Happy Mondays

Leading life and happiness coach

IF YOU were to put on a white T- shirt and write across it your mindset, state or situation what would it say? “It’s complicated”, “I’m too busy” or “Are we there yet?”

Would you write the word “victim” on yours? It wouldn’t be a great admission but international speaker, coach and bestselling author Paul Magee says we have become hostages of our habits, thinking and our own lives and a victim mindset is the result of our dissatisfaction.

I love this guy’s simple, no- nonsense take on personal development and his book SUMO – Shut Up And Move On – is celebrating its 10th anniversary of straight- talking common sense. “We should say that leadership begins with me,” says the Mancunian maestro of the mind who boasts Manchester City FC as his biggest client.

“I like to tell it like it is, just practical tips to help people reach their potential and not to hide behind blame and excuses,” he says.

Having read countless personal development books I would say Paul has the genius edge of simplifying complex psychological concepts and putting them into punchy, memorable coaching tips for everyday situations. Such as his simple equation E+ R= O. Event plus Response equals Outcome.

You choose your reactions to any given event and you will create the outcome. He gives equally simple brain- trainers via chapters such as Ditch Doris Day and “que sera sera” – what will be will be – thinking. This is powerless, fatalistic thinking. Sorry Doris.

He urges us to “Learn Latin” and practice carpe diem by getting over procrastination, emotional barriers and getting on with it. “Stop living on auto pilot. Take time out, stop, think and refl ect then move on. Taking action is all,” says the SUMO guy. “The other day I was working with someone who said they couldn’t do certain things because they were stubborn. That’s neither a medical condition nor part of your DNA but an excuse.”

Here are SUMO’s top seven tips: 1. Seeking support from others isn’t a weakness but wisdom. 2. If you woke up feeling tired and miserable, remember this: you woke up. Now dust yourself down and seize the day. 3. When you stop learning you stop living. Engage or exist. Your call. 4. Your silence, denial or avoidance gives approval to the situation. 5. Remember, in order for people to insult you, you fi rst have to value their opinion. 6. Be careful of the tendency to over- glamorise what you don’t have and undervalue what you do have. 7. Remember, you are here to make a difference. Not to win a popularity contest.

So what does your T- shirt say today?