There is a lot of talking about systems thinking, and how it can help to unlock sustainable solutions.  But because of its very nature, systems thinking is difficult to grasp.  We are so used to seeking just one solution or one explanation to a problem, but nothing in life (let alone in sustainability) works like that. I find the Iceberg Model a really good initial approach to systems thinking. When for instance we are thinking of changing careers (an event), what patterns do we need to put in place to make it happen? It could be changing the way we do things, perhaps in the way we look for work, how often we do it, where we look for it etc. Underneath, we might discover that the specific actions we take (or we don't take!) are influenced by other factors, perhaps the networks we belong to, the social media platforms we use, and the systems we use. What happens if we expand our thinking to different networks, different social media structures, or different systems? And, digging deeper, what do we really believe about our quest to find work in sustainability?  That it's difficult, or that we are not knowledgeable enough, or that because we don't know enough people or we are not charismatic enough it isn't going to happen for us? How can understanding (and reframing if necessary) our deeply ingrained beliefs and values change the outcomes we want?

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

Somehow connected to the previous bit, I know how people in the sustainability/regeneration industry feel incredibly overwhelmed and overworked - especially if you are neuro-divergent, this can be a real issue. Who has time for activism? Now, this is not going to change your life but it might save you a few precious hours during the week, especially if you attend a lot of meetings and have to take lots of notes and transcribe them. How can you automate note-taking? (Thanks to my client Carrie - hi Carrie! - who asked me this question this week.) Online meetings If they are online meetings on Teams you can use the automated tool in Teams to transcribe (this is how). With Zoom, you could use the new Summary AI tool (but it's not accurate and might miss some key things), or the transcript function (this is how). Otter.ai also connects with Zoom and transcribes. Not so accurately I found, but better than nothing. Face-to-face meetings You could record the meeting on your phone. The Google Recorder app has a transcript option in it, which you can send to yourself at the end of the meeting. You can activate the voice typing function on Google Docs from your laptop (this is how) and let it type out for you during the meeting. You can try Google Lenson your phone to autodetect your handwritten notes then copy and paste the content into a Google Doc. I tried it and it works - in spite of my messy handwriting! Not to be underestimated, try to focus on the most important things and actions to be remembered (not every single detail) and just take a few important notes. Have I forgotten some tech that can help with this task?  Let me know if so and I'll share that in a future newsletter!

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

Now and then, we feel we need a change.  Perhaps we have grown out of the role we are in, or maybe we need something different because of new circumstances in our private life (parenthood, house moves, caring responsibilities, mental health...).  Sometimes, our own values do not match our employer's values, which is something we don't often think about unless we are eco-warriors who work for Shell.  Other times, we feel we are not having a big enough impact in our current role.  So, if you feel like you could do with a change, but don't know exactly where to start, I have developed this tool HERE (it's a Google Sheet, just save it in your own drive to avoid changing my master copy) to give you an opportunity to reflect upon the various aspects of your work, including your employer, if you have one, and how much you live your values at work. This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

 Since I talked about co-creation, I invite you to do a creative self-reflective exercise this week.

Create a mind-map (or even a list) of meaningful connections that energise, motivate and inspire you. What can you notice at the end of this exercise?

Anything/anyone that surprises you? 

What's next?

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

Solastalgia is a relatively new concept, coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in 2005 to indicate the grief felt when the physical world as you know it, changes. As sustainability professionals, it's hard not to feel anxious, angry, and overwhelmed by the news of yet another devastating flood and wildfire. So what can you do to overcome or at least manage solastalgia? Here are a few suggestions: From grief and anger to action. How can you contribute to a better world? Is there something practical that you can do to support the causes you believe in and channel the energy contained in your anger into something positive? If you recognise you suffer from solastalgia and that it prevents you from functioning normally, seek professional help. If it affects you, but you can still have fun and enjoy your life, try journalling and talking to people who feel like you. Getting together and brainstorming ideas to do something about it can be a great way to channel your emotions into something positive. Do not read the news every day. Yes, it feels a bit like putting your head in the sand, but feeling depressed and helpless does not help the planet. In fact, if you want to change the world and inspire others to do the same, you have to keep "active hope", working towards a better future together with other like-minded people. That means taking care of your physical and mental health focusing on what you can control, and letting go of anything you can't. Do you have any other suggestions for managing solastalgia?  I'd love to hear them.

