iPad for my favourite senior
It’s no secret that one of my favorite classes to teach is iPad for Seniors with my other business, The Capability Project. I find teaching seniors incredibly rewarding, whether it’s classes in their laptops, pc’s, phones, or Kindles. Any gadget really. It’s more the demographic – seniors are appreciative of teaching, are good students, have great existing life experiences to draw upon, and frankly, are fun to coach.
There’s something about the satisfaction of watching someone overcome a lack of digital knowledge, shaky arthritic fingers and poor ailing eyesight to become proficient in using and having fun with their gadgets. The joy that comes when they gleefully show you how they’ve downloaded an app, or read an e-book, or sent an email, is indescribable. Additionally, because they haven’t grown up in a technological era, the wonderment of buying music with a click of a button, or Skyping a loved one overseas, never gets old. Magical.
my best teaching achievement yet
My favourite teaching achievement has been found this week though – teaching my favourite senior, my daddy, to use his damn iPad. My dad has always been a proponent and champion and early adopter of new technology, but sadly, the iPad and iPhone have thus far evaded him due to a lack of time, interest and difficulty in moving his fingers dextrously.
Hand him a stylus and add lots of his favourite music onto the thing though, and suddenly he is excited, and patient enough to learn. This week he has been rather happily flipping through music, watching videos and singing along. In fact, when I tried to show him how to access the BBC News app, he brushed me aside, with an insistent “I already KNOW how to do that!”.
Sweet success, sweet indeed.
PS, excited about iOS5? Make sure you update your apps to ensure compatibility with the update!
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great students make great learners
I’ve written a post about what makes a great student up on my professional site, The Capability Project.
I know many of my readers here are avid learners of dance, so if you want to learn about what is SERIOUSLY my most inspirational student I have at the moment, please go on over and have a read!
If you’d like to be kept up to date with the inspiring things we’re reading and posting about, do join us on facebook as well.
Enjoy!
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the capability project: launched
On Sunday, I finally launched my consultancy, The Capability Project.
The Capability Project is my dream job, and one that I truly feel I have skills in – working with people, teams and organisations become their best selves, enhancing their capabilities, through motivation techniques, group-work, management upskilling, and transformational coaching.
Since quitting my job last May to pursue this passion, I was lucky enough to have landed a few great contracts where I got to do exactly this. It was incredibly soul-lifting, to be able to sit in rooms of teams from small to large, and challenge their perceptions of their abilities, planning their way to greater heights, and facilitate real transformation in their confidence and relatedness. I walked out of each session feeling enlightened myself, and empowered, and the feedback that came from the participants was almost overwhelmingly positive. It was awesome.
Then my huge injury happened, and I was unable to work for 8 months.
Now however, I am on the mend, and whilst I can’t dance too much, I’ve certainly been looking forward to re-igniting this consultancy work and getting more of it. And The Capability Project is what I’ve been working on and formulating in the meanwhile!
It was certainly lovely to launch the site, its Facebook page and our Twitter feed, and even lovelier to see the oodles of cheer and great feedback pouring in. I am so truly blessed to be so supported, and whilst it’ll be a slow start I’m sure, with such steady streams of care behind me I can’t help but be sure it’s worth giving it a good shot.
we also have a Facebook page!
If you would like to have a look at what The Capability Project is all about, simply CLICK OVER for some inspired blogging (if I may say so myself!) and reminders of how to keep ourselves our BEST selves always.
You could also head along to The Capability Project’s FB Page where we discuss learning, capability building, and much much more. If you have been coached or trained by me in any realm, I would love to hear your thoughts on your experience there! You can also follow us on Twitter, where we post a few quotes that have inspired me every day!
If you know of any teams or businesses that can benefit from coaching, training, facilitation or upskilling, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me in passing my contact along!
Thank you everyone, and share the love! 
The Capability Project – Taking you from Good to Great
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read. remember.
