If you’re in the Alps and are on a “Gratwanderung”, you’re walking along a ridge. In fact, I remember going on a spectacular ridge walk many years ago.

However, when we talk about a “Gratwanderung”, we often mean a “balancing act” or a “tightrope walk”. (You can see me here balancing on a piece of wood in the nearby forest.)

Don’t we often find ourselves having to do a balancing act between work and family?

In fact, life is a series of balancing acts, don’t you think?

“To minimize procrastination, don’t try to do a difficult task all at once. Instead, start working on it only briefly and promise yourself you’ll stop in a few minutes. Simply getting started will build more momentum than you realize”
Richard Wiseman

This really works. When I decide to do a few minutes of exercise, I normally end up doing much more!

The most difficult part is getting started!

Do you use this tactic? If not, do you think it could help you to get started on that difficult task of yours?

Is the way you write different to the way you speak?

Are you still writing messages like:

As per our meeting dated … or
Please do not hesitate to contact me?

If so, why?

In this short and sweet TED Talk, educator Merve Emre wonders whether widely-used personality tests actually work.

(You can change the speed of the video, watch with subtitles and even read the transcript if you prefer!)

Do you use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or other personality tests in your business? Or have you ever taken a personality test yourself?

And what do you think of Merve Emre’s statements?

Do you often use the phrase, “I think”?

According to best-selling author, Andy Bounds, if we want to be seen as an authority or as an expert, particularly when communicating with someone important, we should remove it.

Can you hear the difference between the following two sentences?:

“I think there are four steps to coaching …”
“There are four steps to coaching …”

Let’s go and take a look at our messages and listen to our recordings. And try to remember, in future, to avoid “I think”, where we want to be seen as an expert in our industry.

 

Let’s look at the word “übermorgen”.

How would you translate, “Gestern war Sonntag und übermorgen ist Mittwoch”?

If you said, “Yesterday was Sunday, and the day after tomorrow is Wednesday”, you’re right!

And now “vorgestern”.

How would you translate, “Ich habe Deinen Brief vorgestern erhalten”?

If you said, “I received the letter the day before yesterday“, you’re right again!

Just take a moment to think about what you did the day before yesterday, and what you are doing the day after tomorrow. And form two sentences out loud.

And if you think it helps, write to me using both words. I’d love to hear from you.