A Bit Of A Boost

Much as I love the holidays I know that I'm at my best when I have routine in my life!   In today's episode I share 5 of the key areas of my life I regularly reset. Not just after a break, but any time I sense they're starting to drift away.   1) Morning routine 2) Planning 3) Training 4) Evening routine 5) Goals   You may have other areas that benefit from a bit of a reset, but the principles I s...

Welcome back to Season 3 of the A Bit Of A Boost podcast!   And what a start to season 3, as I welcome back a guest from episode 27, positive psychologist, happiness expert and all round wonderful person Vikki Barnes!   During my time off I relaxed by reading her brand new book 'Free Happiness', made many notes, and decided that I'd ask her to join me again here on the podcast for another chat abo...

A couple of weeks ago I was in the North East visiting my mum and I dropped my friend Dean Coulson a line to see if he was around for a workout.   Dean is a coach and trainer with a very similar set of beliefs to me when it comes to how to approach holistic wellbeing, and our training sessions are always peppered with fascinating conversations.   I knew Dean would make a great guest for the podcas...

One of the things that continually intrigues me is how people perform consistently at a high level. Whether it's in their work, their sport or any other area of their lives, pushing and holding themselves to higher standards seems to be a hallmark of the high performer.   My guest on today's episode is ex-professional rugby player Leon Lloyd, who now works with individuals and organisations to hel...

In today's solo podcast I get into the vast topic of exercise. With so many different approaches, is it really possible to claim one way is the 'best'? And what 'results' are we looking for anyway?   We talk about the difference between activity, exercise and training, the WHO recommendations and what they really mean, the FITTA principles of exercise, the 5 components of physical exercise, the st...

My guest on today's episode is double Paralympic gold medalist archer Danielle Brown.   After becoming disabled as a teenager, Danielle realised that even in adversity we have a choice. Choose to let the things outside your control defeat you, or choose to control your response to it.   Taking up archery on her fifteenth birthday, Danielle made the Great Britain team three years later, jumping str...

The theme of today's episode is happiness, and my guest is a man who knows a thing or two about the subject - Raj Nayak.   Raj left a high flying job in one of India's largest media networks to launch his own business driving positive change and bringing happiness to workplaces around the world.   But how do you even begin to talk about happiness when there is so much devastation in the world righ...

My guest on today's podcast is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Chris Fensom. We've known each other for a long time now and he's a real goldmine of wisdom and insights. When I was going to his classes he would regularly drop a thought bomb that would stop me in my tracks, and I wanted to see if we could capture some of that essence in today's conversation.   Typically, Chris came to the interview...

In the world of ultra endurance, one thing I've come to realise is that no matter how much you're doing or how far you're going, there's always somebody doing more or going further.   Logically then, there must be a person who is doing the most and going the furthest, and it's quite possible that this person is my guest on today's podcast, Adam Holland.   We recorded this episode on a Monday, the...

We all know that feedback is valuable. It can lead to growth, accelerated improvement and see things from different perspectives.   But it can also feel uncomfortable and we put up defences that stop us from benefitting from it.    Whether it's solicited or unsolicited, the 6 steps I talk about in today's episode will increase your chances of getting the best from what's being offered.

It's another podcast first for me today, as I welcome not just one but TWO guests to speak to! In 2019, Nigel Pattison, Steven Gregory & I completed the Frog Graham Round, a 42 mile ultra marathon in the Lake District that included swimming across 4 of the lakes.   These guys have been hugely inspirational to me both for a long time, and I gain a lot by watching their approach and attitude to what...

My guest today is a Katherine Blackler, CPO Certified Professional Organizer, a London-based decluttering expert who was the first certified professional organiser in the UK, and for the last 3 years has been president of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers. Yes, such an organisation exists and has been enjoying a period of tremendous growth over the last few years. In our...

We're returning for season 2 of A Bit Of A Boost after a short break, and I was delighted to speak to my first guest Jen Martin LLB MAaPPCP to kick things off. Jen is a Psychological Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. Through her research with business, government and sporting leaders, she specialises in vulnerability and psychological safety. In addition to her work in Ireland, Jen has spent the las...

