A Hard Lesson On Simplifying – ‘Just In Case’ Is Not Always A Good Plan
15 March 2016At the beginning of this month I cracked a big goal, to hike the Hump Ridge Track in Fiordland. In the process a hard but very valuable lesson about simplifying was learnt. When you go on holiday, are you likely to add a couple of extra items ‘just in case’ you need them? With all the […]
Who Says The Office Has To Be In A Building?
23 February 2016Most of us reconcile ourselves to the fact that, once our summer holidays are over, it’s time to get out of our casual clothes, off the beach or mountain and head back to the office. If or when we work away from the office, mobile working for most of us equals cranking up our […]
On Pushing the Boundaries – A French Goal Setting Story
7 October 2015Ever noticed how much faster and more effective our life lessons and personal development are when we push, or are pushed by external factors, outside our comfort zone. One of my life goals for some years has been to learn French, and right now I’ve allowed it to kick (not just push) me right outside […]
Teach Good Habits Young and We Grow Self-Sufficient Adults
14 April 2014Last weekend I had the joy of looking after 3 grandsons whilst their parents were off at an agricultural conference. On Saturday morning I was chatting to a mother on the side line of 7 year old Matt’s first rugby game for the season. ‘My son struggles to keep up,’ she said, pointing to the […]
The Pink Ribbon Calendar – a MUST BUY
8 October 2012Do you enjoy different and unique art? Do you love stories of courage against all odds? And do you have any friends or family impacted by breast cancer? (1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time.) If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any one of these questions, I urge you […]
Can teens learn time management?
17 May 2012Angela has sent in a great request. ‘Great to get some practical tips as a parent. Do you have any tips for a teenager who is lacking in time management? I would like to empower her with some skills rather than continually nag or comment on her lack of time management! She seems reluctant to […]
More About Time Management For Parents
11 May 2012Thanks for so many great responses to my request for your best Time Saving Tips for Parents a selection of which appear below. (Check the previous post) From Deborah: Get rest. Sounds counter productive to getting things done but a rested, fit and healthy mother can work harder than a tired one. New baby? When baby […]
Teachers' Time-Saving Tips, and Bureaucracy Highlights
5 October 2011Here are some top time tips to get students to return newsletter and permission slips asap: Encourage a ‘rewards’ system so that the children take responsibility for returning them the next day – an end of term tally perhaps? (NO punishments though!) Mention what is required in the weekly newsletter, with a due date. Replies […]
The Obituary To Common Sense
24 August 2011Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr Common Sense. Mr Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing […]
You Don't Have To Work This Hard! – Positive Slow-Time
24 May 2011In my farming childhood the principle of fallowing a paddock was common (leaving ground uncultivated for a season, in order to rest the land, restore its fertility, and prepare it for a new crop.). These days, however, it’s not a word you often see or hear, except in cropping country. It was therefore with […]