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

If you have worked with me in the past, or followed me on LinkedIn, you'll know I'm a stubborn optimist. I work in the sustainability industry and hang on to the last bit of hope that we can change things with all my might. I can see the hope fading rapidly in sustainability professionals' eyes, but it doesn't have to be like this. Hope and positivity give new blood to your career and to your motivation. The lack of either can take you down a slippery slope... and you don't want to go there. So I always start any new coaching programme with strengths.  I ask my client to carry out a strengths test (this is free and quite accurate) to find out what are their character strengths.  These are the things that make you, you.  The abilities that are natural to you and give you energy (as opposed to depleting it), from being analytical to creative to coaching others. Focusing on what you bring to the party before looking at any gaps can give you a much stronger foundation and renewed confidence. That means being able to tackle the challenges that this industry throws at you like Popeye would. If you need any help interpreting what those strengths actually mean to you and how to apply them to your life, just reply with STRENGTHS and I'd be happy to help (for free).

 

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

You have managed to land a meeting with one of your prospective clients. You prep your team. One of them updates the slide deck with your company's achievements and services. Another one will come with you to take notes and learn. You wear your best attire and on the way to the meeting, check your client's LinkedIn profile. Ready to go, Or are you? In most meetings we attend we are reactive.  We go unprepared, or barely prepared, with the idea of talking about our company's offering and answering any questions like in the example I just shared. When we do this, we waste an opportunity to achieve a business (and sustainability) goal offered on a silver plate. Any meeting is an opportunity to establish or reinforce the relationship with your client so that they can trust you. And when they trust you, they will listen to you, and your influencing power will double. Do you want to nail your next meeting? I created an infographic which summarises the five steps to a productive meeting (whether you are a team leader or an intern!) and which you can use before your next meeting.  You can download it HERE. An important point is: Before you even start prepping for your meeting, check your attitude. Are you going there with an open and collaborative attitude and a genuine willingness to help your clients achieve their goals, or a fighting, hostile and closed attitude? This is really important to create an atmosphere of collaboration and trust - fundamental for reaching your and your client's goals.

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

With this 2023 series of guided walks in London and Hertfordshire, we want to stimulate some deep thinking and feeling about our unique role in the climate crisis, reflecting on a different theme each month, inspired by the season, in a natural setting that will reconnect you with our precious planet.

We will use coaching tools and techniques, and creativity to gently guide you through the day, reconnect and focus on how you can make a real difference in the world.

The walks will start at 10 am promptly and finish at 1 pm.

When	Where	Theme of the month	Info on the walk
23/02/2023	Hampstead Heath	Connection	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/hampstead-heath-circular-walk
23/03/2023	Battersea Park	Renewal	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/battersea-park-and-river-thames-circular
20/04/2023	Six Woods Circular, Denham	Action	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/six-woods-circular
25/05/2023	Epping Forest, Loughton, Essex	Change	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/epping-forest-circular
22/06/2022	Chess Valley from Rickmansworth	Joy	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/england/london/chess-valley-from-rickmansworth

 

What to expect from each walk?

An easy-to-moderate walk in various natural locations in London and Hertfordshire; group coaching inspired by nature and by the theme of the month; journaling and creative activities; networking.

Feel free to bring a camera or use your phone for a creative photography session.

Prior to the day, you'll receive some materials and suggestions to start your reflection, so that you can make the most out of our day together.

When planning for the week in the Productive Gorilla system, I suggest members that they should use the Eisenhower Matrix. This is a simple, yet powerful way, to decide what to work on every week, by focusing your immediate efforts only on urgent and important  tasks. Anything else can be delegated, moved to a future date or scrapped altogether.

But how do you actually decide what is important and urgent?  A quick way to do that is to ask yourself: Why am I undertaking this task?  and Will accomplishing it take me closer to my important goals? Try to ask yourself these questions while using the Eisenhower Matrix and let me know whether your productivity increases!    This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

 

You might know that your brain’s left half is primarily responsible for speech and abstract thinking (i.e. logic and language), while the right side of the brain is responsible for image processing and spatial thinking (i.e. emotions and creativity).  It looks like, when we communicate sustainability, we tend to use only our "left side" thinking, our logic and rational side which focuses on data and facts. However, there is evidence that our "right side" is a potent ally when it comes to influencing others: stories and images are memorable and impactful ways to catch someone's attention. Additionally, every brain is wired in a different way and might prefer visuals vs. written/spoken language or vice versa. How can we get the best of both worlds to ensure maximum impact? Regardless of your communication's objective, whether to explain, enlighten, engage or change your audience, you need to give space to your right-brain wisdom. A few years ago I came across these Forbes visuals which explains it all:

