Purple Patch Blog / Motivation

Getting things done - a lesson from the Ottoman Empire

Jane Sunley shares her top tips for getting things done - without losing your head

Wandering barefoot through the Blue Mosque one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul, I couldn’t help but be impressed by its huge capacity (it can accommodate 10,000 worshippers at a time); its cascading domes; its 20,000 blue tiles; its six minarets. It's an interesting place steeped in history and stories. For example, we're told that six minarets are very unusual - some say it was the Sultan showing off, others that the architect confused his request for gold (altin) with the Turkish word for six (alti).

So it's all the more incredible that the mosque was built by hand in 1609, in just seven years. My guide explained that all of the architects and builders in Istanbul said that, even if they worked day and night, such a feat would be impossible. And then Sultan Ahmed I (after whom the Blue Mosque is officially named) told them that if they didn't comply, they would be beheaded. This sounds like the ultimate 'stick' motivation and must certainly have focused the efforts of the poor unfortunate craftsmen of the time.

Continue reading Comments (1) 26 August 2009

Eat your way out of a recession

Jessica Cain, Managing Director learnpurple Bristol

It's not a secret that eating healthily and exercising gives you energy and makes you feel alive. I should know - being pregnant recently and letting go of the discipline for a while (bad me!) led me to fully understand how lethargic you can feel when not eating the right kinds of food to support a healthy mind and body. I had an excuse - weird cravings, but what's yours?

Whilst reading 'Men's Health' recently (it was hanging around my house) I came across an article about how eating healthily in the credit crunch is hard. What an excuse that is. 'Sorry I had to eat that cream bun, it was on offer and I just couldn't afford the carrots - that credit crunch again!'

Continue reading Comments (2) 8 June 2009

Personal development - beating the challenge

Mary Jane Flanagan on personal challenges and how to succeed.

As a trainer and therefore someone who constantly challenges others, every year (perhaps through sheer lunacy), I decide to give myself a difficult personal challenge. It's always something that takes me completely outside my comfort zone. This usually means some kind or exercise or physical activity - as I am most comfortable in front of Grey's Anatomy with a glass of wine and my good friends Green and Black.

It started in a relatively modest way a few years ago with 'Race for Life'(Cancer Research UK challenge). This might sounds quite tame to those seasoned athletes out there. However as I could barely even run to the end of the garden it was one small step for female kind and one large stitch ridden leap for me. Filled with the euphoria of completing in a reasonable time and warmed by the adulation of husbands, friends and family the following year I decided to go even further.

Continue reading Comments (2) 5 May 2009

We shouldn't take ourselves too seriously - lest we forget what makes us happy.

MJ Flanagan - Training Director

With sullen looks and a discussion about our options my husband and I looked at the snowfall on Sunday night and started the recovery plan. In all my years with learnpurple, I have never let a client down or cancelled a course even when it meant I could barely walk after putting my back out.

6.30am Monday morning I was woken by my seven year old whooping for joy and dancing around the house, 'no school today we get to play'. 13.5 inches of snow had fallen in the night and we were in total lock down. No options for mobility.

The calls and emails started at 7am from and to clients rearranging training courses, receiving messages of cancelled meetings and contingency plans made if it were to continue throughout the week. A trip to Coventry was a go ahead to train emotional intelligence and I had to work out my best options for getting there. By lunchtime I had got more work done than if I had been in the office and was still in my jimjams.

Continue reading Comments (1) 6 February 2009

New Year, New You

The six year olds' perspective on resolutions:

I spent much of the New Year's break explaining the concept of New Year's resolutions to two six year olds and fielding questions like 'Well, why don't people just do those things at any time of the year?' Well, you have to admit they have a point and it reminded me that I've never really 'done' the resolutions thing. I do sit down in-between Christmas and New Year every year though to write my list of 'What I want out of the coming year'. This might include work goals and aspirations, personal goals and even a bit of a to-do list of things that need sorting out like fixing the window in the spare bedroom. It takes me into the New Year feeling positive, motivated and, if it doesn't sound too idealistic, full of hope and excitement for what's to come. And I love looking back at my list at the end of the year and seeing everything crossed through.

Continue reading Comments (0) 5 January 2009