Nicholas Bate

March 2018 Redux

1. Jagged Thoughts for Jagged Times to Infinity and Beyond
   • including Does it Bring you Misery? Delete it.
2. Basics 7
   • including Re-Setting your Personal Compass
3. Awesome Presenting 50
   • including Rock-Star Good
4. The Tools of Excellence 25
   • including A Wall and a Ball
5.  Brilliant at the Basics of Business 100
   • including Get to the Airport early 
6. Why We Love The Beatles 100
   • including From Road to Studio

You, Only Better. The Book.

Bonus 1: Jan/Feb 2018 Redux

Bonus 2: The Essential Posts of 2017

Bonus 3: The Essential Posts of 2016

Bonus 4: The Essential Posts of 2015

Bonus 5: The Smart Bloggers 

Music

sorted.

Basics 7: The Joy of Chocolate

1. All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. Charles M Schulz.
2. Choose quality over quantity every time. 
3. Explore the incredible range of new producers whilst avoiding the marketing buzz words, 'single estate' etc.
4. Eat slowly for maximum pleasure. That really is mindfulness.
5. Perfect at a break on a hike with a brew of coffee.
6. Add a few chunks to your trail mix. 
7. Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. Michael Levine.

Setting Your Personal Compass

Getting Your Novel Started

How To Tidy up The Flat

How to Get Better at Writing

How To Be Happy

How to s l o w down time.

Things Which Help When You Are Stuck

The Walk 7

Planning your Day 7;

How To Worry Less

R&R 7

Running 7; Meetings 7; Strategic Marketing 7; Leadership 7

Wellness 7; Coffee 7; Creativity 7; Confidence 7; Presenting 7;

Fast, Wholesome Cookery 7; Fitness 7; Productivity 7

Sales 7; Negotiation 7; E-Mail 7; Making a Decision 7

Writing 7; Career 7; Simple Meditation 7

Mindset 7; International Travel 7; Fitness on the Road 7

Parenting 7; Reading 7 ; Food Shopping 7

Brainstorming 7; Fitness at the Office 7

Strategic Planning 7; The Job Hunt 7; English Weather 7

Project Management 7; Personal Effectiveness 7

Re-Boot 7; Personal Resilience 7; Back to Work 7

Faster Reading with no Loss of Comprehension 7

Autumn 7; Saturday 7; Better Writing 7

Getting Stuff Done 7; Being Indispensable 7

Christmas 7

Things That Heal 7

The Perfect Day 7

Awesome Presenting 50, 21: No Branding

The benefits of branding-uniformity, consistency, sameness-are great for high-street coffee shops, cool for airlines and handy for jeans. But they can make your presentation full of sameness; and that's not a good thing when you want people to stay alert and be thinking. So a discreet logo on your handful of PowerPoints might be good but otherwise be different: in voice, in theatre and typeface.

Fast-track your progress with the book. 

Be Bold with the book.

Awesome Presenting 1: It starts with why.

Awesome Presenting 2: Don't blame PowerPoint

Awesome Presenting 3: Be Clear on the Goal

Awesome presenting 4: Think Movie

Awesome presenting 5: More Stories

Awesome Presenting 6: Brilliant at the Basics

Awesome Presenting 7: Beginning-Middle-Action

Awesome Presenting 8: More Spikes

Awesome Presenting 9: Rehearse

Awesome Presenting 10: Add Value

Awesome Presenting 11: Don't 'mash'

Awesome Presenting 12: Get There Early

Awesome Presenting 13: Be Different

Awesome Presenting 14: Review, Learn and Improve.

Awesome Presenting 15: Not a script, a storyboard.

Awesome Presenting 16: Never Fear a Presentation Again.

Awesome Presenting 17: Build Pace into your Presentation

Awesome Presenting 18: Think Rock-Star Good

Awesome Presenting 19: Don't Leave it all to the Organisers.

