This week, in the first in a new series, I speak about how taking an extended sabbatical wasn’t enough. Yes, I need physical rest, but burnout is not the same as tiredness. I share how overthinking was the root cause of my exhaustion and how I learned that you cannot skip any of the of stages of change, including that sense of feeling lost. I also speak about how our lives transform when we are courageous enough to bring our values front and centre. I close  with some reflections on the spirit of adventure, something we all crave deep down.

If, like me, you don’t buy into the ‘New Year, New You’ hype, then this is the episode for you. I believe that we are all perfectly ourselves whilst still works in progress. So in this special episode at the start of 2023, I share the questions that I reflect upon at this time of year including – What have I been resisting? How can I nourish my soul? How can I exercise my creativity? In 2023, let’s focus on the inner work and allow our ‘doing’ to be a natural bi-product of our well-being.

In this special episode, I share my thoughts on what makes Christmas meaningful as well as some self-care tips for this time of year. At the heart of this episode I share 18 self-reflection questions, a great way to close out the year. These are ideal to ponder curled up with a journal and a cuppa, or to discuss with a friend or family member. Wishing you all a wonderful and wonder-filled Christmas.

This week, I’m delighted to be joined by international speaker and author Gerry Duffy. In the past 12 years Gerry has delivered over 2,000 presentations at conferences and workshops in Ireland and overseas. His sporting CV has seen him complete many extreme endurance challenges, including running 32 marathons on 32 consecutive days. He is an expert on corporate performance, effective leadership, goal-setting and presentation skills. We kick off our chat discussing how Gerry went from having a pathological fear of public speaking to his work as a professional speaker. Our conversation soon goes deeper as we explore the broader topics of performance, growth and fulfilment. Gerry is very generous with his tips and insights. It was a fantastic conversation and a great way to close this current series of episodes.

This week, I’m celebrating the launch of my new book Words to Inspire. As it says on the back over – ‘this book serves as a calming reminder of the resilience, wisdom and courage that we possess when we slow down.’ Words to Inspire comprises over 60 short chapters on themes that have become part of modern day living. From feeling stuck to coping with change, dealing with challenging people and learning how to be less tough on ourselves. As well as sharing some extracts from Words to Inspire, I also speak about what goes into the process of creating a book. Check out Words to Inspire on my website www.jamessweetman.com

Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. It’s not about being someone other than who you are, it’s a mechanism by which you can leverage your authentic self. Personal branding is relevant when attending an interview, delivering a presentation, and is also important from a career development perspective, and of course if you run your own business. This week I look at factors that impact our brand, how it ties in with the customer service theory of ‘moments of truth’ and I also share reflection questions that will help you take ownership of your personal brand.

If we are honest, most of us would like to feel more self-confident in at least some situations. It might be at an interview, delivering a presentation, attending a big meeting, or just trying something new. Over the years I’ve gathered many confidence boosting strategies and this week I’m sharing 10 of these tried and tested tips and distinctions.

When we’ve been through challenging times, it’s natural that our confidence levels will take a hit. So this week’s episode is all about rebuilding our self-confidence by harnessing techniques that engage our mind, body and spirit. 

This week I’m revisiting the broad topic of leadership focussing in particular on the qualities and mindset a modern leader must possess to be effective in their role. As I often say, today’s leaders have to be equal parts accountant, visionary, counsellor and coach, so how do we balance these seemingly diverse roles? I look at how to navigate the path between the rational mind and empathetic heart, the hard realities of the balance sheet and people engagement. In these days of authentic leadership and where we wish to bring our whole or best selves to work, I also look at how effective leadership also means coaching others around what aspects of their best self is best left at home.