant talks about how conformity is the enemy of originality. The moment you start fitting in, you stop standing out. There's this fascinating study that was done way back in the 1950s by a psychologist called Solomon Asch. He put people in a room and showed them lines of different lengths, then asked which lines matched. Easy peasy, right? But here's the twist, everyone else in the room was an actor instructed to give the wrong answer. And guess what happened? About 75% of participants went along with the obviously wrong answer at least once. Seventy-five percent! That's three out of four people willing to say that black is white just because everyone else is saying ...

Ever tried to quit something? Of course you have. We all have. And if you're anything like me, it usually goes something like this: Day 1: "Right, this is it. Today marks the beginning of the new me. No more arriving late." Day 2: "Still going strong! I am literally unstoppable. Should probably write a self-help book at this point." Day 3: "Well, that was a nice experiment. Back to my regularly scheduled programming." Sound familiar? Thought so. Bad habits are like that one relative who overstays their welcome at Christmas. You know the one. Shows up uninvited, eats all the food, and somehow manages to still be there when everyone else has gone home. You're not quite sure how they got so comfortable, but now you're stuck with them. That's what habits do. They make themselves at home in your life until you can't remember a time before they were there. Why Your Brain Is Actually Working Against You  Here's something that might make yo...

Change and Transformation. Two words that get tossed around like they're identical twins, but they're more like distant cousins who only see each other at awkward family reunions. I was chatting with a mate the other day who kept banging on about how he'd "changed" because he'd started a new diet. Three weeks in and he's talking like he's discovered the meaning of life because he's swapped crisps for carrot sticks. I didn't have the heart to tell him that's not exactly what the ancients meant when they talked about metamorphosis, is it? Change is a New Outfit, Transformation is a New Mirror Change is behavioural. Transformation is perceptual. And that's not just me being clever with words (though I am quite pleased with that line, to be honest). Change asks, "What am I doing differently?" Transformation asks, "Who am I becoming?" Think about it like this: change is redecorating your living room. Transformation i...

Let's talk about 90 days, shall we? Not because it's a nice round number (though it is rather satisfying), but because there's something almost magical about what happens when you commit to something for that specific period of time. Actually, no. Let me back up a bit. There's nothing magical about it at all. It's quite scientific, really. But we'll get to that. The Ancient Wisdom of Showing Up Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Classic tale, innit? The overconfident hare races ahead, takes a nap, and somehow loses to the plodding tortoise who just... kept... going. As a child, I always thought this story was rubbish. I mean, who doesn't love an underdog victory, but come on, surely the hare would wake up at some point? But now I realise old Aesop wasn't spinning yarns about talking animals for fun. He was dropping some serious truth bombs about consistency. The Bible puts it this way in Proverbs 21:5: "The plans of the diligent l...

If I hear another corporate presenter tell me to make my goals " SMART " ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound ), I might actually scream into my coffee mug. Not because it's bad advice no it's perfectly sensible, like eating enough vegetables or flossing daily. But sensible doesn't always translate to transformative, does it? It's a bit like when Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. I imagine the Israelites standing there thinking, "Right, so... don't murder, don't steal, honour your parents. Got it. But how exactly does this help me figure out my five-year career plan?" The commandments told them what to avoid, but not necessarily how to thrive. In the same way, SMART goals give us a framework but often miss the deeper "why" that makes a goal worth pursuing in the first place. When Solomon Asked for the Wrong Thing (But Actually Got It Right) Remember young King Solomon? When God basically ...

Let's take a step back in time, shall we? All the way to the beginning. Even the very first siblings in biblical history couldn't escape the comparison trap. There they were, Cain and Abel, bringing their offerings before God. The Bible tells us, "Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard." (Genesis 4:4-5, ESV) Now what does Cain do? Instead of thinking, "Hmm, maybe I need to work on the quality of my offering," he looks sideways at his brother and thinks, "This guy's making me look bad!" And we all know how that story ends. Spoiler alert: not well. The first murder in human history stemmed from comparison. That's how deep this goes, folks. The Problem with Other People's Measuring Sticks Here's the thing about measuring yourself against others, you're using the wrong measuring stick. I remember rea...

Ever had that moment where you're staring at your phone screen, zooming in on a photo to see some tiny detail, and then someone calls your name from across the room and you look up, completely disoriented by the sudden shift from micro to macro? Yeah, me too. And honestly, I think that's how most of us are living our lives. Either perpetually zoomed in or eternally zoomed out. When You're Stuck Under the Microscope The microscope people ah, I know you well because I was once one of you. The detail-oriented, perfectionist types who notice every flaw, analyse every conversation to death, and can't rest until they've sorted everything into its proper mental filing cabinet. Signs you might be living under a microscope: That tiny comment your boss made three weeks ago is still keeping you up at night You've spent more time planning your life than actually living it The imperfections in your work physically pain you You frequently use phrases like "yes,...

Let's talk about something that's often misunderstood. When I say "branding," what pops into your head? Probably corporations with their fancy logos, catchy slogans, and those adverts that somehow know exactly when you're most vulnerable to buying another appliance you don't need. But here's the thing... branding isn't just for businesses trying to sell you overpriced coffee in minimalist cups. It's actually something far more personal and potentially transformative than we give it credit for. What Even Is Personal Branding Anyway? Think about the first human "brand" if you will. Back in Genesis, God essentially gave Adam a personal brand: "caretaker of Eden." Simple job description, decent benefits package, minimal dress code. One rule to follow. And then... well, we know how that ended up. The serpent came along and essentially offered a "brand upgrade", "You will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Ge...

  I saw a friend's post the other day and it read "Spirit of Consistency possess me". It got me thinking... Isn't it funny how we beg supernatural forces to take control of us? We're all just walking around, hoping some external power will suddenly make us do the things we already know we should be doing. Like, imagine a world where instead of praying for money, people just prayed to actually use their gym memberships. "Dear Lord, possess me with the spirit of actually showing up to that spinning class I've been paying for since January." But here's the thing, consistency isn't some mystical force that randomly chooses its victims. It's more like that friend who always shows up to help you move house. Not particularly exciting, definitely not glamorous, but bloody reliable. The Unsexy Superpower Consistency is probably the least sexy of all the success principles. It doesn't make for good Instagram content, does it? No one's posti...