My guest today is clinical psychotherapist Emma Reed Turrell, who I first heard being interviewed on one of my favourite podcasts, How To Fail with Elizabeth Day.   Emma was talking about her new book 'Please Yourself' - 'how to stop people-pleasing and transform the way you live'.   In our conversation today we talk about the 4 people pleasing types that Emma has identified through her clinical p...

I'm being completely self-indulgent today and dedicating this whole episode to giving myself a bit of a boost!   I have a goal for 2021 that I've been stalling at rather than starting, and need to draw a line in the sand and fully commit to doing what needs to be done.   As Jim Rohn once said, 'don't set a goal for what you will achieve but for what it will make of you in order to achieve it'. I k...

We talk a lot about energy on this podcast, whether that's physical, emotional, mental.   But my guest today works with energy in a very different way, in his role as a Pranic Healer.   I've known Mark Willis for over 15 years, and in that time I've watched him consistently apply his teachings to himself as well as his clients. It's made a dramatic difference to his life, and also to the many othe...

"Vague wishes to improve my work life balance which have been in my mind for the last 5 years, have now been clearly detailed and actioned"   This was part of a review somebody left on this podcast a few weeks ago and it really intrigued me.   How many of us have listened to a podcast, or read a book or watched a video and felt motivated or inspired to do something, but then nothing changes.   We...

This is a topic that's come up a lot lately, with many people saying that they either always or regularly struggle to switch off.   Lying in bed at night tired but wired, with thoughts from the day buzzing around your brain can really disrupt your sleep. Mulling over work problems in your mind when you're playing with the kids or socialising with your friends can take you away from the moment and...

When it comes to physical wellbeing, one of the most important habits we can try to create is around getting a good night's sleep. We all know that this is important, and I'm sure we've all experienced the fall out of a bad night's sleep, but it's easier said than done. My guest today is sleep expert and author of 'Navigating Sleeplessness', Dr. Lindsay Browning. We talk about how to improve the q...

In 2014 I wrote the book 'Beginner's Luck Guide for Non-Runners' and since then it's helped thousands of complete beginners build the confidence to go out enjoy all of the benefits of running.   In today's episode I introduce 3 practical tips that many beginner runners seem to find useful, as well as 3 mindset tips and 3 common mistakes.   It's a bit of a niche episode and if running isn't your ba...

My intention with this podcast has always been to try and give you a bit of a boost of positivity, or a boost energy, or a boost of motivation. But ultimately what I think we're all trying to achieve, is to give ourselves a bit of a boost of happiness.   My guest today is Dr Vikki Barnes, a clinical psychologist and specialist in positive psychology and the science of happiness.   Vikki delivers w...

Pat Divilly is one of Ireland's leading resilience and wellbeing coaches, a sought after corporate speaker and host of The Pat Divilly podcast. We've been friends for many years and for the last 5 have hosted the annual Momentum New Year kick off alongside Gerry Duffy.   Pat runs meditation, journaling and personal development programs, retreats, mountain expeditions, and puts on hugely popular se...

On today's episode I speak to mental health campaigner, adventurer, speaker and coach Dan Keeley. I almost met Dan recently at an event we were both speaking and was intrigued enough by the title of his talk to get in touch with him afterwards. After our initial 'virtual coffee' I knew I wanted to get him on the podcast to share his story, and also ask him a few questions about his work.   Dan had...

Most of us are familiar with the expression 'use it or lose it', but my guest today is a man who has been living by that mantra for almost a century.   I first met Garry Garretts at a Toastmasters speakers club meeting last year, which he had recently joined because he wanted to 'keep his mind active'!    In our conversation today Garry shares some of the other things he does to stay physically an...

One tool that's massively changed things for me in the last few months has been my approach to planning, which has elevated my sense of effectiveness and productivity from 40% to 80%. In today's episode I outline the different elements of my personal process and why I include them. My system may not be the perfect solution for you, but my hope is that there are a few elements you can take and expe...