Journal entries from joeredston.comhttps://joeredston.com/https://joeredston.com/journal/ways-the-world-can-change/https://joeredston.com/journal/ways-the-world-can-change/I was facilitating a training session with a group of tech professionals this week, when in-person networking came up.Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleChangePerceptionIt Dependshttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-use-is-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-use-is-the-metacrisis/I'm currently thinking - not much...?Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeUncertaintyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/finding-the-awe-to-yesterdays-outrage/https://joeredston.com/journal/finding-the-awe-to-yesterdays-outrage/A follow up to my post about Musk becoming a trillionaire...Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisBalanceRobin Wall KimmererInequalityComplexitySystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-greediest-man-on-the-planet/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-greediest-man-on-the-planet/Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire, and that is grotesque.Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipInequalityIncentiveshttps://joeredston.com/journal/harder-in-your-head-than-in-real-life/https://joeredston.com/journal/harder-in-your-head-than-in-real-life/A comment from one of the young people after a networking event yesterday - the final session of a 'Pre-Employability Skills' course I've been running at the LINK, the new youth centre in Sandown.Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeConnectionEducationCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/some-thoughts-on-community/https://joeredston.com/journal/some-thoughts-on-community/Getting together is not 'all of it' - but it's definitely 'some of it'Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisBalanceConnectionNate HagensInfluencesCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/bohemian-rhapsody-and-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/bohemian-rhapsody-and-the-metacrisis/And why focusing solely on Freddie's vocals can be both good and badSun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisCommunicationMusicMetaphorshttps://joeredston.com/journal/ai-and-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/ai-and-the-metacrisis/AI provides another interesting example - it's easy to think of it as being 'in the cloud', but it's not: ultimately, AI depends on physical resources, right here in the 'real' world.Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisTechnologyAITechnologyIncentivesSystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/you-kept-it-hidden-well/https://joeredston.com/journal/you-kept-it-hidden-well/Art as anti-acceptance [refusal?] in the metacrisis.Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeStoriesInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/art-and-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/art-and-the-metacrisis/A few suggestions outside of the usual metacrisis channels.Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeStoriesInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/three-chinese-videos/https://joeredston.com/journal/three-chinese-videos/What the algorithms have been showing me recently...Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisTechnologyTechnologyAIInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-global-shtstorm/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-global-shtstorm/Fuel prices have been changing [again]. This is one way the connections between things become obvious. How we clearly see that what happens 'over there' affects us 'over here'.Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems ThinkingEnergyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/its-not-inevitable-nothing-is/https://joeredston.com/journal/its-not-inevitable-nothing-is/This is one of the key reminders I'm taking away from Vaclav Smil's 'How the World Really Works'. Having a broad perspective can help us understand what is really going on.Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipComplexitySystems ThinkingInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/mark-carney-gets-it/https://joeredston.com/journal/mark-carney-gets-it/While he doesn't use the word, the metacrisis runs through Mark Carney's speech at Davos.Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipComplexityTrusthttps://joeredston.com/journal/is-trump-a-strong-leader/https://joeredston.com/journal/is-trump-a-strong-leader/Yesterday, he was called a name while visiting a factory. He responded with an expletive or two, and a raised middle finger. Some see this as a sign of strength.Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/has-the-world-gone-mad/https://joeredston.com/journal/has-the-world-gone-mad/Do you have a sense that the world has gone a bit crazy? If so, that's the 'metacrisis' you're feeling.Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipComplexityIncentiveshttps://joeredston.com/journal/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus/https://joeredston.com/journal/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus/Perhaps some of us adults need a little more belief, too? This editorial from 1897 was originally written in response to a question from 8 year old Virginia O'Hanlon.Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMTLifeBeliefStorieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/going-to-a-protest/https://joeredston.com/journal/going-to-a-protest/I went to a protest at the weekend. On one side - mainly men dressed in variations of red, white and blue. On the other side - a mixed crowd, dressed in mixed colours.Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTPeopleBalancePolarisationPeter TurchinCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/bot-activity-on-linkedin/https://joeredston.com/journal/bot-activity-on-linkedin/Bot/automated activity here on LinkedIn: somewhere between 15-25% of accounts, around 60% of outreach messaging, and AI generated content up 75-340% year on year.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisTechnologyAITechnologySocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-charlie-kirk-situation/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-charlie-kirk-situation/Wondering what to make of the Charlie Kirk situation? Here are a few posts I've found useful.Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeoplePolarisationComplexityInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/culture-is-the-lowest-behaviour-we-accept/https://joeredston.com/journal/culture-is-the-lowest-behaviour-we-accept/There is an old saying: culture is set by the lowest behaviour we accept. This is true in business - and in society.Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifePolarisationCulturehttps://joeredston.com/journal/divide-and-conquer-is-an-old-idea/https://joeredston.com/journal/divide-and-conquer-is-an-old-idea/In many parts of the world right now - including my own country - groups of people are turning against other groups of people. If things are tough for you right now, don't look at other people. Look at where the power is.Sun, 07 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleInequalityPolarisationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/sewell-setzer-and-adam-raine/https://joeredston.com/journal/sewell-setzer-and-adam-raine/Two lawsuits holding AI companies accountable for the death of teenagers. [Content warning: suicide].Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTPeopleTechnologyAIBig Techhttps://joeredston.com/journal/your-silence-is-your-leadership/https://joeredston.com/journal/your-silence-is-your-leadership/If you've worked with me, you will know I spend a lot of time talking about values. I still think integrity is doing the right thing - even when no-one is looking - but I no longer think it's enough.Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipValuesIntegrityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/monkeys-wisdom/https://joeredston.com/journal/monkeys-wisdom/I finally got around to reading 'Journey to the West' — and the stories, and the wisdom in them, stuck with me.Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleBooksLeadershipInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/boys-expect-us-to-be-like-the-bop-house/https://joeredston.com/journal/boys-expect-us-to-be-like-the-bop-house/A comment from a Year 7 girl - so aged 12ish. TikTok's algorithm is teaching girls that only their bodies count, and boys that girls are objects.Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-can-we-do/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-can-we-do/Have those of us most deeply embedded in Modernity been conditioned to feel an outsized sense of responsibility? And is that paralysing us - preventing us from taking action?Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/daniel-and-alexa/https://joeredston.com/journal/daniel-and-alexa/I lost myself in a wondrous conversation between Daniel Schmachtenberger and Alexa Firmenich - deep, beautiful, and uplifting, whether or not you're already familiar with Daniel's work.Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/trump-zelenskyy-and-bullies/https://joeredston.com/journal/trump-zelenskyy-and-bullies/You're a popular, rich 6th Form student. You decide to defend a kid being bullied. Turns out, you were the bully all along.Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleLeadershiphttps://joeredston.com/journal/two-years-of-30questions/https://joeredston.com/journal/two-years-of-30questions/What did I change my mind about last year? What is my next question? The first and last prompts from my book, '#30questions' - self-published two years ago today.Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-much-does-being-right-matter/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-much-does-being-right-matter/It is entirely possible for two people to look at the same thing, and come to entirely different conclusions. I see the number 6 - you see the number 9.Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeoplePerspectivehttps://joeredston.com/journal/history-doesnt-repeat-but-it-often-rhymes/https://joeredston.com/journal/history-doesnt-repeat-but-it-often-rhymes/'Powers and Thrones' by Dan Jones begins with the fall of the western Roman Empire, which has a fair few 'rhymes' with our current predicament.Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-gesture/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-gesture/Nothing exists in isolation. What if the whole point of The Gesture was to increase division - to push 'us' and 'them' even further apart?Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationBalancePolarisationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/candle-fish-stories/https://joeredston.com/journal/candle-fish-stories/As defence against predators, small fish gather in large groups, or shoals. What if the counter to one large 'shark' story is hundreds - thousands? - of smaller stories?Wed, 22 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationPeopleCommunityStorytellinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-caused-the-la-fires/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-caused-the-la-fires/The reality is almost certainly that the fires are a combination of rising temperatures AND government failure AND drought AND high winds AND urban expansion AND a whole bunch of other things.Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipComplexityPolarisationSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-man/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-man/I'm not interested in the version of masculinity currently being demonstrated by Zuck, Musk and their chums. What is weird to me is that so much of their behaviour seems rooted in fear.Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-is-relational-accountability/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-is-relational-accountability/On one level, Relational Accountability is fairly obvious - considering who and what we are in relation with. On other levels, we discovered it is far more complex than that.Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleSystems ThinkingInfluencesLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/radical-edges-exist-on-all-sides/https://joeredston.com/journal/radical-edges-exist-on-all-sides/The 'radical edge' is the extreme element in a movement. With any controversial issue, there are radical edges on all sides. What if we could quieten the noise at the radical edges?Mon, 06 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipPolarisationLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2025/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2025/Here are the books that have stayed with me from 2025 — from The Flowering Wand to Read and Riot.Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/none-of-them-were-arguing/https://joeredston.com/journal/none-of-them-were-arguing/The interviews and conversations around the metacrisis aren't arguments. When we're less certain about our opinions and beliefs, we hold them less tightly - and the need to argue our point reduces.Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisCommunicationCertaintyComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/bowie-and-bing-and-gisele-pelicot/https://joeredston.com/journal/bowie-and-bing-and-gisele-pelicot/There will always be darkness, and we need to face it - as Gisele did. And to avoid despair, we also need to embrace the light - as Bowie and Bing did.Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTBalancePeopleGenderhttps://joeredston.com/journal/self-help-to-help-the-world/https://joeredston.com/journal/self-help-to-help-the-world/Six years ago this week, I wrote and published a book - 'The Self-Help Summary'. It's not about you. It's about what you can do - the impact you can have - the difference you can make for other people.Wed, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleBooksInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-you-play-monopoly-part-2/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-you-play-monopoly-part-2/Monopoly … when power lies in the hands of one. What assumptions are built into a game of Monopoly? This year, what if you challenged some of those assumptions, and tried to change the rules?Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-dots-are-not-the-music/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-dots-are-not-the-music/The dots and lines can only convey so much - people don't generally cry when they read the full score. The missing piece is the human relationships and interactions that take place.Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifeLeadershipMetaphorsComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/give-someone-a-fish/https://joeredston.com/journal/give-someone-a-fish/Giving someone a fish means they are dependent. Teaching someone how to fish makes them independent. Loving the ocean requires a further step - towards interdependence.Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/going-first-or-getting-ahead/https://joeredston.com/journal/going-first-or-getting-ahead/'Going first' is about showing the way. 'Getting ahead' is about winning the competition. Are you looking to go first, or trying to get ahead?Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipComplexityInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/playing-drums-again/https://joeredston.com/journal/playing-drums-again/For the first time in almost 4 years, I played the drums this week … and it was beautiful. Things come in and out of our lives at different times, and for different reasons.Sat, 23 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleDrumsMusichttps://joeredston.com/journal/just-like-me/https://joeredston.com/journal/just-like-me/I think things would be better if everyone was just like me, and I'm mad as hell that they're not. A quote from Tyson Yunkaporta's 'Right Story, Wrong Story' that I'm thinking about a lot today.Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeInfluencesBookshttps://joeredston.com/journal/privilege-and-the-dark/https://joeredston.com/journal/privilege-and-the-dark/Privilege is the things we don't have to think about - and the more of it we have, the less able we are to see it. I didn't think twice before nipping out to grab a pint of milk at 6pm last night.Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLeadershipPrivilegeGenderhttps://joeredston.com/journal/artificial-intelligence-and-real-world-consequences/https://joeredston.com/journal/artificial-intelligence-and-real-world-consequences/Like all technology, there's both good and bad in Artificial Intelligence - but we mustn't lose sight of the real-world consequences. There's no substitute for real connection.Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisTechnologyAISocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-stages-of-reductionism/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-stages-of-reductionism/Nora Bateson writes about different aspects of reductionism: fragmentation, separation, and objectification. The problem is that over-simplifying complexity doesn't make it go away - it's still there, lurking in the background.Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleComplexityInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/were-measuring-the-wrong-things/https://joeredston.com/journal/were-measuring-the-wrong-things/Yesterday, I read two posts making essentially the same point - one about the environment, the other about advertising.Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems ThinkingValuesMarketingIncentiveshttps://joeredston.com/journal/overton-windows/https://joeredston.com/journal/overton-windows/When I was a kid, I never wanted to be a typographer or an anthropologist. While I didn't really like art, I was interested in lettering.Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipPerceptionPolarisationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/shifting-baselines/https://joeredston.com/journal/shifting-baselines/When I was a kid, I would ride my bike up and down our street. Kids don't do that on my road anymore, mainly because it's so much busier.Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifePerceptionNatureLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/lies-they-tell-our-children/https://joeredston.com/journal/lies-they-tell-our-children/That's the headline from an advertorial run by Exxon in 1984, sowing seeds of doubt about climate science.Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipMetacrisisMarketingValuesClimate Changehttps://joeredston.com/journal/floods-at-spruce-pine/https://joeredston.com/journal/floods-at-spruce-pine/What's the connection between floods, Spruce Pine, and my phone [and probably your phone]? Making a phone requires lots of things - people, energy, and loads of individual components, all made from raw materials.Thu, 03 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipClimate ChangeSystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/we-deserve-better-certainties/https://joeredston.com/journal/we-deserve-better-certainties/For a long time now, I've held close the idea of uncertainty - summed up by the Voltaire quote: 'Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one.'Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipUncertaintyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/you-never-master-the-basics/https://joeredston.com/journal/you-never-master-the-basics/After you hit a drum with one hand, you have two basic options: hit it with your other hand, or hit it with the same hand again.Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationDrumsListenhttps://joeredston.com/journal/energy-blindness-and-the-carbon-pulse/https://joeredston.com/journal/energy-blindness-and-the-carbon-pulse/Everything we do depends on energy. The thing is, we don't really 'see' it. We don't think about what actually happens when we flick a light switch or watch Netflix or get in a car.Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipEnergyEnergy BlindnessNate Hagenshttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-did-you-know-in-the-bamboo-forest/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-did-you-know-in-the-bamboo-forest/Last night's Studio conversation opened with small talk about what we'd done over the summer. One participant mentioned visiting a bamboo forest in China.Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifeBalancePerceptionNaturehttps://joeredston.com/journal/our-human-superpower/https://joeredston.com/journal/our-human-superpower/What are the differences between a chimpanzee and a human? A chimp can't survive in either the Sahara or Antarctica. Humans can.Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipResponsibilityTechnologyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/some-questions-about-communication/https://joeredston.com/journal/some-questions-about-communication/Did I hear what you said? Did I hear what you think I heard? Did I hear what you meant? Did you say what you meant?Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationStephen Coveyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/theres-still-a-global-curfew-on-women/https://joeredston.com/journal/theres-still-a-global-curfew-on-women/A question for the men in the room: What steps have you taken in the last week to reduce your risk of being sexually harassed? Anything? No?Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLeadershipGenderSexismhttps://joeredston.com/journal/dark-oxygen-and-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/dark-oxygen-and-the-metacrisis/[This is neither a Harry Potter book, nor the name of a death metal band 😉]. About half our oxygen comes from the ocean ... and it turns out that some of it comes from deep sea 'batteries' - metallic nodules that are found on the deep ocean floor.Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems ThinkingNaturehttps://joeredston.com/journal/an-ecology-of-conversations/https://joeredston.com/journal/an-ecology-of-conversations/Yesterday, I hosted the speaker sessions at 'Going Electric'. As usual, they covered a range of subjects: practical advice about EVs, insulation and heat pumps, education opportunities, and emerging jobs.Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipMetacrisisResponsibilityNate HagensGreat SimplificationComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/its-nice-that-they-care-isnt-it/https://joeredston.com/journal/its-nice-that-they-care-isnt-it/Just a couple of the comments I overheard today, when I joined about 30 other volunteers to clean and re-paint railings along the sea wall in the town where I live.Sun, 21 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeConnectionCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/jevons-paradox/https://joeredston.com/journal/jevons-paradox/When a lightbulb gets more efficient, do we end up using less energy, or more energy? The answer is that we end up using more energy overall.Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipEnergySystems ThinkingComplexityLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-did-you-get-out-of-bed-this-morning/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-did-you-get-out-of-bed-this-morning/What motivates you? Money? Family? Greed? Kindness? Fear? Love? As individuals, we have reasons for doing things - we have incentives. Systems can also have incentives - underlying drivers that push them in a certain direction.Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeSystems ThinkingNatureMotivationIncentiveshttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-our-invisible-clothes/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-our-invisible-clothes/Humans have always told stories - they are how we explain the world. What ideas - stories - are currently dominant? Are they based on fact, or myth?Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeStorytellinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-i-make-decisions/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-i-make-decisions/Is this what I think, or what someone else thinks? [Is this just what my dad did?] Is this only about me, or a wider we? [Who does 'we' exclude?]Wed, 03 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeDecisionsResponsibilityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/collecting-and-connecting-more-dots/https://joeredston.com/journal/collecting-and-connecting-more-dots/A long time ago, I came across the idea of collecting dots, and initially not worrying too much about connecting them - the connections would become clear over time ... It happened again recently, with three podcast episodes coming together.Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeSeth GodinGreat SimplificationSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/price-cost-and-value/https://joeredston.com/journal/price-cost-and-value/How much would you expect to earn for 4.5 years of work? Would you take $80? The energy contained in a barrel of oil is roughly equivalent to 4.5 years of human labour.Mon, 13 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipNate HagensEnergyEnergy BlindnessValuesLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/rates-and-states/https://joeredston.com/journal/rates-and-states/The state of something is a result of the rate at which things are happening. For example - the state of my health is a result of the rate at which I exercise. The state of my finances is a result of the rate at which I earn [and spend].Mon, 29 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeNate HagensGreat SimplificationSystems ThinkingComplexityLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/deny-doubt-delay/https://joeredston.com/journal/deny-doubt-delay/Just returning from a guest lecture at University of Portsmouth, on 'Ethics and Marketing'. We talked about the power of marketing - of telling stories that stick.Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipValuesMarketingEducationZak Steinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/fancy-a-holiday/https://joeredston.com/journal/fancy-a-holiday/Except - you don't know anything about it. You don't know when you're leaving, who else will be going, where you're going, for how long, what you'll be doing ... it's all a mystery ...Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceUncertaintyChangehttps://joeredston.com/journal/multiple-ways-of-knowing/https://joeredston.com/journal/multiple-ways-of-knowing/In our Exploration of the Metacrisis, we offer three framings - three lenses with which to perceive the world. One of these is 'multiple ways of knowing'.Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisBalanceNaturePerceptionEmotionshttps://joeredston.com/journal/sulker-virtuoso-or-pioneer/https://joeredston.com/journal/sulker-virtuoso-or-pioneer/While the noise around AI has died down a bit recently, it's clear that AI isn't going away. It continues to improve, and as it does, its impact continues to grow. I started my working life as a drummer, and the AI conversation reminds me of stories I heard about when drum machines first turned up in the late 70s.Wed, 10 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleAIDrumsTechnologyChangehttps://joeredston.com/journal/dopamine-social-media-and-tigers/https://joeredston.com/journal/dopamine-social-media-and-tigers/A couple of moments from this weekend stand out for me. The first happened over lunch. A young couple sat at the table opposite - and barely spoke to each other.Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPeopleAttention EconomyBig TechSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/men-talking-to-men/https://joeredston.com/journal/men-talking-to-men/You're at a networking event, chatting with a couple of other - male - business owners. The conversation is light and friendly, then one of your acquaintances cracks a sexist joke. It's only 'mildly' sexist - but enough to make you feel uncomfortable ...Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleGenderSexismCommunicationInequalityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/narrow-boundaries-and-wide-horizons/https://joeredston.com/journal/narrow-boundaries-and-wide-horizons/Since 2020, the five richest men in the world have seen their fortunes more than double, while almost five billion people have seen their wealth fall. Something is broken here.Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisPerceptionSystems ThinkingComplexityInequalityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-much-do-i-see/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-much-do-i-see/An ancient parable tells of a group of blind people meeting an elephant for the first time. The first touches the trunk, and cries 'Snake!'. The second grabs the tail, and thinks they have gripped a rope.Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPerceptionMetaphorsSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/overstory-and-the-mother-tree/https://joeredston.com/journal/overstory-and-the-mother-tree/I'm reading both of these at the moment, and they make a wonderful pairing. 'Overstory' is fiction ... it's about people, with trees woven into the story. 'Finding the Mother Tree' is non-fiction ... it's about trees, with people woven into the story.Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksNatureStoriesConnectionhttps://joeredston.com/journal/small-groups-big-change/https://joeredston.com/journal/small-groups-big-change/From a few tweets, to being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. That's quite a journey ... Sleeping Giants started with a couple of people running a single social media account, with the intention of countering misinformation and hate speech.Mon, 04 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCollaborationChangeSocial MediaCommunicationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-myth-of-separation/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-myth-of-separation/Reductionism ... Separation ... and Reconnection ... If you're not already familiar with it, the concept from Charles Eisenstein [and others] is that scientific reductionism encourages us to divide things into component parts, rather than viewing whole systems.Wed, 28 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLifeConnectionNatureSystems ThinkingWellbeinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/seat-belts-for-ai/https://joeredston.com/journal/seat-belts-for-ai/A year ago, along with 30,000+ other people, I signed the Future of Life Institute (FLI) petition to pause giant AI experiments ... exactly how much effect it had is obviously impossible to say.Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipAITechnologyBusinesshttps://joeredston.com/journal/paradoxii/https://joeredston.com/journal/paradoxii/I no longer need scientists to tell me the climate is changing - I can see it for myself. The roads near me are flooded - again. And last weekend, I was down to a t-shirt when I walked my dog ... in February, in the UK.Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifeClimate ChangePrivilegeResponsibilityEnvironmenthttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-is-the-metacrisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-is-the-metacrisis/It sounds kinda big ... maybe even a bit intimidating ... [It's both of those things - and a whole lot more]. Even if you've never come across the word before, you might still have a sense of what the metacrisis is.Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisComplexityUncertaintySystems ThinkingInfluencesLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/emergency-v-crisis/https://joeredston.com/journal/emergency-v-crisis/A flood is an emergency. It happens fast, and demands that we react now. Building flood defences in the face of rising sea levels is a crisis. It's slower, and requires a planned response.Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisLeadershipSystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/one-man-empire/https://joeredston.com/journal/one-man-empire/I was just shown an online ad from a company called 'One Man Empire', promising me a 7-figure turnover. To me, the phrase sums up everything we're getting wrong at the moment: it focuses on the individual, and leans into modernity's promise of ever-increasing 'more'.Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisSystems ThinkingEgohttps://joeredston.com/journal/metacrisis-diplomats-launch/https://joeredston.com/journal/metacrisis-diplomats-launch/It's taken a while to emerge ... but myself and Laurent are [finally!] some combination of elated and terrified to launch our latest project: Metacrisis Diplomats.Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTMetacrisisSystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2024/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2024/Here are the books that have stayed with me from 2024 — from Finding the Mother Tree and The Overstory, through to Hannah Arendt and Ursula K. Le Guin.Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksHannah ArendtInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/forward-to-the-future/https://joeredston.com/journal/forward-to-the-future/From films like Back to the Future, we're familiar with the idea that if we go back in time, we need to be careful because the tiniest action can have an enormous effect on the future. But we rarely see things the other way: we tend to think the little things we do today have no bearing on future events.Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeImpactOptimismhttps://joeredston.com/journal/paddling-with-a-dolphin-in-sandown-bay/https://joeredston.com/journal/paddling-with-a-dolphin-in-sandown-bay/Yesterday was one of those rare late summer days – hot, still, calm – a day for taking things slow and easy. I was at my local beach, Sandown Bay, volunteering for the Wave Project, who provide surf therapy for young people. While the conditions were beautiful, the glassy ocean wasn’t exactly conducive to surfing! […]Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeDolphinNatureAdventurehttps://joeredston.com/journal/are-we-thriving-or-growing/https://joeredston.com/journal/are-we-thriving-or-growing/Are we thriving, or growing? It’s possible to do both – but it’s also important to understand the difference. To do that, we need to think about what we are measuring. In a business, ‘growth’ might mean increasing revenue, or the size of a team. Personal growth might mean reading 10 pages a day, or […]Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTBalanceLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/learning-from-and-learning-about/https://joeredston.com/journal/learning-from-and-learning-about/“When I learn about you, I learn about me.” Kewulay Kamara I danced with mountains yesterday [metaphorically, at least], on a wonderful webinar organised by Ijeruka. It featured multiple Elders from around the world, each sharing some of their wisdom. I’m a firm believer in the ‘self’ part of self-development [heck, I wrote a book […]Mon, 21 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeKewulay KamaraMolly BrownLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/winning-olympic-gold-in-business/https://joeredston.com/journal/winning-olympic-gold-in-business/In the last few years, it’s become cool to be an ‘entrepreneur’. There’s a risk that we glorify the life of an entrepreneur, based on a small number of individuals with high public profiles. What we see looks fun and glamorous – and kinda easy. The reality is that running your own business involves hard […]Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipShelly-Ann Fraser-PryceMo Farahhttps://joeredston.com/journal/ideas-and-implementation/https://joeredston.com/journal/ideas-and-implementation/“I’ve had this idea in my head for a while now…” How do we know whether it’s a good idea or not? With hindsight, it’s easy [of course]. But it’s very hard to tell in advance whether our idea is genius or disaster. However, when we implement something, we often get our answer very quickly. […]Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershiphttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-i-know-the-ocean/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-i-know-the-ocean/Imagine growing up inland. People have talked about the ocean – you’ve seen photos, watched videos, read books. But you’ve never seen it in real life. Do you know the ocean yet? You take a trip … for the first time, you stand on a golden sandy beach, gazing out over an expanse of blue […]Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeAdventurehttps://joeredston.com/journal/collecting-and-connecting-dots/https://joeredston.com/journal/collecting-and-connecting-dots/Seth Godin often talks about the importance of collecting dots … and how you don’t necessarily need to see the connections immediately. Collect enough interesting dots, and eventually the connections will become clear. ‘Dots’ might be meeting someone new, learning a skill, or understanding a concept. Quality control is important – some dots are more […]Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeSeth GodinSystems ThinkingComplexityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/saying-no-is-generous/https://joeredston.com/journal/saying-no-is-generous/It’s hard to say no to things … Invitations. Opportunities. Cake. Most of us know we should decline more often than we do, so why do we keep saying Yes? Leaving the cake to one side, we say Yes in business for a variety of reasons – we don’t want to let people down, we’re […]Mon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationIntentionhttps://joeredston.com/journal/boundaries-and-horizons/https://joeredston.com/journal/boundaries-and-horizons/Boundaries have come up in a lot of my conversations recently. They need to be defined and understood – both by ourselves and the people around us, whether that’s at work or at home or at play. Clear communication is crucial. [As usual]. Some boundaries will be ‘hard red lines’, rarely crossed [“I don’t work […]Wed, 02 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationBalancehttps://joeredston.com/journal/you-and-i-and-we/https://joeredston.com/journal/you-and-i-and-we/When I first read Stephen Covey’s ‘7 Habits’, one of the many concepts that jumped out was his ‘Maturity Continuum’. The core idea is that our emotional maturity is a progression, from You to I to We. ‘You’ is where we are dependent on others, thinking they control what happen to us. ‘They’ might include […]Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleConnectionStephen Coveyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/education-as-intergenerational-transmission/https://joeredston.com/journal/education-as-intergenerational-transmission/“Education is a process of intergenerational transmission.” Zak Stein Much of our learning happens at school – and if we agree with Zak Stein [a co-founder of The Consilience Project], it doesn’t end there: our education is a continuous, ongoing process. Teaching is a crucial part of that transmission. When teaching beginners to play drums, […]Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationLifeEducationZak Steinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/progress-and-improvement/https://joeredston.com/journal/progress-and-improvement/Listening to historians Dan and Daniele, I was struck by their discussion of ‘progress’. They both have a wide-boundary view of the human journey: history is not a story of simple linear progress – things don’t always improve over time. There are ups and downs, and perhaps most crucially, our definition of progress very much […]Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTBalanceLifeHardcore Historyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/being-the-best/https://joeredston.com/journal/being-the-best/What does it mean to be ‘the best’? Not many words have an absolute definition. ‘Ugly blue car’ seems to present a clear picture, but ‘ugly’, ‘blue’, and ‘car’ all depend on our individual perception and understanding. Where one person sees an ugly blue car, another might see a beautiful turquoise 4×4. There are some […]Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeTina TurnerLanguageSuccesshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-power-of-purpose/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-power-of-purpose/Change is inevitable, and happens in all areas of our lives. Right now, the world is definitely evolving – perhaps faster than ever before. Increasing polarisation. Social justice. AI. The climate crisis. The list can seem endless. We can, of course, ignore all this, but doing so risks getting left behind. So how do we […]Thu, 18 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/im-at-low-tide/https://joeredston.com/journal/im-at-low-tide/“I’m at low tide,” said a friend today. Even though I walk my dog along the beach every day, I hadn’t previously thought much about the tides as a metaphor. I like it … low tides are distant and calm, the ocean seems warm and inviting … and it’s also full of potential – the […]Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationMetaphorsLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/solutions-and-responses-2/https://joeredston.com/journal/solutions-and-responses-2/Using the word ‘solution’ implies we can fix it [whatever ‘it’ might be]. We do something, and then the problem goes away. But what about more complex challenges like our relationships, or a company culture, or the climate? We can’t ‘fix’ any of these – there’s not a simple ‘thing’ we can do that will […]Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/quality-and-quantity/https://joeredston.com/journal/quality-and-quantity/“Quantity yields quality.” Jack Conte, co-founder of Patreon. Hmm. That got me thinking. It came from a conversation Conte was having with filmmaker Van Niestat – the eternal battle between our desire to do something, while also wrestling with our procrastination and imposter syndrome. It’s definitely a reality for me – just before I click […]Thu, 04 May 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeBalancePatienceProcrastinationConsistentPersistentJack ConteVan NiestatPicassoLeonardo da VinciIsaac AsimovHarper Leehttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-we-see-things/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-we-see-things/Interesting read this week, helping me realise how much our language influences – and is influenced by – our perceptions and understandings of the world. As the authors say, “We act according to the way we conceive of things.” For example: Argument is War.