NEEDLE.

A woodland epiphany.

Hello dear reader - welcome to the Wednesday Weekly.

Have you ever felt that you know you're capable; that you have the right tools, but that because of a particular environment, or perhaps an external factor, it feels like threading a needle in the dark?

I’ve been thinking for some time what to do with my social media, and on Monday while in the woods, where my mind is most free and creative, it came to me.

It’s been difficult to know what to post with such an eclectic job speaking at conferences; advising on behaviour change; presenting on TV; writing books; sometimes creating gardens and championing the environment, and all the other things I want to pack in to life while I’m here.

But there is a golden thread, and one I think will be useful and valuable to you and me.

For 21 years I’ve shown organisations worldwide, and the people who work for them, how to get better behaviours for bigger results (which can mean different things to different people at different times).

The thread that connects everything I do is discovering the best version of ourselves to live a life of value and meaning that is happy and fulfilled. It’s underscored, for me, by reading and practicing elements of Buddhism and Stoicism (patience, value, kindness, understanding etc) and the behaviour and mindset strategies I’ve taught to hundreds of thousands of people around the world (millions if you count TV and YouTube!).

If I’m working with organisations like Xerox or Volkswagen on leadership or culture, for example, what is at the heart of my work is behaviour change: thinking differently to get different results.

And so there I was, in the woods, realising that what seemed for so long to be competing interests which didn’t quite fit together, actually are all neatly tied together by the one thing that can help us all live a more meaningful life (the very life we are not guaranteed for any longer than today in this moment): how we think, feel, and behave.

I’ll be posting on LinkedIn and Instagram, every day - no matter where I am in the world or what I’m doing - thoughts and strategies for you, and for me, to discover the best versions of ourselves.

If you want to catch up or revisit them easily, I’ve created a playlist on my YouTube channel here.

And that's what Wednesday Weekly has really always been about: a mid-week moment to pause, reflect, and ask if we're on the right track.

If you ever feel you're sat trying to thread a needle in the dark, stop accepting lesser conditions that increase stress and reduce the likelihood of your success. Find the light; change the task, or adapt to the conditions. If you're sat in the darkness, successfully threading a needle is the least of your problems.

Thanks for being a part of my journey so far; I hope you’ll stick around.

With kindness always,

Jez

PS. I'm almost finished with the first draft of my new book and considering releasing a limited edition, signed hardback in a beautiful cloth cover before it goes to the publisher to become a mass paperback. Would something like that be of interest, or shall I just send to the publisher?