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

August is a month I never really liked that much. When I was a child, we would go on holidays in July, so August meant boredom lined with unpredictable summer thunderstorm weather. Now, it means summer is nearly over and I need to brace myself for jumpers and a runny nose (not my favourite).  But this year I am trying to give August another meaning, besides "the month that precedes autumn". I'm making an effort to work only in the mornings and dedicate time to exploring the local natural reserves in my area with my youngest son, soaking up the last rays of sunshine, greenery and birdsongs. Truth is, I'm not always feeling "one" with nature.  Even as an environmentalist, it's hard not to feel like a separate entity from Mother Nature - given that I spend 90% of my time away from it. This made me reflect upon this model, called Inclusion of Nature in Self.  We *know* the advantages of immersing ourselves in and feeling part of nature: it makes us feel good and happier, it helps us love it and protect it more, it regenerates us and gives us fresh ideas...  and yet, we don't do it enough. Take a good look at the model and ask yourself:  How interconnected are you with nature?  How interconnected with nature would you like to be?  What will you do to achieve this?

Source: Shultz, P. W. (2002). Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations.

August is a month I never really liked that much. When I was a child, we would go on holidays in July, so August meant boredom lined with unpredictable summer thunderstorm weather. Now, it means summer is nearly over and I need to brace myself for jumpers and a runny nose (not my favourite).  But this year I am trying to give August another meaning, besides "the month that precedes autumn". I'm making an effort to work only in the mornings and dedicate time to exploring the local natural reserves in my area with my youngest son, soaking up the last rays of sunshine, greenery and birdsongs. Truth is, I'm not always feeling "one" with nature.  Even as an environmentalist, it's hard not to feel like a separate entity from Mother Nature - given that I spend 90% of my time away from it. This made me reflect upon this model, called Inclusion of Nature in Self.  We *know* the advantages of immersing ourselves in and feeling part of nature: it makes us feel good and happier, it helps us love it and protect it more, it regenerates us and gives us fresh ideas...  and yet, we don't do it enough. Take a good look at the model and ask yourself:  How interconnected are you with nature?  How interconnected with nature would you like to be?  What will you do to achieve this?

Source: Shultz, P. W. (2002). Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations.

 

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

WTF is going on in the world right now? Honestly, between the horrible news coming from Gaza and Ukraine, the latest on the climate crisis (recent floods happened in Italy shows how close to home this is now) and the general negative vibe surrounding us... add the day-to-day commitments we all have to deal with, and I personally feel my mental health is put to the test now more than ever. So, if you feel like me, what can you do? How can you build some resilience so that you keep overwhelm, anxiety and other negative feelings at bay?

1. Just hit that PAUSE button. Take that nap. Have an early night. Take the afternoon off work if you can, and do something else, like: Taking a walk in the crisp autumn daylight, watching a movie, drinking a hot chocolate while reading a light novel. Stop doom scrolling (aka scrolling social media feeds for hours on end). Visit an art gallery. Observe the birds at a local park. Take pictures. Sit down and sketch people passing by. Spot beauty and notice it. There is abundant beauty and stillness around you, you just need to capture it. And once you do, you get down from the hamster wheel for a moment and breathe. You manage to, even if only briefly, expand your life and consciousness and perhaps you are able to see things from a different perspective.

