Your Time With James Sweetman jamessweetman

This week I’m pondering the question – am I addicted to self-improvement? It might sound like an odd question for someone who has worked full time in the personal development industry for the last twenty years, but too much of anything is not so good, and there is a dark side to self-help, one that presupposes that who you are isn’t enough. I’ll take you through some of the warning signs that suggest your self-improvement may have become self-defeating. I’ll share with you the antidote for over reliance on self-improvement too. This week’s episode is a reminder that we should never trade happiness for the pursuit of happiness.

As someone who has worked as a professional motivational speaker for 20 years, and who has delivered countless presentation skills workshops, this week I’ll show you how to present confidently to senior managers. In addition to best practices around opening strongly, handling questions and using visuals, because delivering presentations is also about self-belief, exercising courage and moving beyond the limitations we place on ourselves, I share some self-management techniques, also known as ways to keep those presentation nerves in check.

What role does courage play in your life? There are six different types of courage and this week, I’ll take you through each one, so you can see how many you recognise. I also look at why being brave is not the same as being courageous. Courage is often associated with grand acts of heroism, but in reality, courage is more nuanced and deeply personal. Courage underpins so many facets of our lives. It’s the quality at the heart of all change, it’s a vital leadership trait and it’s found on the starting line of every goal, desired result or success.

Most of us operate a belief that goes something like -one day when I achieve enough, earn enough, am successful enough, slim enough, spiritual enough, loving enough, qualified enough, or selfless enough then I will feel worthy. On my podcast this week, to that limiting belief I’m saying, enough. I’m delving into the topic of worthiness. I’ll take you through what has been a gamechanger for me when it comes to self-worthiness and why, if you wish to enhance your self-confidence and feelings of worthiness, that it is vital to understand the difference between the two.

This week I’m exploring the topic of habits and how even well-intentioned habits can be the hidden cause of boredom in our lives. Just as organisations apply kaizen techniques to enhance productivity, we can personalise that drive for continuous improvement in our quest for greater prosperity, or success. But life is not an assembly plant and we are not machines. So this week, I posing the question is your over-routinized life draining your spirit? I would have to answer yes, so I’m also sharing what I’m doing about it.

We all know the adage - when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. That’s the theory, but in reality, sometimes life just punches you in the guts. I’m currently experiencing just such a time. In fact, over the last few years it seems that I’ve had so many lemons thrown at me that I could open a lemonade factory! On this week’s episode I speak about how I cope with life’s curveballs and how I try to manage my well-being during challenging times. I hope you find these insights and tips helpful when life gives you lemons.