This picture cropped up on my Facebook feed the other day, a speaking event from 2016 in Bucharest, Romania. And ‘feed’ is perhaps the key word – because the one thing I saw when I looked at it was a bulging gut!

(Helpfully highlighted in yellow).

It sparked a desire to get into better shape and happily I’m now 4 inches slimmer around the waist, largely due to an improved diet and plenty of running in the Cheshire countryside.

I’m sure many of you have similar stories, where you decided to improve yourself in some way. This is the principle behind ‘Just One Thing’ (JOT), a story-sharing concept for the North West where people discuss what they’ve changed in themselves, or what they intend to change.

It’s based on a belief that a) it’s better to focus on ONE thing (and make progress) rather than try to change multiple things and achieve none of them, and b) we can find inspiration and motivation from the experiences of others.

We’ve also extended the definition of ‘personal development’ to include something:

PHYSICAL – take up an activity, de-tox, commit to a challenge like a marathon or charity bike ride.

COGNITIVE – develop your emotional intelligence or learn a language.

BEHAVIOURAL – change routines, become a better listener, do more public speaking.

In truth, these categories are inter-connected – physical exercise aids our mental well-being and requires a change in behaviour. But to get things started it’s quite useful to consider which category you’re in!

JOT may interest you as an individual or it may be relevant to you as a team leader or influencer. Health and well-being is inextricably linked with business performance and through these events we can all learn about what’s required to start and sustain positive change.

We have two events in July, one in Cheshire and one in Manchester city centre. Places are limited so please click below for details – you can book via Meetup (tickets just £10):

Friday 19th July 2019 in Bollington, Cheshire (1.30 – 3.30pm) – Book HERE

Monday 22nd July 2019 in Manchester (10am – 12 noon) – Book HERE