“I destroyed his argument.” Time is Money.“I invested a lot of time […]Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationMetaphorsGeorge LakoffPerceptionhttps://joeredston.com/journal/solutions-and-responses/https://joeredston.com/journal/solutions-and-responses/A jigsaw puzzle has a solution. There’s even a process for arriving at the solution – corners, edges, middle. Knowing what the puzzle looks like can help you solve it faster, but even without the picture, we can [eventually] solve a jigsaw. Once all the pieces are in place – it’s done. Complete. Finished. But […]Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationJigsawhttps://joeredston.com/journal/find-your-tribe/https://joeredston.com/journal/find-your-tribe/It doesn’t matter if some people don’t get it – whatever ‘it’ is for you. Focus instead on finding the ones who do get ‘it’. As you search, be patient and open – both with yourself and the people around you. Celebrate the similarities rather than dwelling on the differences. It will likely take some […]Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleTribehttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-one-person-matters/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-one-person-matters/Short answer: Because they do, and that’s enough. Long answer: The power in a group lies with the majority. Consider a group of 100 people – 60 is a majority. Within that 60, 35 can dominate the 25. Of 35, 20 could cooperate … and so on. The maths is dull, so I’ll skip some […]Tue, 21 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleCollaborationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/changing-my-mind-about-elon/https://joeredston.com/journal/changing-my-mind-about-elon/PART 1 :: Changing my mind I first stumbled across Elon Musk in early 2015, when both Tesla and SpaceX were exciting companies, seemingly committed to solving big challenges. Musk’s ‘real life Tony Stark’ persona was a key part of the story. He truly did seem to be ‘The World’s Raddest Man‘. Turns out, he […]Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationPeopleIt DependsChangeTrustElon MuskEvolutionhttps://joeredston.com/journal/adding-the-when/https://joeredston.com/journal/adding-the-when/Simon Sinek’s ‘Golden Circle’ is a useful way to think about the order in which we do things. First, we need to understand Why we want to do this [purpose], then we figure out How [strategy], and finally comes the What [action]. But perhaps there’s a fourth circle – the When? Timing matters. Imagine doing […]Wed, 08 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipStart With WhySimon Sinekhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-heros-climate-journey/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-heros-climate-journey/I’ve attended a couple of webinars recently that have talked about the importance of storytelling in relation to the climate challenge. How might we shift the narrative away from ‘doom-mongering’? Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey‘ is the classic analysis of myths and legends – how ancient stories from many cultures have common themes, and follow roughly […]Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeJoseph CampbellHero’s JourneyClimate ChangeEnvironmentRachel CarsonJohn ElkingtonDaniel SchmachtenbergerLaura StormClover Hoganhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-important-difference-between-blame-and-responsibility/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-important-difference-between-blame-and-responsibility/We all make mistakes. It’s inevitable that we will sometimes make decisions and take actions that end up having negative outcomes. When we assign blame – whether that’s to ourselves or others – we are dwelling on the problem. We risk staying in the past, and reliving the mistake over and over. [And getting progressively […]Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeResponsibilityBlameEpictetusLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/whats-the-essential-element/https://joeredston.com/journal/whats-the-essential-element/My early career was as a drummer. In music – in all art – the essential element is an audience. Certainly there are people who play or paint to relax, with no intention of ever publicly sharing their work – but the majority of art is created to be heard, seen – felt – by […]Mon, 27 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPurposeMoneyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/can-i-make-a-cheese-sandwich/https://joeredston.com/journal/can-i-make-a-cheese-sandwich/On a recent episode of The Great Simplification, Josh Farley made a comment that not even Einstein – one of the smartest people who has ever lived – not even he could make a complete cheese sandwich from start to finish. The point was that it almost immediately becomes about the supply chain. OK, if […]Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleNate HagensGreat SimplificationEnergy BlindnessJosh Farleyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/its-messy-out-there/https://joeredston.com/journal/its-messy-out-there/Does this drawing feel familiar to anyone else?! I’ve seen variations of it a few times recently, and believe it says something important. It’s nice to sit in a room, thinking we can make neat and tidy decisions about things. “If we do A, we’ll get to B.” But as we’ve all experienced – particularly […]Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeComplexityUncertaintySystems Thinkinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/move-slowly-and-mend-things/https://joeredston.com/journal/move-slowly-and-mend-things/The original mantra at Facebook was famously “move fast and break things”. [That turned out well.] We see the same thing [mistake?] happen again and again – right now, it’s with AI … A race to be first, with seemingly little concern for what the long term consequences might be. [And what are the reasons […]Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/whos-on-your-list/https://joeredston.com/journal/whos-on-your-list/There’s an old idea that we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If we think about the people who make up our personal ‘List of Five’, they probably aren’t that different to us. They are likely to have a similar background and experience, similar lifestyle and income, similar […]Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleList of FiveAttention EconomyMartijn DoolaardSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/it-is-what-it-is/https://joeredston.com/journal/it-is-what-it-is/“It is what it is.” This phrase has been uttered many times and by many people over the last couple of years – and it’s easy to understand why. There’s a lot going on. I recently took inspiration from a friend who is facing a challenging situation. At one point, she said “It is what […]Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTBalanceSerenity PrayerAcceptanceStephen CoveyViktor Franklhttps://joeredston.com/journal/convenience-environment-and-habits/https://joeredston.com/journal/convenience-environment-and-habits/The video is me and some friends on the beach this morning. I’ve done this exercise class twice a week for more than five years now – and it’s got nothing to do with being a morning person. [Under normal circumstances, I try not to book a meeting before 11am]. Why is this class one […]Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTBalanceLifeExerciseBeachWellbeinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-do-i-have-time-for/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-do-i-have-time-for/“What do I have time for this week?” Saying “I don’t have time for that” is another way of saying “That’s not a priority for me.” This is hardly groundbreaking – we’ve all heard some variation of it over the years [“time management = priority management”] … but it’s come up in a number of […]Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeDecisionsPrioritieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/am-i-being-a-good-ancestor/https://joeredston.com/journal/am-i-being-a-good-ancestor/Am I being a good ancestor? This question was put to us at yesterday’s session of the Regenerators leadership journey … And I found myself wondering … ancestor to whom? My niece?My community?Humanity?Our planet? Are there things I could do that would benefit one of these, but harm another? What behaviours might there be that […]Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeLaura StormRegenerationCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/where-do-you-have-your-best-ideas/https://joeredston.com/journal/where-do-you-have-your-best-ideas/Where does your clearest thinking get done? Is it ‘at work’ or somewhere else? Does your answer tell you anything about your current situation? And if you’re reading this and thinking “oh, these are interesting questions, and I can see how they might be important – but I don’t have time to answer them” … […]Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceCreativityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/should-must-or-want/https://joeredston.com/journal/should-must-or-want/Communicating effectively involves paying attention to details. I was at a meeting recently that got quite heated, with three voices in particular standing out: PERSON 1: They should do XYZ. PERSON 2: They must do XYZ. PERSON 3: They want to do XYZ. Should = Morals [Often means doing the right thing – the maximum] […]Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-difference-between-we-and-they/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-difference-between-we-and-they/We learn a lot about how people are thinking by paying attention to the details of the language being used – particularly in turbulent times. An obvious example is with sports fans. “WE won at the weekend!” as opposed to “THEY lost at the weekend.” Using ‘We’ indicates collaboration, and taking collective responsibility. Using ‘They’ […]Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/originality-and-shortcuts/https://joeredston.com/journal/originality-and-shortcuts/If there are shortcuts available to us, that is because someone else has done the work. Consider a literal shortcut, perhaps through a forest. The first person to travel that way has a lot of work to do clearing the path. For that trailblazer, the route isn’t a shortcut – it takes more time and […]Fri, 27 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeOriginalityShortcutsNo Quick Fixeshttps://joeredston.com/journal/strong-opinions-loosely-held-and-moderately-stated/https://joeredston.com/journal/strong-opinions-loosely-held-and-moderately-stated/“Strong opinions, loosely held” is a concept I agree with – but it needs an addition … Strong opinions, loosely held – and moderately stated. The danger with having strong opinions is that we are inclined to also state them strongly, which closes the door to conversation and debate. At their most extreme, ‘strong opinions’ […]Thu, 26 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationIt Dependshttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-are-you-intelligent/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-are-you-intelligent/In his book, ‘The Element‘, Ken Robinson points out that asking “How intelligent are you?” is the wrong question. It implies that intelligence is easily defined, and somehow quantifiable. But a growing range of research – and perhaps our common sense – tells us this is not the case. IQ is one measure of intelligence […]Wed, 25 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTPeopleHoward GardnerIntelligenceKen Robinsonhttps://joeredston.com/journal/fixing-v-healing-our-relationships/https://joeredston.com/journal/fixing-v-healing-our-relationships/I’ve recently had a few conversations with people where various relationship challenges have come up. [To be clear, I’m talking about relationships in the widest sense of the word. This isn’t only about intimate relationships – it’s also about the relationships we have with friends, colleagues, and the wider world.] Because these were people I […]Tue, 24 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationLifePeopleCleo WadeRelationshipsLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/shortcuts-to-success/https://joeredston.com/journal/shortcuts-to-success/Given that it’s early January, it’s hardly surprising that my social feeds have been littered with variations on a ‘Success Strategies for 2023’ theme these last few days. “This is what Steven Bartlett does!” “Steve Jobs’ secrets to success!” On one level, I like this approach. None of us have all the answers, so picking […]Tue, 10 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeNo Quick Fixeshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-value-of-journalling/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-value-of-journalling/I’ve been journalling since 2014, and occasionally this year [2022] found myself wondering if it’s worth the effort. Then I do my Annual Review, looking back over the year – and the value becomes clear. I have at least a few sentences [and usually a lot more than that] on every single day from 2022 […]Thu, 05 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeJournallingAnnual Reviewhttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2023/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2023/Here are the books that have stayed with me from 2023 — from Braiding Sweetgrass to a beautiful photography book to end the year on.Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksGeorge LakoffInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/lessons-from-a-40-year-old-business-book/https://joeredston.com/journal/lessons-from-a-40-year-old-business-book/‘Managing in Turbulent Times‘ by Peter Drucker was published in 1980, and makes for an interesting read, even today. We’re generally not great at learning from history – “Why bother looking back? We live in a fast moving, ever-changing world.” There’s definitely some truth to that – so how much can we really take from […]Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipDruckerThere’s Nothing NewBusinesshttps://joeredston.com/journal/input-and-output/https://joeredston.com/journal/input-and-output/I spent some time recently chatting with the wonderfully perceptive Sonia Gonzalez. In our conversation she touched on the difference between – and importance of – having both ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’. ‘Inputs’ include the experiences we have, the courses we take, the books we read – the time we spend learning and growing. ‘Outputs’ are […]Wed, 23 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceInputOutputEnergySonia GonzalezLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/are-brewdog-beerwashing/https://joeredston.com/journal/are-brewdog-beerwashing/This week, BrewDog launched their ‘anti-sponsor‘ marketing campaign, which aims to highlight the human rights abuses in the 2022 FIFA World Cup host nation, Qatar. On the surface, this seems like an admirable stance from a purpose-driven company … but there has been huge pushback. Why? To begin, it’s worth being clear on some of […]Mon, 14 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationPurposeBrewDogMarketingJames WattSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/do-i-want-to-write-a-book-or-be-a-famous-author/https://joeredston.com/journal/do-i-want-to-write-a-book-or-be-a-famous-author/Do I want to:Lead a business? Or be a ‘successful entrepreneur’?Write a book? Or be a ‘famous author’?Run a marathon? Or be a ‘race winner’? In each example, doing the first part is hard. The second is what we might become when we do the first thing. When we chase being the successful-famous-winner without doing […]Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceBeing and DoingSelf-Awarenesshttps://joeredston.com/journal/im-a-hypocrite-and-thats-ok/https://joeredston.com/journal/im-a-hypocrite-and-thats-ok/Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, has just given his company away. As he says, “instead of ‘going public’, you could say we’re ‘going purpose’.” Transferring the entire billion-dollar business to a trust “dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature” is the latest example of how they are reimagining capitalism. Patagonia are a company […]Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalancePeoplePatagoniaYvon ChouinardLegacyInequalityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/awareness-knowledge-action/https://joeredston.com/journal/awareness-knowledge-action/“The ocean starts in your sink.” Pascal Lamy. [Awareness]. The UK ranked dead last in Europe for bathing water quality in 2020, and water companies leaked sewage into UK waters 370,000 times in 2021 – while the execs gave themselves an average bonus of £100k. [Knowledge]. I just emailed my MP about this, because I […]Thu, 25 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeWaterOceanSandEnvironmentPascal Lamyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/effective-and-good/https://joeredston.com/journal/effective-and-good/Being effective is important. Effective means it works – it does what it is designed to do. Seatbelts are effective. They reduce casualties on the roads. Social media is effective. It’s designed to keep our attention as long as possible, in order to sell that attention to advertisers. Just being ‘effective’ isn’t enough. We also […]Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipIntegritySocial MediaLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/can-you-walk-the-plank/https://joeredston.com/journal/can-you-walk-the-plank/Imagine a thick, strong plank of wood – 30cm wide and 10m long. Can you walk along that plank without falling off? If it’s lying on the floor – sure. That’s pretty easy. A dozen steps is all it takes. All of us could manage that. What if we suspend the plank between two chairs, […]Wed, 13 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipSkillsSituationMotivationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-am-i-eating-an-elephant/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-am-i-eating-an-elephant/You’ve probably heard the question – how do you eat an elephant? [In case you haven’t, the answer is – one bite at a time]. There’s undoubtedly wisdom in that advice … but it’s not the whole story. Often, it helps to understand why we’re eating the elephant in the first place. Taking a task […]Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipProductivityIt DependsHabitshttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-not-to-be-a-leader/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-not-to-be-a-leader/This seems like a good day to talk about leadership. One way to lead: Have no identifiable values. Change your mind based on what seems to be popular, rather than what you actually believe. Adopt a “do as I say, not as I do” approach. When faced with a crisis, dither and procrastinate. Blame everyone […]Fri, 08 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleBoris Johnsonhttps://joeredston.com/journal/discipline-and-motivation/https://joeredston.com/journal/discipline-and-motivation/Recently, I’ve found motivation hard to come by. I’ve been thinking hard about what I do, and why I do it. Should I change direction, or go all in? Stay here, or move on? As part of the figuring out process, I am re-reading Stephen Covey’s ‘7 Habits’. Among all the other brilliant insights is […]Wed, 06 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceLifeStephen CoveyDisciplineMotivationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-golden-rule-and-invoicing/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-golden-rule-and-invoicing/I’ve changed the payment terms on my invoices. They now say:“Please pay this invoice in the way you like to be paid.” It has no legal standing. Instead, it is based entirely on trust. The more time I spend working in leadership, the more clear it becomes that trust is the foundation that all relationships […]Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationTrustCouragehttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-difference-between-passion-and-purpose/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-difference-between-passion-and-purpose/“We’re short of leaders and trees.” Paul Polman I attended an awesome webinar this week organised by the Global Executive Leadership Initiative with Paul Polman as the key speaker. The biggest takeaway for me was Paul’s distinction between passion and purpose, and how understanding the difference is a critical element of leadership. Passion is doing […]Mon, 30 May 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipNet PositivePaul PolmanAndrew WinstonPassionPurposeLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-values-matter-in-tech/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-values-matter-in-tech/We’ve all seen it – couples, families, groups of friends out at a cafe or restaurant … ignoring each other, and staring at their phones instead. This behaviour isn’t unusual. It’s normal – to the point we barely notice it any more. Technology is everywhere, embedded into every aspect of our lives. Of course there […]Sat, 21 May 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipDecisionsValuesBig TechFrances Haugenhttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-to-do-on-earth-day/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-to-do-on-earth-day/We know it matters – our human activities are causing problems on this one planet we’ve got. But climate change can seem so … BIG. It’s hard to know what to do – where to start. The challenge is systemic – lots of complicated moving pieces, connected in a myriad of complex ways. Where to […]Fri, 22 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeEarth DayTriple Bottom LineEnvironmentJohn ElkingtonInequalityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/learning-and-unlearning/https://joeredston.com/journal/learning-and-unlearning/Not long ago, a client called me out on a casually sexist remark I made, the gist of which was ‘yoga is for girls’. It was an odd thing to say, because it’s not what I think. Firstly, having practiced on and off since 2005, I certainly don’t believe ‘yoga is for girls’. Neither do […]Wed, 13 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleCommunicationThe Authority GapGenderSexismMary Ann Siegharthttps://joeredston.com/journal/good-enough/https://joeredston.com/journal/good-enough/Sometimes, only our best is good enough … but the idea we can [or should] always be at our best is not only impossible, it’s unhealthy. We’re humans. We have good days and bad days. Sometimes we’re on top form … and at other times – not so much. Now, if we’re having a stinker, […]Fri, 08 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleBalanceBalancehttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-game-are-you-playing/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-game-are-you-playing/In his book ‘Finite and Infinite Games’, James Carse distinguishes between two types of ‘game’. Finite games have clearly defined parameters – rules, a start, a finish. Examples would be a tennis match, writing a book, building a website, meeting for coffee. We understand when it’s done – when the ‘game’ is over. Infinite games […]Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeInfinite GamesJames Carsehttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-art-of-leading-without-leading/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-art-of-leading-without-leading/Looking back on the art that affected us as kids – books, films, music, images – reveals much about who we are and how we see the world. Growing up, one of my favourite films was Bruce Lee’s ‘Enter the Dragon’. There’s a lot of actual fighting in it, but Bruce’s philosophy is also woven […]Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBruce LeeEnter The DragonLeadershiphttps://joeredston.com/journal/51-49/https://joeredston.com/journal/51-49/None of us will be right all the time. That’s not possible. With all the decisions we have to make, day after day [after day], it’s inevitable that some of them will be … sub-optimal. [And some of them will be downright disastrous … like the time I tied a t-shirt round the handlebars of […]Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipDecisionshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-value-of-reassurance/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-value-of-reassurance/Remote working … we’re all familiar with it now, and it’s not going away. There are good things about it, and not-so-good. One of the challenges can be the feedback we get – or don’t get. Sometimes feedback is specific. We do a thing, and the people around us speak directly to that thing – […]Fri, 11 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationhttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-we-arguing-about/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-we-arguing-about/The Novak Djokovic situation almost caused an argument between me and a good friend this morning. Until – thankfully – we realised we were talking about two different things. Whether Novak should play in the Australian Open is a complex, nuanced discussion, with many connected areas: 1 :: Personal responsibilityShould Novak be allowed to make […]Fri, 14 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeCommunicationSymptom or CauseCommunicationNovak Djokovichttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2022/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2022/In no particular order, here are the ten books that had the most effect on me in 2022. [Feels like it was a good year…] ‘Sand Talk’ by Tyson YunkaportaThis wonderful book is a reminder that the wisdom we need is out there – we just need to listen to the right people. ‘Thinking in […]Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksPaul PolmanAndrew WinstonMartijn DoolaardInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/beach-soccer-stories/https://joeredston.com/journal/beach-soccer-stories/The Beginnning I think he was a bit drunk when he called. We’d worked together on a few things by then, so I was used to his enormous ideas. But what he said next threw me. “I’ve just been watching beach soccer on the telly.”