Awesome Presenting 20: Be Professional

Awesome Presenting 21: What is your Plan B?

Fast-track your progress with the book. 

Be Bold with the book.

Awesome Presenting 1: It starts with why.

Awesome Presenting 2: Don't blame PowerPoint

Awesome Presenting 3: Be Clear on the Goal

Awesome presenting 4: Think Movie

Awesome presenting 5: More Stories

Awesome Presenting 6: Brilliant at the Basics

Awesome Presenting 7: Beginning-Middle-Action

Awesome Presenting 8: More Spikes

Awesome Presenting 9: Rehearse

Awesome Presenting 10: Add Value

Awesome Presenting 11: Don't 'mash'

Awesome Presenting 12: Get There Early

Awesome Presenting 13: Be Different

Awesome Presenting 14: Review, Learn and Improve.

Awesome Presenting 15: Not a script, a storyboard.

Awesome Presenting 16: Never Fear a Presentation Again.

Awesome Presenting 17: Build Pace into your Presentation

Awesome Presenting 18: Think Rock-Star Good

Awesome Presenting 19: Don't Leave it all to the Organisers.

Awesome Presenting 20: Be Professional

Awesome Presenting 21: What is your Plan B?

Fast-track your progress with the book. 

Be Bold with the book.

Awesome Presenting 1: It starts with why.

Awesome Presenting 2: Don't blame PowerPoint

Awesome Presenting 3: Be Clear on the Goal

Awesome presenting 4: Think Movie

Awesome presenting 5: More Stories

Awesome Presenting 6: Brilliant at the Basics

Awesome Presenting 7: Beginning-Middle-Action

Awesome Presenting 8: More Spikes

Awesome Presenting 9: Rehearse

Awesome Presenting 10: Add Value

Awesome Presenting 11: Don't 'mash'

Awesome Presenting 12: Get There Early

Awesome Presenting 13: Be Different

Awesome Presenting 14: Review, Learn and Improve.

Awesome Presenting 15: Not a script, a storyboard.

Awesome Presenting 16: Never Fear a Presentation Again.

Awesome Presenting 17: Build Pace into your Presentation

Awesome Presenting 18: Think Rock-Star Good

Awesome Presenting 19: Don't Leave it all to the Organisers.

Awesome Presenting 20: Be Professional

Awesome Presenting 21: What is your Plan B?

The 25 Essential Tools of Excellence (v2), 9: The Swiss Army Knife

Man is a generalist. No harm in that: he/she is remarkably adept at adapting and to enhance this process has created a batch of tools which allows him/her to perform to the highest levels.

What are the essential Tools of Excellence?

9: The Swiss Army Knife

Of course it had to be on the list. Who hasn't been delighted at the versatility of the well made device and its ability to keep the party going (open cans and bottles), patch the tent leak (cut and sew), simply apportion the birthday cake or remove snakes from restaurants (private correspondence with blog reader).

So many of us used to carry one with us at all times. In the days after 9/11 there were greater and heavier concerns so it was the end of the accessible knife in your cabin bag; my original disappeared with so many others into crates of knives, fluids and miscellaneous otherwise handy items.

But you can still have one on your desk. Or your check-in bag.

The Excellence Kit-Bag so far:

1: The Wall and A Ball

2: The Play List

3: The Back of an Envelope

4: Perfect Coffee

5: The Stop Watch

6: The Skipping Rope

7: Trail-Mix

8: The Treasured Note/Photo

Bonus: How To be Brilliant. 

Nobody Can Do Recovery

on their own.

Brilliant at the Basics of Business (v2) 100, 45

For your business, have a plan. But it doesn't need to be as finely tuned as a NASA flight document. Ask any entrepreneur: the details only came together once they had launched.

