Ok, let me set the scene. Cheryl and I have four kids. Well, adults now. Ages, as of this month, give or take a month or two, are 18, 23, 25 and 30.

We're proud parents and so pleased the way our kids have matured into responsible citizens and caring individuals. We celebrate each other's differences and it's a delight to have four wonderful friends in our lives that are all unique but at the same time share so much in common.

We've always encouraged them to become independent and to choose how they make their way in life based around what work interests them and in which they feel motivated to excel in.

This post shares with you the common skills they have all developed to varying degrees and which have served each of them in their various entrepreneurial endeavors in their lives so far.

Research into Entrepreneurial Skill Development in Children

These skills are consistent with the research we've done on the subject of developing entrepreneurial skills in children. ...

In this post, you'll learn about how to use a Future Life Map when you are considering changes in your life. Change is certain in life, but making change happen is often difficult as we weigh up all the pros and cons for one alternative or another.

You'll be doing this all the time I'm sure but perhaps in a random and haphazard way rather than with order and some structure. That's where a Future Life Map comes into play.

You can use it whenever you want some clarity around the options you face and where you need to weigh up and judge your options.

The map addresses four key areas of your life.

1. Work.
2. Home/Location.
3. Partner, Family, and Friends.
4. Personal Growth.

The tool itself has space for you to write down answers to questions relevant to each of these categories. When you've finished the map you'll have a visual representation of the implications of the choice you are considering.

You can download a copy here. Print off a blank copy and then write down the key...

Cheryl was born a worrier.

Her father is a worrier.

It's easy to see how growing up as a child she's inherited or copied certain behaviours as we all do infants and toddlers. We take both the good and bad, the stronger and weaker characteristics from those around us, especially parents.

I'm on the other end of the scale. Things I should be concerned over I'm often ignoring. I've been described as soo laid back at times, that I'm almost horizontal! I do worry though, but I don't often share those concerns.

But over the years together Cheryl and I have made good use of the concept of the Circles of Influence. It's a simple approach to understanding the difference between control, influence, and concern.

I first came across the Circles of Influence when following the work of the late Stephen Covey but I'm not sure whether or not he was the first person to develop the concept or whether it's borrowed from elsewhere.

The concept divides the things we face in life into three...

There are moments in life when everything crystallizes and takes shape. In a split second, something hits you and your world of thoughts suddenly transforms. 

These are the moments when you have clarity. The penny drops and you see what you need to do next.

At least that's my experience.

I'll give you an example.

One day back in the mid-2000's I had an epiphany triggered by a stack of seven different household cleaners we had stored under our kitchen sink. There they sat. One for ceramic, glass, stainless steel, grease, vinyl, wood and fabric. A weekly clean of the house included carrying this assortment around in a plastic container along with another selection of different wipes!

Cheryl and I were going through a particularly tough time in many respects. Our relationship was at an all-time low because of the pressures we'd allowed to build up in our lives. We were so focused on getting the things right on the outside, the external picture of...

I first drafted this post at the beginning of the year. The weather was cold, wet and miserable.

I suffer a little from seasonal affective disorder, that condition of feeling blue and down due to the lack of sunlight and bright days. I find it takes the edge off my normally happy disposition and air of positivity that I generally have.

I'm not alone in this either. According to psychiatrist Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz:

It's been shown pretty clearly that as daylight decreases, starting in the fall, people will have more feelings of depression and anxiety. If they are feeling depression and anxiety they will report stress.

My wife and I are lucky. We work doing what we love and have the added benefit of running our own business and managing our own diaries to fit in with the needs of family and how we want to balance our lives.

But it hasn't always been like that.

There have been times when we've been extremely stressed out. Juggling a career, bringing up four...

If your boss has just given you a negative performance review, you may feel shocked, hurt, angry or confused. Ouch, these can be crushing and leave you feeling deflated and questioning what did you do wrong or what more could you have done?

Often times we may not agree with them and wonder how they came to conclude that our performance warranted such a harsh review.

In fact, you may even question whether or not the review is even about you!

“No one bats a thousand,” says Mitchell Marks, professor of management at San Francisco State University and president of the consultancy JoiningForces.org. “We’re human beings. And sometimes a reality check is quite valuable.” Without feedback, after all, there wouldn’t be any possibility for growth. “Always getting a glowing review means that you’re not challenging yourself,” says Sheila Heen, author of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well....