“Right. And…?”“I think we should run an event.”“…” Four months later, […]Sat, 27 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleCommunicationBalanceCommunicationBalanceBeach SoccerType Two FunJohn Scaleshttps://joeredston.com/journal/technology-environment-people/https://joeredston.com/journal/technology-environment-people/Roughly 10,000 years ago, the First Agricultural Revolution saw humans begin to shift from being hunter-gatherers to farmers. People used technology, and it changed their environment. In the late 18th century, the First Industrial Revolution started the move away from farming and towards factories. People used technology, and it changed their environment. In the early […]Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeoplehttps://joeredston.com/journal/drumming-stories/https://joeredston.com/journal/drumming-stories/First Gig “Summer lovin’ had me a blast …” I sat there, palms sweaty, clutching my pristine new sticks. “Summer lovin’ happened so fast …” I sat there, almost wishing I was somewhere – anywhere – else. [Almost]. My first gig as a drummer was an abridged version of ‘Grease’ somewhere in Winchester. I’m 15, […]Wed, 08 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleLifeRay DaviesLessonsDrumsMusichttps://joeredston.com/journal/sometimes-its-just-not-our-day/https://joeredston.com/journal/sometimes-its-just-not-our-day/For a time, I was Stage Door Keeper at Her Majesty’s Theatre on the Haymarket in London. [Where you could still go and watch ‘Phantom of the Opera’ tonight if you wanted!] It’s one of those jobs where you get to know everyone, and hear everything … I was there during a cast change. Contracts […]Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleReact and RespondStorieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/are-we-being-good-ancestors/https://joeredston.com/journal/are-we-being-good-ancestors/Originating with the Iroquois, Seventh Generation Thinking is the idea that when we make a decision, we give thought to how it affects the seventh generation from now – roughly 150 years or so. It helps us avoid the potential traps in short-term thinking. 150 years is a long time, and feels a bit vague […]Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/inspirational-or-egotistical/https://joeredston.com/journal/inspirational-or-egotistical/Branson and Bezos – Inspirational or Egotistical? Like many people, human beings in Space fascinates and excites me. I’ve paid close attention in recent years as SpaceX works on colonising Mars. Yes, we’ve got plenty of big problems to solve here on Earth, but I also think it’s important that we Sapiens set ourselves enormous, […]Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleSpaceRichard BransonJeff BezosWubbo Ockelshttps://joeredston.com/journal/when-its-on-you-say-so/https://joeredston.com/journal/when-its-on-you-say-so/Autumn 2001, a friend and I are promoting a pantomime. I’ve never done this before, so am learning as I go from my significantly more experienced friend. He has the great idea of running a competition for tickets in collaboration with the local radio station. “I’m going on the breakfast show to do an interview […]Sat, 10 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationResponsibilityStorieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/winning-doesnt-make-you-right/https://joeredston.com/journal/winning-doesnt-make-you-right/Back to 1995, and I’m selling business telephone systems. [Spoiler alert – it didn’t last long.] Our sales trainer was a larger-than-life North Londoner. The sort of guy for whom selling was a competition, with winners and losers. “And I hate losers.” The first part of the sales process was getting past whoever answered the […]Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleValuesStorieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-best-boss-i-ever-had/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-best-boss-i-ever-had/At 12, I started working as a kitchen porter at a local hotel. [Yep, 12. It was run by my best friend’s mum and dad, and they were big fans of illegal child labour!] First day – I absolutely hated it. I was doing cutlery, and can vividly remember how utterly bored I was. But […]Wed, 19 May 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleStoriesCulturehttps://joeredston.com/journal/when-culture-goes-wrong/https://joeredston.com/journal/when-culture-goes-wrong/Late ’95, I moved to London for the second time and got a job as a luggage porter at a swanky hotel near Marble Arch. I’d worked in a hotel before, loved it, and thought this would be the same … Didn’t quite work out like that. Tips were everything, and £100 a shift wasn’t […]Mon, 03 May 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleStoriesCulturehttps://joeredston.com/journal/overpromising-and-underdelivering/https://joeredston.com/journal/overpromising-and-underdelivering/PART 1 :: My First Business I started my first business when I was 9. I built a go-kart, and painted it red, black and white. In the back of my geography exercise book, I roughed out a business plan. 2p a ride down the hill opposite Mum and Dad’s house. I reckoned I could […]Thu, 15 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationLessonsStorieshttps://joeredston.com/journal/sacred-footprints/https://joeredston.com/journal/sacred-footprints/The picture is taken from the top of Sri Pada in Sri Lanka, November 2005, at just after 6am. A month before, I had been physically exhausted, mentally stressed and spiritually empty, after a run of challenges in both my work and personal life. Some were undoubtedly my responsibility … others, not so much. I […]Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMTBalanceLifePeopleTravelBurnoutSri LankaAdventureMartin Luther Kinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2021/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2021/In no particular order, here are the most memorable books I read last year. They all changed me in some way. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did … Analogia by George DysonAn extraordinary journey through the differences and connections between analogue and digital – and why that matters – via Apaches, […]Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/spatial-v-linear-thinking/https://joeredston.com/journal/spatial-v-linear-thinking/When striving for something, we tend to assume it’s a linear, one-dimensional journey – but that is rarely the case. Sometimes it is. The Olympic 100m Final is linear. It’s judged simply on who crosses the line first. You don’t get a head start because of your skin colour. No bonus points for style. A […]Sun, 29 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeShades of greyABBALanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/i-dont-know/https://joeredston.com/journal/i-dont-know/Is the most sensible answer to all the big questions, “I don’t know”? We’re still dealing with the fallout from Covid-19. Will there be a vaccine? How long will it take? How effective will it be? The scientists working on it are doing their best – but no-one can give definitive answers. And if Covid-19 […]Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeChangeUncertaintySeth Godinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/born-lucky/https://joeredston.com/journal/born-lucky/I was born lucky. I’m white.Male.British.Straight.I have a stable, loving family.I have neither physical nor mental disability.In global terms, my income is top 1%. I did absolutely nothing to earn those privileges. Through blind luck, I have not faced a day – not even a single moment – of discrimination in my entire life. In […]Wed, 03 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleDiscriminationPrivilegeMartin Luther KingInequalityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/disappointment-v-regret/https://joeredston.com/journal/disappointment-v-regret/What’s the difference between disappointment and regret? And why does it matter? During challenging times, we may find ourselves feeling down about the things that happen – or don’t happen. This is entirely understandable – and it’s important to recognise and acknowledge our emotions, but how we frame things is vitally important. REGRET can be […]Sun, 03 May 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeDisappointmentRegretChallengeLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-you-spreading/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-you-spreading/Almost everything spreads – viruses, great ideas, fake news, cat pictures. Emotions. We’ve all experienced it – the person who darkens every room they enter. The person that always seems to lift us up, no matter how bad our day has been. ‘Emotional Contagion’ is a thing. We are influenced by the attitude and behaviour […]Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifePeopleEmotional ContagionEmotionsVirushttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-weird-are-you/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-weird-are-you/Think of three statements that begin with the words: “I am …” Remember your answers – we’ll come back to them in a moment. “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathan Haidt introduced me to the concept of WEIRDness, where WEIRD is an acronym of Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic. If you’re reading this, chances are […]Sun, 08 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleJonathan HaidtWEIRDCommunityLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/hurt-people-hurt-people/https://joeredston.com/journal/hurt-people-hurt-people/There are two sides to this story [as always]. If someone is hurting us we should ask ourselves – what is hurting them? And when we are hurting someone else – what is hurting us? Hurt people hurt people, it is true. But it is usually [always?] a symptom, not the cause.Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleHurtSymptom or Causehttps://joeredston.com/journal/planning-preparation-progress/https://joeredston.com/journal/planning-preparation-progress/First, you make a plan.Then you prepare to execute.Then you take the action needed to progress. It’s a fairly obvious sequence. Ready … Aim … Fire I’ve done things where I tried to move too fast. Ready … Ai -FIRE! Fire again! FIIIIIRREE! It didn’t end well. I tried to learn from that. Ready … […]Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPlanPrepareProgresshttps://joeredston.com/journal/effective-optimism/https://joeredston.com/journal/effective-optimism/Pessimists just aren’t nice to be around. All that doom and gloom drags you down. The attitude of helplessness is draining. On the other hand, excessive optimism can be just as frustrating – particularly when it ignores the fact that there’s work to be done. Where’s the balance? It’s not about thinking everything will work […]Sun, 23 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeBalancePessimismBalanceOptimismhttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-am-i-confused-about-climate-change/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-am-i-confused-about-climate-change/Last September, the UN’s IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] released a report which Ko Barrett, vice-chair of the IPCC said highlighted “the urgency of timely, ambitious, coordinated, and enduring actions. What’s at stake is the health of ecosystems, wildlife, and importantly, the world we leave our children.” To be clear, it was a 900-page […]Tue, 18 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeClimate ChangeImpactEnvironmentHannah ArendtAndrew McAfeeGreta ThunbergInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/balancing-commitment/https://joeredston.com/journal/balancing-commitment/When we commit to something – whether that is an activity, a principle, or a person – does that make us more, or less? Do we gain, or do we lose? It’s easy to see how making a commitment to improving our physical health is a good idea – it makes us a better person. […]Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeBalancePeopleBalanceBrene BrownCommitmenthttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-you-being-authentic-to/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-are-you-being-authentic-to/Authenticity has become something of a buzzword recently, but the concept goes back a long way – it’s something Aristotle was wrestling with a couple of thousand years ago. It’s not a new idea. In current usage, we associate it with people that are ‘being true to themselves’. But how far do we take that? […]Sun, 02 