Fast-Track with The Book

B@BofBiz One talk normally

B@BofBiz Two first impressions

B@BofBiz Three: make price the smallest issue

B@BofBiz Four: your brand reality

B@BofBiz Five: success can destroy you 

B@BofBiz Six if you are serious, then 0825 not 0832

B@BofBiz Seven forget 'closing' techniques

B@BofBiz Eight your business isn't special

B@Bof Biz Nine one 3 x 5 card

B@Bof Biz Ten PPT slides: are they real?

B@Bof Biz Eleven Stop wishing, start selling

B@BofBiz Twelve Don't Walk By

B@BofBiz Thirteen Are you excited about your business?

B@BofBiz Fourteen Quarter to quarter: no limping.

B@BofBiz: Fifteen Agility

B@BofBiz; Sixteen No 'about'

B@BofBiz: Seventeen Train Your People.

B@BofBiz: Eighteen Planning is good. But it isn't reality.

B@BofBiz: Nineteen Everybody Sells

B@BofBiz Twenty Simply Be Better

B@BofBiz Twenty One Watch The Numbers

B@BofBiz Twenty Two Price To Sleep Well

B@BofBiz Twenty Three Now. Only now. Have that coffee.

B@BofBiz Twenty Four Some are just messers. Let them go.

B@BofBiz Twenty Five Don't Wait for luck

B@BofBiz Twenty Six Is The Customer Always Right?

B@BofBiz: Twenty Seven What's with the rivalry, huh?

B@BofBiz: Twenty Eight Do Not Set Price Quickly

B@BofBiz: Twenty Nine Know Where You Make Your Money

B@BofBiz: Thirty Keep it Lean, Mean and Frugal

B@BofBiz: Thirty One: Get Closer

B@BofBIz: Thirty Two: Stay Alert

B@BofBiz: Thirty Three: Get skilful

B@BofBiz: Thirty Four: What would you do differently?

B@BofBiz: Thirty Five: What are you reading?

B@BofBiz: Thirty Six: Plan-Do-Review

B@BofBiz: ThirtySeven: Not Just KPIs

B@BofBiz: ThirtyEight: Not Just Job Title

B@BofBiz: ThirtyNine: Don't Love Every Customer

B@BofBiz: Forty: Respect the Relationship

B@BofBiz: FortyOne: Get to the Airport Early

B@BofBiz: FortyTwo: Write Better Notes.

B@BofBiz: FortyThree: Pure Gold for Performance Improvement.

B@BofBiz: FortyFour: Get On With It

Ahhh. Those Heavy Roll Down Maps

The comforting red of an empire....

At Last

Ikea self-assembly will be easy.

Awesome Presenting 50, 21: Plan B

Plan B. The AV goes down. The previous speaker over-runs and you are asked to cut short. Nobody did the pre-thinking because they didn't get the mail from HR. A fire-alarm goes off just before your power summary. Have fun thinking through how you would cope with worst-case scenarios during your once-in-a-lifetime pitch. You'll become a stronger, more confident and focused presenter. And one day one of those scenarios will happen. 

Fast-track your progress with the book. 

Be Bold with the book.

Awesome Presenting 1: It starts with why.

Awesome Presenting 2: Don't blame PowerPoint

Awesome Presenting 3: Be Clear on the Goal

Awesome presenting 4: Think Movie

Awesome presenting 5: More Stories

Awesome Presenting 6: Brilliant at the Basics

Awesome Presenting 7: Beginning-Middle-Action

Awesome Presenting 8: More Spikes

Awesome Presenting 9: Rehearse

Awesome Presenting 10: Add Value

Awesome Presenting 11: Don't 'mash'

Awesome Presenting 12: Get There Early

Awesome Presenting 13: Be Different

Awesome Presenting 14: Review, Learn and Improve.

Awesome Presenting 15: Not a script, a storyboard.

Awesome Presenting 16: Never Fear a Presentation Again.

Awesome Presenting 17: Build Pace into your Presentation

Awesome Presenting 18: Think Rock-Star Good

Awesome Presenting 19: Don't Leave it all to the Organisers.

Awesome Presenting 20: Be Professional