2. Try this great little tool that helps build up resilience. It's called the Four "S" of Resilience. To develop your resilience, sit down with pen and paper and brainstorm the following: SUPPORT:  Who/what can you depend on at a time of crisis?  My suggestion would be to try and choose healthy options here. As much as a bottle of Chianti sounds appealing to take the edge off times of stress, it might not be the healthiest supporting tool in the long run. STRATEGIES:  What strategies can you put in place or do you already use to keep you going?  Ditto as above. Think about healthy strategies that have worked in the past at a difficult time that can work again.  Things like regular exercise, a nutritious diet, talking to a trusted friend, putting in place a routine or an accountability buddy to keep you focused on your goals. Taking a mental health day. SAGACITY (i.e. Wisdom and Insight):  Do you have a favourite phrase that feels supportive when you are overwhelmed?  Sometimes I use "Just Do It" (Nike's words, not mine) when I don't feel motivated but I must do something, or "This Too Shall Pass" if I'm going through a bad patch. Seeing things as temporary can help enormously.   Sometimes I try and find the funny side of things. SOLUTION-SEEKING:  What behaviours do you show that can help?  You might want to brainstorm ten possible solutions to the issue you are facing. Seek the help of a coach. Talk to your boss or to your team to address any underlining tensions. Look at the learnings and the silver lining of a crappy situation.  Keep your positive problem-solver hat on and see what options do you have to address the issues.

3. Techniques to lower your stress levels and anxiety. At trying times, we need to find ways not to spiral into chaos and despair.  Here are some mindset shifts and techniques you can consider to reframe the situation.  I suggest you journal the ideas that you find most helpful, or just take yourself on an outdoor walk and ponder them.   THE CIRCLE OF CONTROL I spoke about this in a previous edition of the newsletter, but it's worth repeating. Think about what you can control and change if needed in your current situation: mainly, your thoughts and your actions. There will be things you can influence: your feelings, which are a consequence of your thoughts; your body; and other people's thinking and behaviour. Everything else is outside your sphere of control or influence. Realising this can help make peace with the fact that there is much we cannot do - and getting anxious about it won't change things. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY Bathing in negativity will not help the way you feel, and your energy levels, making it even more difficult to take positive action.  Take a break at least once a week and surround yourself with people and places you love, and positive news (for instance, take a look at this, aptly named, Positive News magazine). If you can, avoid the toxicity and aggressiveness of some social media platforms altogether. LEARN TO BREATHE Any breathing exercise is good for you, but one is proven to reduce anxiety instantly and calm your nervous system.  It's easy to learn, free and always available to you: the physiological sigh. Listen to Dr Humberman's explanation and instructions:

 

 This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

If you are a bit like me, you try and fill your time to the brim and use all your energies on the projects you care about.

There is always something you can do to move your projects forward, even those 15-minute waiting times at the doctor's. You could check your emails, reply to a work message, post something on LinkedIn.

You feel you have to be at your absolute best 100% of the time.

This week I read an article in which actor Hugh Jackman advocates for putting 85% of effort into your endeavours.

"What?! Only that?? And what do I do with the other 15%??

What a slacker!" you might say.

But actually, Hugh has a point (not only a pretty face, eh!).

If you manage to slow down and put just enough effort into achieving your priority goals, without spending every drop of your energy juices, you'll be able to maintain the momentum for longer.

It's like the difference between a sprint and a marathon, literally. 

You put 100% of your power in a 100-metre run, or you pace yourself for a 42 km one. 

You can go much further. And spend some of your leftover energies on your friends, family, hobbies... stuff that can make you happy.

So, a little bit of self-awareness here. 

Are you pushing yourself like you are in a sprint run (but still want to cover a marathon length), or are you pacing yourself?

What do you need to do to change that?

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

If you are reading this newsletter, you are probably a self-declared eco-warrior. You want the world to be a better place for future generations.  However, like many people I work with in my coaching, you might struggle to combine your passions and values and making ends meet. I talk A LOT about Ikigai ("reason to live" in Japanese) because it encompasses the ideal way we can all live and work and find true fulfilment. However, I realised that one thing is talking about it, one thing is actually exploring the options Ikigai offers you.  So, my invitation to you this week is to grab pen and paper (or this template I drew for you, just because I love you) and start mind-mapping:  What are you good at?  What do you love doing?  What does the world need?  What can you be paid for? Once you finish, make any connection that is meaningful to you. Then ask yourself: What have I learned? What will I do next?   This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

So we have been talking about your brain, and the left/right functions... The question now is: How much space do you give to your left brain, and how much to your right brain? Do you ever give a voice to your silent right brain? Do you live just in your head, constantly preoccupied to quickly hit your to-do list, or do you spend some time every day doing time-suspending activities that feed your emotional, creative, more intuitive side?