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleAristotleAuthenticityValueshttps://joeredston.com/journal/wear-your-scars-proudly/https://joeredston.com/journal/wear-your-scars-proudly/The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway Kintsugi (which translates to ‘golden joinery’) is a Japanese art form that uses lacquer mixed with gold to repair broken pottery. The idea is not to hide the breakage, but to celebrate it – the restoration becomes part of the […]Sun, 26 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeKintsugiFailureErnest Hemingwayhttps://joeredston.com/journal/its-not-just-a-jacket/https://joeredston.com/journal/its-not-just-a-jacket/In early October 2019, I was one of the lucky 300 to get one of the Batch No.2 Paynter Jackets. It arrived just before Christmas, and has quickly become one of my favourite items of clothing. Anyone who has met me will quickly realise I’m not that interested in ‘fashion’ – but I care deeply […]Mon, 20 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeBrandClothingEnvironmentPaynterhttps://joeredston.com/journal/resolutions-v-habits/https://joeredston.com/journal/resolutions-v-habits/We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit Will Durant, American author It’s that time of year when many of us start to feel guilty because we’ve already given up on our New Year’s Resolutions. If that sounds like you, then I have a suggestion – try thinking […]Sun, 12 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMTBalanceLifeHabitsResolutionsWill DurantLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2020/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2020/“Where To Begin” by Cleo Wade … that is the question … Over the course of an extraordinary year, I found myself turning to Cleo’s words time and again. Her deceptively simple poems have a way a cutting right to the core of what is truly important. “The Snow Leopard” by Peter Matthiessen On the […]Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksCleo WadeJonathan HaidtAlastair HumphreysJacqueline NovogratzInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/who-are-you-angry-with/https://joeredston.com/journal/who-are-you-angry-with/For many years now, I have been an avid fan and follower of Seth Godin. His books, podcast, and online courses are all excellent, but it is his daily blog that I find provides the most value. (Which is interesting in itself – he gives away his best ideas for free, every day…) Seth considers […]Sun, 15 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMTPeopleSymptom or CauseAngerViktor FranklSeth Godinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/its-never-black-and-white/https://joeredston.com/journal/its-never-black-and-white/In 1999, I took part in a cycling trip across Cuba. 26 year old me was 100% certain of himself – convinced he knew everything, and that anyone who saw things differently simply needed to be ‘educated’ with the ‘facts’ [as I saw them], and that if those ‘facts’ didn’t change your mind, then you […]Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMTBalanceCommunicationPolarisationShades of greyIt’s Always BothScott Carrierhttps://joeredston.com/journal/reaction-v-response/https://joeredston.com/journal/reaction-v-response/After surviving Nazi concentration camps, Viktor Frankl famously talked about the gap between stimulus and response. What he called “the last of the human freedoms” is our ability to choose our response to any given situation. I recently came across a variation of this idea in an interview with Harvard professor Sheila Heen, an expert […]Sun, 08 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMTBalanceCommunicationViktor FranklListenSheila HeenLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/confident-uncertainty/https://joeredston.com/journal/confident-uncertainty/There is a difference between confidence and certainty. Certainty is when we have 100% confidence – we are utterly convinced that we are right. We’ve done all the research, and all our information is completely correct and undeniable … this 100% confidence shuts down conversation. Certainty closes doors – it stops people disagreeing with you. […]Sun, 01 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationCertaintyShane ParrishSocratesConfidenceAnnie Dukehttps://joeredston.com/journal/attention-and-optimism/https://joeredston.com/journal/attention-and-optimism/With the growing awareness of the risks around the internet and how much of our attention it is taking, It’s understandable that this is accompanied with deep levels of scepticism and pessimism from many quarters. Data breaches, deep fakes, device addiction and social media abuse are just some of the things that people are rightly […]Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMTPeopleOptimismSocial MediaInternetTristan HarrisInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/zigzags-and-zebras/https://joeredston.com/journal/zigzags-and-zebras/It’s fair to say that I am addicted to podcasts, and one of my favourites is ZigZag. In the words of host Manoush Zomorodi, it’s about “the changing culture of business and work” – but I’d say there’s a bit more to it than that. There is a business thread that runs through the episodes, […]Sun, 17 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPodcastTechnologyManoush ZomorodiJen Poyanthttps://joeredston.com/journal/dogs-and-mirrors/https://joeredston.com/journal/dogs-and-mirrors/My Portuguese Water Dog, Scout, turned seven today. [If you’re wondering why the breed seems familiar, it’s what the Obamas have – I got mine first, though]. I’m not one of those dog owners who treats their pet like a surrogate child, but there’s no doubt that she’s a big part of my life. Aside […]Fri, 26 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunicationPatienceSymptom or Causehttps://joeredston.com/journal/silence-is-dangerous/https://joeredston.com/journal/silence-is-dangerous/Studies across the world have repeatedly shown that in around 85% of businesses, people are aware that there are problems but are afraid to raise them. In her book and TED talks, Margaret Heffernan calls this ‘Willful Blindness’ – the point where we have chosen to ignore something because that seems like the easier path. […]Thu, 28 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationSilenceCourageCommunicationMargaret Heffernanhttps://joeredston.com/journal/cheat-days-and-debt-cards/https://joeredston.com/journal/cheat-days-and-debt-cards/In his book “The 4-Hour Body”, one of the many things Tim Ferriss talks about is the Slow Carb Diet. Go here for details, but for now I want to focus on one of the key components – Cheat Day. The basic idea is that you follow the eating programme strictly for six days of […]Sun, 17 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationInner criticLanguageTim FerrissLudwig Wittgensteinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/finding-your-truth/https://joeredston.com/journal/finding-your-truth/One of my most inspirational friends is working on a big project at the moment, with the potential to impact thousands – maybe even millions – of people all over the world. (I realise my saying that without providing you with any details is a bit frustrating, but unfortunately I can’t say more than that […]Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleCallingEgoTruthJacqueline NovogratzJessica EnnisNelson MandelaGary Vaynerchukhttps://joeredston.com/journal/when-compromise-becomes-surrender/https://joeredston.com/journal/when-compromise-becomes-surrender/COMPROMISE : A settlement reached by mutual consent through concession on both sides. In principle, compromise sounds sensible – the idea that we are open enough to listen to other views, and incorporate them into our thinking in order to arrive at a solution that works for all parties sounds great. But when does it […]Wed, 06 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationBalanceCompromiseCourageSacrificeStephen Coveyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/using-gung-fu-to-develop-arete-in-pursuit-of-your-dharma/https://joeredston.com/journal/using-gung-fu-to-develop-arete-in-pursuit-of-your-dharma/One of the things that strikes me over and over as I read, listen and learn is how we see the same ideas repeated time and again throughout history. Often these are surprisingly practical – “Man is a goal setting animal” said Aristotle in the 4th century BCE, and 2500 years later, Brian Tracy wrote […]Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMTLifeAreteDharmaGung FuHistory of IdeasAristotleBrian Tracyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-i-am-afraid-of/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-i-am-afraid-of/I listened to Chase Jarvis interview Lewis Howes this week, where he recommends writing a list of your fears as a way to analyse – and potentially overcome – them. I decided to give it a go … My list included everything from my fears of drowning and dancing in public (in private is a […]Sun, 17 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceBrene BrownChase JarvisFearLewis Howeshttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-paradox-of-love/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-paradox-of-love/I’m not sure there are ever any absolutes in life – least of all when it comes to Love – but if anyone can help with this sort of problem, then it is the deeply thoughtful Maria Popova and her fantastic Brain Pickings website … A social media link yesterday led me to a deep […]Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMTPeopleBalanceBrain PickingsLoveParadox of LoveRilkeGibranMaria PopovaEsther Perelhttps://joeredston.com/journal/confidence-is-a-skill/https://joeredston.com/journal/confidence-is-a-skill/Confidence … something that many of us feel we could do with more of. I’m not talking about brashness here – being loud and ‘confident’ in social situations. I’m not talking about getting your own way because you express your views eloquently and forcefully. I’m talking about the more important type of confidence. The quiet, […]Sun, 10 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCommunicationTim FerrissBeliefSimon Sinekhttps://joeredston.com/journal/the-set-of-your-sail/https://joeredston.com/journal/the-set-of-your-sail/There’s a 1916 poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox that contains the lines: One ship sails East,And another West,By the self-same winds that blow,‘Tis the set of the sailsAnd not the gales,That tells the way we go. The idea that it is not the direction of the wind, but the set of our sails that determines […]Sun, 27 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipDag HammarskjoldEE CummingsElla Wheeler WilcoxJim RohnSet of the Sailhttps://joeredston.com/journal/whose-story-are-you-telling/https://joeredston.com/journal/whose-story-are-you-telling/I’ve been massively inspired this week by an extraordinarily moving talk I heard on The Moth podcast. Elizabeth Gilbert – she of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ fame – tells the story of the last months of her partner Rayya’s life. The piece that particularly resonated with me was when Liz talks about her plans for Rayya’s […]Sun, 20 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMTPeopleCommunication7 HabitsEat Pray LoveElizabeth GilbertThe MothStephen Coveyhttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-are-your-resolutions-going/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-are-your-resolutions-going/We’re two weeks into 2019. One twenty-sixth of the year has already gone by … How are your New Year Resolutions going? If that’s a slightly uncomfortable question for you to answer, here’s a couple of things that might help. Do a ‘Past Year Review’ instead of making Resolutions.