Here’s a personal coaching exercise for you, the benefit of which can be to improve your confidence.

I propose a time and motion study of your last 7 days.

Calculate how much time you spent in each of the follow states:

1. Hibernate – good quality sleep
2. Hyper-activate – aerobic exercise
3. Activate – doing that thing you do (at home or at work – in the zone)
4. Meditate – taking the time to think (at yoga, swimming, riding a bike, jogging, walking the dog, climbing a mountain, reading good literature)
5. Communicate – in good conversation
6. Vegetate – sitting in front of a screen (smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, TV) with your brain switched off whilst you check social media and/or watch box sets (probably eating and drinking)

Now just before you rise up in indignation – we all need to vegetate a bit – and my Saturday night in front of the TV with a glass of red is a favourite time.

My point, as ever, is balance – getting the proportions correct.

Too much vegetate and too little hyper-activate and you know the consequences for your waistline and attitude.

Too little good quality hibernation and you know how your attention can wander.

Too little meditate and, frankly, you are potentially boring.

All problems exist in the absence of a good conversation.

You get paid to activate – to turn up and do that thing you do.

Somnambulate at home and at work and you are in trouble.

You’ll be in the best place to utilise that activation time to it’s full potential if you get the other categories well proportioned.

Examine your last week – I challenge you.

Don’t get me started on nutrition……