When I’m feeling blue about the choices I’ve made in life, about not earning enough money or being successful like others in my peer group, about not achieving what I’d wanted to by 30, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, I remember this:
I have incredible friends and a family that is full of love. I have passion and talent in a soulful art. I have found the love of my life and live a wonderful existence with him. I do what I love, and only what I love. I am living a dream that most people couldn’t. I am passionate, I have lived, and will continue to.
Reading this beautiful poster below helps too. Enjoy, and during this holiday week, reflect on your life too.
{via thepinkandblueblog}
Read Morenew year tidings
How are you ringing in the new year and the new decade?
I don’t mean celebrations for New Year’s Eve, I mean – what rituals do you do to reflect upon the year past and plan forward? What things do you do to make you feel cleansed, fortified and prepared for an even better year ahead? What about your life and habits do you seek to alter for the better each year?
New year’s resolutions are not my thing – too shallow, too wrought with difficulty, and way too arbitrary to commit to for an entire year. But each year, I do try to do some things to help me commit to the new upcoming year with excellence and zeal. This last year has been a tough one for me personally, so these little rituals will assist me even more than usual to chin up and strengthen for 2011.
1. Reflect
Each year, I make a list of things I’ve done/accomplished in the year past. Usually this starts with a timeline for each month – any travel, events, accomplishments, anything emotionally significant, it all gets written down. I usually gaze upon this list with incredulous wonder – how did I fit all that in, and no WONDER I’m exhausted!
Then, I take the chronological list and pull out themes and lessons learnt – usually I can find a few major learning points through the year. I also like to think about key areas I’ve grown in, and what I’d like to remember the year for. This applies especially to times of difficulty – if we think hard enough, we can find most trying times to be areas of huge learning.
After this exercise, I usually feel like I’ve been mentally spring-cleaned, and ready to face the future, knowing that my year past has been full of richness and life.
2. Improve my lifestyle
Each year, I think about how I can improve my lifestyle. This often comes in different forms. One year, I decided to drink 2 litres of water each day, and that habit has absolutely stuck, thankfully. Another year, I decided vegetables were my friends, and now I actually love them.
A really nice thing to do for yourself each new year is a simple one but often under-done by most people – throw out ALL your underwear and socks that have holes, aren’t quite right, aren’t loved by you. The items you always ignore in favour of the good stuff. Then go out, and buy a week’s worth of THE GOOD STUFF – wool socks, seamless undies, whatever floats your boat. It’s a wonderful way to start the new year, and a simple thing that makes getting dressed every morning an absolute joy.
This year, due to injury, I’ve spent a lot of time at home – it made me rethink my lounge attire. Why do I relegate ugly, ill-fitting track pants to home time – a time where I should feel MOST comfortable and at ease? So on my trips to Asia this year, I stocked up on silk lounge pants, 100% cotton camisoles, and life at home is ten times better now. A hundred times. A thousand times.
This year, I started making my bed every morning, and cooking more of our meals for health. S and I also explored many restaurants off a list we made last year in Melbourne. We also healthied up my finances, and helped me figure out what my true passion in work and life was. I also learnt to grow plants and garden, as well as became more committed to my home (as opposed to my work). I can think of a few things for next year too, but that’s another blog post.
The new year is a fabulous time to rethink your values, daily actions, and make healthier choices. Do it now!
3. Plan the new year
I like to take out my new datebook for the new year, and populate it with all the events coming up in the new year. From travel to events, goals, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I’m sure most people do this, but I like to go an extra step.
I like to jot down some goals – not resolutions, but just some loose goals. They can be simple like “learn to code CSS”, or emotional “choose the kinder option daily”, or value driven “be authentic to everyone”. They could be experiential, “travel to 1 new place”, “eat one new cuisine” or a general rule “treat your body well, everyday”. I don’t consider these rules, but it does serve as a good checklist for your weekly reflection – to glance over them and think about whether you’re fulfilling the destiny you’ve set yourself.
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I’ll likely post my musings on the year past and the goals for the year forward in the next week or so, and I’d love to hear your musings on your own New Year rituals too!
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