Over a decade ago, an article titled “festive medical myths” was published in the British Medical Journal. It listed misconceptions such as “you can cure a hangover”, “sugar causes hyperactivity in children” and also “suicides increase over the holidays”. Two decades earlier, a unique study over a 7 year period…

Think about some of the best moments or opportunities of your life or career: chances are there was an element of spontaneity and surprise. Perhaps it seemed like a problem to start with, then turned into a great opportunity. This week I came home and found a copy of the…

This question came up on the last webinar as well as on a leadership training I did for a group of bright dentists specialising in population health with Health Education England. The question of “getting more qualifications” also comes up quite often in one form or another in initial coaching…

November 1st, 1954 — Northern Algeria: Midnight: A gunshot is heard, followed by a series of attacks on military barracks. The Algerian war of independence has begun. Shortly after, a growing number of French civilians are conscripted into the army to “maintain order” in the French territory of Algeria. Eventually…

Coaching case study: A bright young medical student comes to see you. He wants career advice because he’s in turmoil. He’s not sure he wants to complete his degree or become a doctor. He originally wanted to become a priest but his father encouraged him to enrol in medical school…

This month, I was invited by an engagement and equity initiative of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California to give a webinar on career transformation. Of the respondents to a pre-webinar survey, only 10% had experienced coaching and 55% had contemplated changing career. A study by Harvard University, the…

OK, it’s a long one. A lifetime’s worth of exploration in a page. The first time I met a psychotic patient, I was a medical student. He’d been diagnosed years before and was in hospital after a relapse. With the risk of suicide and violence looming, he was admitted…

Approximately 100% of people I speak to are short on time. Work, business, partner, kids, health, friends, family, hobbies, travel, volunteering, etc. Most people think they just have to do better at managing their time. The truth is: there’s no such thing as time management. It’s choice management. Also known…

Can you be happy while chasing goals? It’s part of the high achiever paradox. I had a social conversation last week with the head of innovation of a company specialised in machine learning. He’d switched from being a big bank quantitative analyst not long ago. He felt he’d finally found…