Weekly Tips To Challenge Ordinary

I had the privilege of attending my daughter’s first-grade assembly and athletics day last week. It was such an exciting moment watching all these tiny bodies in their slightly oversized uniforms — most of them nervously thrilled by the newness: new teacher, new class, new friends. The entire experience was filled with numerous opportunities — opportunities to grow. (And yes… Mum was pretty nervous too!)

The kids are back at school, and most of us are back in the swing of things. 2026 has officially kicked off.

We are also back at work and have already had several conversations with our clients. As expected, many find themselves in resolution territory, confidently hopeful that this will be the year where they make the necessary changes stick. We are all for aiming upwards and spend plenty of time coming up with strategies alongside our clients to be healthier, read and learn more, communicate more clearly with their teams, spend better quality time with their loved ones, get off TikTok, or whatever they are trying to achieve.

Holidays are always amazing – one has no schedules to adhere to, no strict bedtime or wake time, no to-do lists, no strict meals or meal times. The epitome of freedom, right?

Well…

Some of you may be sitting on the verge of your December break, thanking your stars that there is an opportunity to reset before you enter 2026.

This weekend I had to say goodbye to someone very dear to me. At the celebration of life ceremony, his brother shared a lot about their journey growing up together. I want to share a few takeaways I took from his story:

Who makes your list of acknowledgements?Who makes your list of acknowledgments? Holy smokes, it's...

Shinell is a great gift-giver. So is my mom. They pay attention, they listen, they pick things up and use what they learn to give the perfect gift. I’m not good at it. The best you can expect from me is a gift voucher or perfume. With Christmas just over a month away, I’ve started thinking about what gifts to give to my favourite people two months ago. And still I don’t have good answers!

I remember attending a series of workshops at university designed to prepare us for job interviews, alongside other self-awareness and workplace readiness skills. At the time, many students dismissed them as a waste of time. But me, being a complete nerd, actually enjoyed those sessions. (Note from PJ: I can confirm, Shinell is a massive nerd.)

Somebody told me a story approximately 20 years ago that has stayed with me to this day. This person had previously worked with a colleague who would say with complete conviction:

“The day I wake up and there isn’t a BMW parked in my garage is the day I kill myself.”

The Cape Town Marathon takes place annually in October. This year, 24,000 eager participants from around the globe lined up at the starting line, ready to take on the challenge of running 42.2 kilometers – many of them attempting their first marathon distance (some of whom we know personally).

Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending quality time with some of my dearest loved ones. I don’t get to see them in person often, so having the opportunity to connect in person is very meaningful. Furthermore, throughout 2025, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to spend most days doing work I find challenging, fulfilling and meaningful, in equal measure. Although my circumstances have been far from perfect, I would say this year has been a good one thus far (touch wood).

Is your communication style helping or hindering you?

This week, we had the great pleasure of meeting a real-life Olympic athlete. This lady represented South Africa at two Olympic Games in the 400-meter hurdles, likely the most brutal of all track events.

We are the sum of our experiences – But we are also the stories we tell ourselves about our experiences.
Which stories do you need a new take on?

Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?

It’s a question I came across in a recent devotional, but one I think keeps so many of us stuck in ruts. Perhaps not the question itself, but the fear behind it.