(And no, it’s not too late to […]Sun, 13 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMTLifeAdmiral McRavenDone appKaizenPast Year ReviewSeth Godinhttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2019/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2019/I managed at least a book a week again in 2019. In no particular order, here are my favourites: “Meaningful Work” by Shawn Askinosie In addition to making some of the best chocolate in the world, Askinosie have fed over 1 million students in Tanzania and the Philippines by feeding 2500+ students a day, they […]Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksSeth GodinRobert PirsigJason FriedDavid Heinemeier HanssonAustin KleonInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-you-play-monopoly/https://joeredston.com/journal/how-do-you-play-monopoly/It’s Christmas, and as we all know, one good way to destroy the happy family atmosphere is with a friendly game of Monopoly! It’s a game with a long history, but what I hadn’t realised until recently was that the original game was designed to warn players about the dangers of a monopoly. Unfortunately, over […]Sat, 29 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTPeopleLifeSeth GodinGary VaynerchukJason FriedDavid Heinemeier HanssonSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-shortcut/https://joeredston.com/journal/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-shortcut/In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge fan of Tim Ferriss. Tim calls himself a human guinea pig, and is constantly looking for hacks in every area of life, from work to health to learning. If you’re unfamiliar with Tim’s work, a book like ‘The 4-Hour Body’ contains advice on […]Sun, 23 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTBalanceTim FerrissShane Parrishhttps://joeredston.com/journal/do-one-thing-well/https://joeredston.com/journal/do-one-thing-well/“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn’t any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it’s right. If it disturbs you it’s wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.” Robert M. Pirsig The quote is from ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance‘ that I’ve been […]Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationRobert PirsigDavid Hieatthttps://joeredston.com/journal/are-you-nervous-because-youre-underprepared-or-because-you-care/https://joeredston.com/journal/are-you-nervous-because-youre-underprepared-or-because-you-care/I did my first live gig as a drummer about 3 months after I first picked up a pair of sticks. I don’t remember much about the playing (which is probably a good thing, frankly!), but I can clearly remember how incredibly nervous I felt. A few weeks ago, I facilitated a corporate event for […]Sun, 09 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTPeopleTiger Woodshttps://joeredston.com/journal/rarajipari-the-game-of-life/https://joeredston.com/journal/rarajipari-the-game-of-life/“You never know how hard it will be. You never know when it will end. You can’t control it, you can only adjust. And no-one gets through it on their own.” Angel Nava Lopez, Tarahumura school teacher Rarajipari is a game played by the Tarahumura tribe of Mexico, brought to the world’s attention by Christopher […]Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleAngel Nava LopezChristopher McDougallhttps://joeredston.com/journal/think-big-act-small/https://joeredston.com/journal/think-big-act-small/I seem to have been getting the same message from a few different places this week! I’ve been reading ‘The One Thing’, a practical book about getting things done by focusing on one single task at a time. In order to work out which task we should be doing, authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan […]Thu, 22 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceGary KellerJay PapasanGary VaynerchukChris Guillebeauhttps://joeredston.com/journal/find-your-own-garden/https://joeredston.com/journal/find-your-own-garden/A year ago, I was in South Africa with 15 amazing people working on a project to provide a drop-in centre for vulnerable children in a remote part of the country. It was a life-changing trip, in many, many ways, and I obviously have hundreds of unforgettable memories as a result. One of the first […]Sun, 18 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalanceNelson MandelaRichard Stengelhttps://joeredston.com/journal/take-time-to-remove-the-thorns/https://joeredston.com/journal/take-time-to-remove-the-thorns/There is an old Zulu legend about a traveller who gets a thorn stuck in his foot. The wise man plucks it out – the fool leaves it there as a reminder of his journey. A recent car journey made me think of the story again. The driver of our car was complaining that the […]Sun, 11 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershiphttps://joeredston.com/journal/integrity-is-a-verb/https://joeredston.com/journal/integrity-is-a-verb/“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.” CS Lewis This quote is one of my favourites, and one that I thought I was trying to live by. However, I’ve been reading the excellent ‘Legacy’ this week, which is a book about what we can all learn from the New Zealand […]Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipCS LewisJames KerrSeth GodinTim Ferrisshttps://joeredston.com/journal/bold-humility/https://joeredston.com/journal/bold-humility/“Humility is the most over-rated of human emotions.” So says Harvey Mackay in his book, “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”, and Mackay is a very well respected author and businessman. When I read that, I was horrified. The people I admire all have a degree of humility about them – along with […]Wed, 03 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMTBalanceNelson MandelaGandhiHarvey MackayWarren SusmanMartin Luther Kinghttps://joeredston.com/journal/4-minute-miles-and-2-hour-marathons/https://joeredston.com/journal/4-minute-miles-and-2-hour-marathons/Last weekend in Berlin, Eliud Kipchoge set a new world record for the marathon of 2:01:39. He averaged 4:38 per mile, and took an astonishing 78 seconds off the previous record. Kipchoge has trained for years in order to set that world record. For decades he has monitored his diet and sleeping habits, has run […]Fri, 21 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipEliud KipchogeRoger Bannisterhttps://joeredston.com/journal/letting-go-v-holding-on/https://joeredston.com/journal/letting-go-v-holding-on/I have been interested in Chinese martial arts for as long as I can remember – and whether I was watching the ‘Kung Fu’ TV series, or Bruce Lee in ‘Enter the Dragon’, it was always the philosophy that caught my attention more than the physical side. I’ve been re-reading “The Shaolin Grandmaster’s Text”, and there’s […]Fri, 07 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMTBalanceCommunicationBruce LeeLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-can-you-do-with-10-minutes-a-day/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-can-you-do-with-10-minutes-a-day/Is there anything you’ve always wanted to learn? Maybe a language? A musical instrument? Or how to build a website? One of the things that holds most of us back is the idea that the thing we want to learn is too big – when you’re just starting out, it can seem overwhelming. You’re probably […]Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/we-can-always-do-better/https://joeredston.com/journal/we-can-always-do-better/Study a flower – it’s the imperfections that make it beautiful. When we work on something that we care about, knowing when to stop can be hard. We tell ourselves to keep editing … to keep making those infinitesimal changes that only we can see, because we care – we want it to be absolutely […]Fri, 03 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipBalancehttps://joeredston.com/journal/is-technology-a-symptom-or-the-cause/https://joeredston.com/journal/is-technology-a-symptom-or-the-cause/After hearing his TED talk, I became very interested in what Tristan Harris was doing at the Centre for Humane Technology. Essentially, he is one of a growing number of tech experts who are concerned about the impact technology – particularly social media – is having on us both as individuals, and society as a whole. With […]Tue, 10 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMTLifeTristan HarrisGary VaynerchukSocial Mediahttps://joeredston.com/journal/setting-goals-v-acquiring-skills/https://joeredston.com/journal/setting-goals-v-acquiring-skills/“Man is a goal setting machine,” said Aristotle, more than 2000 years ago. That message has been echoed time and again by lots of very smart people in the intervening years – everyone from Seneca through to Benjamin E. Mays. I’ve had some success with goal setting, but the simple fact is that none of […]Fri, 22 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMTPeopleTim FerrissScott AdamsAristotleLanguagehttps://joeredston.com/journal/should-ngos-do-an-amazon/https://joeredston.com/journal/should-ngos-do-an-amazon/The five Big Tech companies together are valued at about $3.5billion. The entire UK economy generates around $2.6billion. The combined influence of Apple, Alphabet (who own Google), Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft is extraordinary, affects all of our lives on a daily basis, and is only going to increase. Amazon purchased Whole Foods last year, and […]Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMTCommunicationLeadershipJohn Elkingtonhttps://joeredston.com/journal/why-the-quick-fix-is-a-bad-idea/https://joeredston.com/journal/why-the-quick-fix-is-a-bad-idea/When we are confronted with a challenging situation, our first instinct is to just make it go away as quickly as possible. The tendency is to look for the quickest and simplest solution, but this may not always be the best idea. Our greatest successes usually come when we can move to what Shane Parrish […]Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMTLifeLeadershipShane Parrishhttps://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2018/https://joeredston.com/journal/my-best-reads-of-2018/In no particular order, my top ten reads from 2018 are: “Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu and Ursula Le Guin Ursula Le Guin is one of my absolute favourite writers, and she died in January 2018, so reading her interpretation of this classic made perfect sense to me. It’s important to note this isn’t […]Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMTLifeBooksDavid HieattJames KerrTim FerrissInfluenceshttps://joeredston.com/journal/an-inspiring-inbox/https://joeredston.com/journal/an-inspiring-inbox/Emails can sometimes seem like a waste of time. Almost by accident, most of us end up subscribing to a bunch of stuff we never actually read. I’ve taken the time in the last few months to unsubscribe from the rubbish, and so my inbox today was a particularly rich source of inspiration. In the […]Fri, 29 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifeMaria PopovaSeth GodinAustin KleonTim Ferrisshttps://joeredston.com/journal/what-happened-on-your-birthday/https://joeredston.com/journal/what-happened-on-your-birthday/I recently signed up to a series of emails from Mike at Fevered Mutterings called “You’re So Not Bored” where he gives you ideas for things to do when you are bored. One of them is to find out everything you can about the day you were born … Up until yesterday, about the only […]Mon, 23 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifehttps://joeredston.com/journal/quick-guide-to-iceland/https://joeredston.com/journal/quick-guide-to-iceland/Two years ago, I spent a brilliant couple of days in Iceland. A friend of mine is heading out there soon, and asked me about what I’d done, and where I’d been … it occurred to me that a quick guide to Iceland might be useful to a few other people out there as well, […]Wed, 11 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifeAdventurehttps://joeredston.com/journal/push-up-challenge-1-year-on/https://joeredston.com/journal/push-up-challenge-1-year-on/Some of you will remember the 22 Push-Up Challenge that did the rounds last summer, raising awareness of PTSD. Like a lot of people, I was nominated by a couple of friends. I remember wondering if there was any point to it – would filming myself doing 22 push-ups really make any difference to PTSD […]Mon, 11 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMTPeoplehttps://joeredston.com/journal/an-unexpected-gig/https://joeredston.com/journal/an-unexpected-gig/Several weeks ago, I went to a jam session and played with a couple of local musicians I’d not worked with before. It must have been OK, as they asked me to help out supporting the brilliant Hannah White last night. Organised by the local hospital radio station, Sunshine Radio, the gig took place at […]Mon, 31 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleMusicHannah Whitehttps://joeredston.com/journal/one-night-in-a-bivvy-bag/https://joeredston.com/journal/one-night-in-a-bivvy-bag/Over the years, I’ve camped quite a lot. Often in north Devon, and always in a tent. But this week, I came across the phrase ‘bivvy bag’ for the first time, and now the rules of camping have changed. A bivvy (short for bivouac, and sometimes spelt ‘bivi’) bag is a waterproof cover for a […]Mon, 17 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMTBalanceAdventureAlastair Humphreyshttps://joeredston.com/journal/blues-and-boogie-jam-night/https://joeredston.com/journal/blues-and-boogie-jam-night/About a year ago, a guy I know took over running a local Arts Centre. They have all sorts of interesting things going on and I spend quite a lot of time there (nothing at all to do with the amazing coconut and lime cake they sell). Today, they had their first ‘Big Piano Blues […]Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifeMusicThelonious Monkhttps://joeredston.com/journal/paddle-out-loud/https://joeredston.com/journal/paddle-out-loud/Most of us want to make a difference somehow. Recently, I read the book Doing Good Better, which really made me think, and re-assess some of the things that I do, and the way I do them. There are so many good causes out there that it can be overwhelming, and our attention is easily […]Mon, 26 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMTLifePeopleAdventureCommunityhttps://joeredston.com/journal/nine-hours-on-scafell-pike/https://joeredston.com/journal/nine-hours-on-scafell-pike/In my head, mountains are things that are thousands of metres high, and usually covered in snow. When someone suggested hiking up Scafell Pike in the Lake District, my first thought was “that sounds fun” (my first thought about most things), and on finding out Scafell is ‘only’ 978m, my second thought was “shame it’s […]Sat, 10 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipPeopleAdventureEdmund Hillaryhttps://joeredston.com/journal/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/https://joeredston.com/journal/dont-sweat-the-big-stuff/People say “don’t sweat the small stuff”. Let’s turn that around. What happens if you decide not to sweat the big stuff? Today, 20 January 2017, Donald Trump officially became the 45th President of the US. On social media people are essentially claiming this is either the end of days … or the dawning of […]Fri, 20 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMTLeadershipLifeStephen CoveyCircle of InfluenceDonald Trump