What does a good career look like today? When graduates struggle to find work and midlife professionals dream of quitting, is that even the right question? As a seventies child I was part of Gen X, the first cohort to see cracks appearing in the promise of endless growth, predictable careers and secure retirement. TodayContinue reading “What makes a good career?”
Category Archives: life
Reflective questions to review and plan your year
The end of the year is always a good time to reflect. My 2025 was a year of growth and adventure, but also challenges. Here are some questions I am asking myself. I hope you find them useful, too. Looking back on 2025 The here and now Looking ahead to 2026 Bonus questions I can’tContinue reading “Reflective questions to review and plan your year”
Feeling seen as part of a community
Thank you to the anonymous person(s) who nominated me for the GEO100 award announced today. I feel very touched ❤️ You know who you are, even if I don’t! I love working with people and today’s award is a reminder of how strong the geospatial community is. Paradoxically, the recognition means a lot to meContinue reading “Feeling seen as part of a community”
Books and ideas for your midlife career
The summer holidays are a great time to reflect on what we want from our lives and careers. Below are some books and ideas I have found helpful over the years – and some to avoid! – collated into 10 themes. 1. When basic questions don’t work anymore When we feel a bit stuck in theContinue reading “Books and ideas for your midlife career”
Meaningful encounters
I love university campuses. I love their youthful energy, architecture, inspiration, and sense of possibility. Today I was in Newcastle to run another leadership workshop for PhD students at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Geospatial Systems. As ever it was a diverse cohort displaying passion, deep thinking and maturity — fantastic ambassadors forContinue reading “Meaningful encounters”
Must try harder!
Really? Your hard work and determination will lead to success. And if you fail, you basically didn’t try hard enough. My LinkedIn feed is filled with this kind of crap. Self-appointed coaching gurus are the worst at this. And they should know better. Our western society places almost all responsibility for success and failure onContinue reading “Must try harder!”
Why do we travel?
l look forward to downing tools for the summer holidays and taking off somewhere. But where? Doing what? And… why? It seems like an odd question (and first-world problem). Due to various constraints my wife and I haven’t been able to plan any travel yet for this summer. We have some options and ideas butContinue reading “Why do we travel?”
On keeping things simple
These days, when I see other swimmers on the beach, it feels like I didn’t get the memo. Years ago, before cold water swimming became popular, a dip in the sea required just two things: a swimsuit and a towel. Not anymore. Social media marketers have turned a simple activity into a complex ritual requiringContinue reading “On keeping things simple”
When working more hours doesn’t pay
Since being a freelancer I’ve learned that sometimes it’s more lucrative to go for a walk than work another hour. It’s a simple arithmetic. As in any business, tracking my time is important. Especially billable vs. non-billable hours. One morning this week I had no meetings, and nothing billable or urgent to do. Normally suchContinue reading “When working more hours doesn’t pay”
Simple questions for meaningful reflection
The end of the year is always a good time to reflect, look back and plan ahead. To this end I have compiled a guide of reflective questions that you may find useful. Whether you want to take stock of your career, leadership journey or life at large, there’s a wide and eclectic range ofContinue reading “Simple questions for meaningful reflection”
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