Issue #18 Dear Reader, Like many of you, I've had my fair share of very delicate interactions with what we could affectionately call A-players. The people who leave us speechless, suddenly wishing all the best to them in ways we don't want anyone else to hear, and wondering what the hell is wrong with this world. Those A-players. IKYKIK. 😉 A sudden phone call Just after I had wrapped up a conversation with what turned out to be an aspiring A-player, who took enough of my limited time and...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #17 Dear Reader, With the New Year at our doorstep, many of us are thinking about goals we want to accomplish, changes we want to make, and problems we want to solve. There is something magical and empowering about making a fresh start. Yet to say that we fail to follow through simply because of fleeting motivation misses the mark. A situation I had right before Christmas reminded me why this is the case. The tabula rasa In a sort of technological "I can't take this anymore" moment, my...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #16 Dear Reader, A while back, I was told that a new beginning should be about ease. As someone who's been through more new beginnings than I've wished for, I've learned that nothing could be further from the truth. We take so much in life for granted. We move, we process food, we exercise – until we can't. We love, we work, we have fun – until we can't. We make plans, we daydream, we feel hope – until we can't. If we are still on one side of the spectrum, we think this is how things...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #15 Dear Reader, Not all action is created equal. I see this time and time again. The people who would rather endlessly learn about their problem than do something about it. Those who keep kicking the can down the road, pushing away decisions now long overdue. The ones reusing old strategies that clearly don't work. They are all taking action, the wrong kind of it. I witnessed the same lack of appropriate action at an event I attended earlier this week. A hall full of women celebrating...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Issue #14 Dear Reader, You'd think that, being a coach, I know how to deal with things. After all, I get paid to help people solve their various problems. And yet, life catches up with me, too, and sometimes leaves me feeling quite overwhelmed. We all have areas in which growth or change is just too difficult. We can be as self-aware and growth-oriented as we want to be, but there are old, unhealed wounds that can resurface if someone just touches that sensitive spot. I have these, too. There...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #13 Dear Reader, If the opening question surprised you, you are in good hands because I have just the answer you need. But first, let me tell you a quick story about luck and change. Back in April, I participated in a lottery and... won a washing machine! Top-notch brand, worth more than 1,000 Euros, 5-year guarantee included. After scooping the top prize by just clicking a button on a website, I had to decide what to do with this surprising addition to my life. Shall I give it away,...
8 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #12 Dear Reader, I am back in your inbox after I had to get ready for not one, but two speeches at the Absolventenkongress in Frankfurt. All done at the speed of light! Five last-minute cancellations that almost derailed the speaker programme. So I stepped up to help and took a third of the action – as the only solopreneur at the event. No time to practise. Four hours of sleep in 48 hours. Blood circulation that felt like an hour-long rollercoaster in the morning. One thing was certain:...
9 months ago • 4 min read
Issue #11 Dear Reader, When several of you asked me for more tips on resilience within a few days, I knew this wasn't just a coincidence, but a case of synchronicity. So I'm happy to respond and share my thoughts with all of you. Most of us consider resilience a special quality that helps us withstand various challenges on our way. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" quickly comes to mind. Then why is it that instead of feeling stronger, we feel exhausted, overwhelmed and on the verge...
9 months ago • 4 min read
Issue #8 Dear Reader, The thing about change is that it not only changes us on many levels but also our surroundings. There are those we share our journey with and those we leave behind. Like any other catalyst in life, change has a way of showing us who really has our back. It's also a time when we can draw the wrong conclusions and get involved with the wrong people. Not everyone who looks like a friend has your best interests at heart. And not everyone who ruffles your feathers a bit and...
11 months ago • 3 min read