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How to broaden your career options

Woman thinking about broad career options
I love a catch up with former clients to hear how they’re getting on. I had one the other day: coffee for her and a fragrant turmeric latte for me, on the shady patio of the Cherry Tree Café in Eynsham, one of my favourite meeting places a few miles west of Oxford. We caught up on...

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Setting fears to rest

Setting fears to rest: sheep whose shadow is a wolf
What phrases did you inherit that have created your ‘rules of life’? Mine include dad’s “always think positively”, mum’s “look after your things and they’ll last longer” (I still have a Sindy caravan in it’s box!), and their shared...

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Are you weighing up your work situation fairly?

A set of traditional balance weighing scales.
Are you a convert to the air-fryer yet? I was amazed to hear Jamie Oliver reveal on his latest Channel 4 programme that almost half the homes in the UK now own one. I’m tempted, but cautious.  I love cooking but with a 6′ x 9′ kitchen I have to be convinced a new gadget will...

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6 reasons to keep your CV updated

The keys C and V highlighted blue on a white keyboard as a reminder to update your CV.
Picture the scene: it’s your school reunion. 🍸 You’ve got past the awkward hellos when your brain is in overdrive trying to remember long forgotten names; you’ve done the whole ‘where do you live and with whom’ bit; and now you’re onto careers stuff. ...

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Does your annual review work for you?

Two people having an annual review conversation.
Do you have an annual review to take stock of progress and look ahead to where work is likely to take you in the next 12 months? If so, how do you feel about it? Mine have generally been positive and productive, but I know for others the prospect can induce eye rolling and even dread, so I...

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How to be more present in the moment at work

Cat focusing in the moment on the white butterfly on its nose.
Are you content to live in the here and now, or are you more future focused, always planning the next week, next month, next year even? Staying focused on what’s going on around you in the present moment is often cited as a route to better concentration, self-awareness, creativity and...

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Give the gift of appreciative feedback

Giving appreciative feedback represented by a woman opening a red gift box and releasing a shower of golden lights.
“Are you OK?” I asked, looking concerned for Clare. Usually so bubbly, she was strangely quiet and pensive.  “Not really.” she replied, a little distractedly. “Are you worried about the assessment?”  In just a few hours, we’d be demonstrating...

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What makes letting go so hard

A person letting go of something by releasing a lighted magic lantern into the twilight sky over a rippling expanse of water.
I love heels. They’re so elegant, so sophisticated, so…impractical, at least for my life, (heels down an allotment?!) which is why I rarely wear them. It’s all about the shoes Outfit choice starts with comfort and that’s determined by what’s on my...

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Is your workplace menopause friendly?

Woman holding a chalk board in front of her abdomen with menopause written on it.
How supportive of those going through the menopause is your workplace? If that’s you, you’ll know if colleagues understand when symptoms like brain fog, tiredness, joint pain and irritability impact your work. Or whether your manager is comfy discussing how you are and what would help. But if...

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Is anyone else overwhelmed by their to-do list?

Woman looking overwhelmed by her to-do list.
Are you a list maker? If you’d asked me ten years ago, I’d have said yes, definitely. I had lists of lists at times but increasingly, they don’t work for me. Why lists don’t work for me My husband motors through a list. I just get overwhelmed and fed-up. So I...

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