Just a quick message from me to tell you about an exciting new venture coming to the blog! Following a number of direct messages and requests from fellow CIPD students, I will be doing a series of videos to answer your burning questions in relation to all things relating to those essential CIPD qualifications.
“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting upon our experiences”
John Dewey
What a month July has been! We’ve seen plenty of sunshine and despite the soaring temperatures, I am continuing to focus upon my development both in my personal and professional life.
Sometimes it is easy to give advice rather than taking your own, and often I don’t reflect as much as I feel I should. So after reflecting on all of my goings on over the past month, it has really helped me to hit the refresh button as I begin to prepare for my CIPD exam in September so August is already looking pretty hectic but I now realise that saying no can sometimes be a good thing!
Reflection is not about beating yourself up or being overly critical, it is about identifying how we can improve things. If we remain static, we are not learning anything and those vital experiences can get lost amongst the busyness of our daily lives, so after a rocky few months, I am finally feeling much more focused and keen to improve in all areas of my life.
“Being a father means you have to think fast on your feet. You must be judicious, wise, brave, tender, and willing to put on a frilly hat and sit down to a pretend tea party.”
Matthew Buckley, Fatherhood: The Manliest Profession
The debate around parental leave is one that seems to be ongoing and in light of the latest British Social Attitudes survey, the results demonstrate that despite being in 2019, that there is still a strong view towards mothers taking the lead on parental leave.
Despite the shifting dynamics of UK households, a time where women have a focus upon their career and are quickly becoming the main source of income within thousands of households, it begs the question; what can we do to change the view on fathers taking time out to bring up their children equally with mothers?
“Life truly begins after you have put your house in order”
Marie Kondo
Can you believe that it is July already? It only seems like yesterday that we were seeing in the new year with fresh eyes and setting those all important goals for the year. As we are now over halfway through the year, we often have lost sight of those aims and resolutions, and whilst we’ve generally been busy bees, it feels like we’re getting nowhere fast, sound familiar?
In this short post, I’m sharing with you that I am feeling like I’ve lost my focus a little, I’ve made no secret that times have been a little tough lately, but I’m finally starting to see more clearly so I can focus on what is important, one step at a time.
So here are a few things that may help you stop procrastinating and start doing!
“We all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is”
Michelle Obama
Do you ever feel like a fraud? Are you ever overcome with feelings of doubt in respect of your capabilities at work? If so, then you could be one of the thousands of people who experience imposter syndrome.
I have just finished reading Michelle Obama’s book for the second time and this particular subject, whilst it certainly isn’t new, is one that so many overlook and it can be a really confidence knock. It was a part of her book that really resonated with me, many times in my career I have experienced not being taken seriously, that led me to think that there is a problem with how I present myself to others.