 

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

With the risk of sounding like my grandma when she was still alive, I am going to tell you: the world didn't use to be like this.  I'm a 70s baby, and I can still remember the long summer holidays, visiting the north of Italy by train. Sometimes, we would be on a train for 24 hours at a time. We were never really bored. We had comics, books and a couple of toys. Now we are fidgety, bombarded by lots of super-interesting stimuli, chronically distracted and impatient, always accelerating and filling our schedule to the brim. And if this made us happier than we were back then, I would keep my mouth shut. But I can see it's making us absolutely miserable.  We are often too busy and unproductive. So what about changing a bit the way we do things, and start choosing what we do and focus on - instead of letting it happen to us? How about living led by our purpose, so that our purpose gives us the priorities we need to focus on and, by executing those, we are more productive?  PURPOSE ➡️ PRIORITY ➡️ PRODUCTIVITY   So, what is your purpose? what do you live by?  I tell you something: if this resonates with you and you want some accountability, just reply and tell me what are you going to live by, and I'll be your accountability buddy! (Inspired by The One Thing by Gary Keller)

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

If you have been following me for a while, you might remember that I posted a couple of times in the last year or so about feelings of burnout.

Of course, being locked in at home with two kids to homeschool, not seeing family and all the trimmings that COVID has kindly cooked for us, surely didn’t help.

But I also realized that I have spent an enormous amount of time in the social media rabbit hole, desperately trying to pacify and feed my dissatisfied self. I also know that I overloaded my plate with lots of wonderful ideas and an impossible ideal of what a true entrepreneur should be: someone who is dedicated 100% to work while juggling family life and a shadow of social life.

At times of stress and lack of routine, what I needed was quite the opposite. I needed to prioritise. To stop and take an inventory of what was worth keeping and what wasn’t. To say “no” more often. You know the drill. I can just hear all my coachees shouting in unison: “Are you kidding me? You are not doing what you preach?!”

Sadly true. Often, in the last couple of years, I haven’t prioritized my own wellbeing, and I think my work has at times suffered as a consequence.

Why? Because I have taken the easy route.

I recently read 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, however, and I was prompted to reflect upon where in my life I was pursuing comfort when what’s called for was a little discomfort.

Growing, expanding, doing things differently (that includes striving for a more sustainable life) is painful. It takes courage and cannot be done on autopilot.

Scrolling on social media is easy. Posting pretty pictures on Instagram is easy and a good substitute for not looking in-depth at your life and pretending everything is shiny. Watching YouTube videos on how to do the splits is easier than doing the splits, or writing the book I have in mind.

Now that I also have a day job lecturing, I need to make some tough choices.

My number one choice this year is to take it slow.

Yesterday I read an article by Cal Newport talking about slow productivity, and it resonated immensely.

We are constantly distracted, trying to work longer hours, and most crucially, cramming more tasks on our plate every day as if we have an infinite amount of time available. We don’t.

No wonder most knowledge workers (and I’ll put myself in that category) feel burnout most of the time – recent McKinsey research found.

Coincidentally, I’ve been reading Deep Work, also by Cal Newport, and it seems pretty obvious that the best work in terms of quality but also quantity is produced not when we multitask and interrupt our flow with endless pings and social media/email interferences, but when we dive deep into a single task for a decent, uninterrupted period of time.

In the last few months, I also came across a wonderful initiative, Flown, which confirmed for me this theory: imagine sitting in your university library to finish an assignment. Other people around you are doing the same. Nobody dares talk unless it’s for an emergency. Flown is a virtual Zoom room with lots of people doing their own work uninterrupted together to get the same, deep work results; a simple and powerful way to concentrate for good chunks of time and do your best work.

My deeper motivation to change came also from a vague feeling of discontent with my work, a feeling that I was never at the top of my game or my tasks.

Then I read 4000 Weeks, and the deep motivation I needed to make a change popped all of a sudden in front of my eyes (spoiler alert: we only have an average of 4000 weeks to live. Shocking right?! I’m well beyond halfway through… do I still want to watch people breaking watermelons with their heads on Facebook?!).

