September (the ‘second January’) is a great chance to reset to a sustainable rhythm which brings the best out of us.

So you’ve returned from holiday, still finding sand in unusual places, still wondering whether you could give it all up to make hand-pressed Olive Oil in Greece.

80% of all humans have got a problem with Alan.

We talk a lot about morning routines. Well at least I do.

There are many things in life we 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 control.

Why do we find it hard to switch off from work?

Well most obviously, the brain doesn’t have an ‘off’ switch.

In my workshops, many people report finding it hard to switch off from work, which is unsurprising, as the brain doesn’t have an ‘off’ switch.

You know what it’s like.

This is a hotel room I stayed in recently, with the desk facing away from the window.

One of the most underrated focus hacks out there…what we eat

Quick story on the risks of distraction…

Why don’t we do the things we know we should do?

For many of us there’s a tendency to think of lack of focus and distraction as the new normal. Just another casualty of the Information Age.

How does improving focus help people?

There is plenty of evidence that focus helps performance.

Sitting in my hotel room, staring out at Niagara Falls.

A few years ago I read this Sunday Times article about how in golf, one lapse of concentration can be the difference between winning and losing.

More than any of the 4 stages of a High Performance Routine, improving the Focus stage has transformed my life the most.

One of the reasons people feel so exhausted is they’re paying a huge cognitive cost from constant context switching.

Here are 5 ways you can reduce this cost to regain your energy.

What’s the most valuable skill in the workplace?

It turns out it’s actually *not* the art of pretending to look busy on Zoom calls.

When I created the High Performance Routines framework I really wanted to explore how well supported it was by empirical research.

What empirical evidence exists to support the idea that preparation rituals can improve performance and engagement

One recent study gave participants two short rituals:

What’s the biggest difference between elite performers in sport and in business?

In 2012 the Nebraska Tourist Board came up with a slogan (h/t Gretchen Rubin) to promote the state:

“Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone”

“So how do you lift weights THAT heavy?!”

I asked incredulously to the coach of the weightlifting team I was working with, prior to the Tokyo Olympics.