So, this is what I’ve done in my personal life:

• I started doing yoga every single morning. Sounds cliche, right?! I’m not a yogi, but gentle breathing and exercise combined put me in a frame of mind of calmness and presence that I haven’t experienced quite so deeply before – in fact, I think I’m a better person to have around since starting this habit in mid-November;
• I am writing three ‘morning pages’ every morning: getting out on paper all the crap my mind likes to entertain and making space for the important stuff is the best – and cheapest – form of therapy ever. In fact, this is part of “the Artist Way” course by Julia Cameron. Not just for artists – highly recommended.
• I’m making space for fun “just because” activities: drawing, taking photos that I don’t post anywhere, cooking, baking, dancing to cheesy 1990 disco music.
• I am unsubscribing from ALL newsletters – apologies if I have unsubscribed from yours too. In time, I will resubscribe to the ones that I have time to read and that give me real value.
• I’m taking a step back from social media. I’ll just keep an active – albeit scaled back - LinkedIn and YouTube presence. Quality over quantity.
• I’m embarking on a year of buying nothing new (inspired by Jen Gale).

Now to the work changes:

In 2022 I’m focusing mainly on my university work – I want to give it a really good shot and expand my sustainability impact that way.

I’m not abandoning Green Gorilla at all. But I’m focusing my work on a few, selected activities:

• I decided to revamp our newsletter and send one high-value, free newsletter on a specific sustainability / soft skill / behavioural change theme every month to my mailing list, with some quality content – sometimes written, sometimes audio, sometimes video. I want to have fun with it and research it and deliver it properly, not providing a half-baked thing. Interested? Here is the link to sign up: bit.ly/gorillanews ;
• Coaching only a few people a month (up to 6 – no more, as it is fairly intense work which I love, and want to do well and be fully present for). If you are interested, I still have some capacity for the next six months. You can book a free chat to discuss whether this is something for you here;
• I will host only one “boot camp” for sustainability professionals possibly in June or July, possibly on how to sell and communicate sustainability – details to follow - this might inform the book I want to write on this specific subject;
• I will host only one “boot camp” for graduates possibly in October on how to start a career in sustainability and increase your chances to get a job in this field – details to follow;
• I will still accept keynote speaking, and bespoke training and coaching corporate engagements, if I have the capacity for them. I can deliver a few “lunch and learns” for companies: here is the link to more info;
• I will deliver a couple of Empower Sustainability Team programmes – if interested, get in touch;
• You can still buy all the wonderful Green Gorilla eLearning courses, which you can take in your own time on demand, on our learn.thegreengorilla.co.uk platform, or a copy of SustainABLE if you wish.

 And that’s it.

The only new year resolution for me is to follow Oliver Burkeman’s and Cal Newport’s suggestions to “serialise” my tasks, i.e., concentrate on one thing at the time, and move to the next when I’m finished with that, making sure I deliver it to the highest standard by focusing on it 100%.

In the process, I’ll decide in advance what I’ll fail at while focusing on the important things – say, keeping up with the Kardashians?!

So, are you joining me for a slower, more intentional 2022?

You know I'm always looking for the next productivity hack... and I am surprised I recently found one I didn't come across before.

The book The 12-Week Year teaches you how to be more productive in 12 weeks than others are in 12 months.

It's a deceptively simple mind-shift to go from hairy yearly goals to achievable and predictable 12-week goals. 

Yearly goals are usually not actioned until the bottom end of a year, or just started but never finished because the roadmap is too long and vague.

But if you think of every week as a month, you know every single day counts. 

So you pick the must-do major actions and tactics that can get you to amazing results to reach your goals and focus on those each week.

It takes a bit of planning, but once that's done, there is no more guesswork. 

You are a rocket fuelled by motivation and quick results.

Try it and see where that takes you!

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/

Life in general has been fairly uncontrollable in the last three years, you will agree with me. Sometimes our own life feels like a trap, and it doesn't help that we are witnessing the world being flooded, burned and deforested in front of our very eyes. However, in the name of stubborn optimism, and the amazing work you do as a change-maker and thought leader, you need to refocus. What are you actually in control of?  Because there is a lot more that you can do if you feel empowered and strong. Look at the picture below and ask yourself: Who and what can I control? Who and what can I influence? What can I do about the rest? You'll get to the conclusion that there is in fact a lot you can control in YOU (thoughts, actions, behaviours, beliefs...).  You can influence (but not control) others and situations around you.  And there is a lot you can't do anything about. I invite you to journal the three questions and put together a plan of action for the future as a function of that.

This article was originally written for the Green Gorilla weekly newsletter. If you liked it, subscribe to receive more articles like this and learn how to communicate sustainability better, how to be more productive without selling your soul to the work devil, and how to make an impact in the world. Here is the link: https://newsletter.thegreengorilla.co.uk/