Project 366 / 91 - Ronnie Corbett RIP

Every now and again a newsflash stops you in your tracks and sends shivers of sadness through your body. Today was one of those days as we learnt that the great Robbie Corbett has died, aged 85.

For so many of our generation and older we grew up on a Saturday television diet of The Dukes of Hazard, Paul Daniels, Crackerjack, The Multi Coloured Swap Shop, Morecambe & Wise, Only Fools and Horses, Kenny Everett and The Two Ronnies.

The Two Ronnies show (which amazingly ran from 1971-1987) was always fun, always creative and always entertained. Both Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett brought such diversity and talent to the show and gelled in such an unlikely way that it just worked.

The sketches, written by a variety of writers including notably 4 of the 6 Monty Python crew, Spike Milligan and Ronnie Barker himself, will stand the test of time for eternity, such is the quality of work. Yes we all love the "fork handles" sketch but my favorites were the bar scenes where Ronnie Barker tried to guess the last word of every Ronnie Corbett sentence. It was very quick and very funny. I still find myself trying to do that to this day.

Spin off shows for both the Ronnies were very successful too. Just as your favorite film actor can do no wrong, neither could the two Ronnies.

The ticking of the clock inexorably goes on.

Project 366 / 90 - Making money and being patient

I've always believed that I could make money. Even when I was young I used to say to my parents "who needs money?". Of course I had no responsibilities then, no mortgage, no wife and no kids. Life was hand to mouth and dare I say, easy.

Life changes fast though and then the rat race begins. I wanted to buy my first house so I got 4 jobs and worked and worked and earnt and earnt until I could buy it.

The money is there if you want it bad enough.

I met someone last week who criticised those who constantly strived for more. I couldn't agree with him but accepted his opinion. We all have different goals after all. My view is that you only get one life so you try and make the best of it you can, not just for yourself but for those around you.

So I've never doubted my ability to make money, more the process of actually getting paid and that's where the difference lies.

Running your own business gives you the opportunity of endless possibilities. Even the sky isn't the limit nowadays. But I practice patience in my quest. Whilst it's very satisfying to make a quick buck it's the long term relationships which will bring the most value.

Remember this and you're well on the way to having business longevity.

Project 366 / 89 - Mechanics, vets, IT guys and being ripped off

No one likes being ripped off. The thought of unnecessarily paying over the odds for anything is annoying but it is the idea of not being in control of what you're spending which is what is enough to send your blood pressure into orbit.

Car mechanics are a prime example. Their sharp intake of condescending breath, the fact that they know that you don't know if they are right or wrong or what they've done is needed or not. It's incredibly frustrating. I just had 2 vans serviced at work - the cost? £1100. "Yes mate, both vans needed front and rear brake pads, plus the right had gizinter had gone on one and the left had gozonter had gone on the other". "uh, ok I guess".

Vets aren't much better. They're playing on your emotions all the time, suggesting that for the well being of your pet "we'll give them a booster / antibiotic jab just in case" only to find that when you go to pay, that "precaution" has just cost you another £120 on top of the £50 consultation and £75 tablets. I moaned once that it was extortion to which they condescendingly replied "well sir, if you can't afford to pay".

IT (tech support) companies aren't much better. We'd recruited the services of a local company a few years ago and they came in to sort another problem which had "magically" appeared. I say "magically" as these companies have full access to our computers 24/7 so probably create a problem so they can then fix it. Anyway, my theory is that if we build up a relationship with a local company and their employees then we'll get a better service.

So we made the IT guy a cup of coffee, had a chat about life and family, then a chat about general business before we started working on our issue. "Oh I haven't come across this problem before, I just need to do some research". Some time, and another cup of coffee and toilet break later he switched the machine off and on again (technical reboot) before claiming success. When he came to leave he asked me to sign his time sheet. "Time sheet??" I said. "Yes we charge per 15 minutes" was his reply.

The next time he visited he was expecting the same "coffee and a chat" welcome. Instead I said very curtly "don't look, don't talk, just get on with the job. Oh and no coffee or toilet break either".

Project 366 / 88 - The gym

I was 16 when I first walked into a gym. It was a mainly machine based gym within a leisure centre in Leatherhead. I'd been a sporty kid at school, naturally good enough at everything to be in every school team, be it football, rugby, cricket, running or gymnastics but I'd never been body conscious. Not until 2-3 weeks into my weekly gym sessions.

I distinctly remember walking past a full length mirror after my workout on the way to the shower and being stopped in my tracks by my own reflection. My new muscles were pumped up and I looked amazing. "Now if I can just look like this without the pump" was my first thought. It's been a theme that I, and probably every other budding bodybuilder, has been chasing ever since.

Mind you I was only 16, 5' 10" and 9 stone. I was thin as a rake and probably -25% body fat so any muscle, no matter how small was going to stand out. But my friends were just as amazed as I was. No one else but me was having these kind of results. As everyone else was quitting I was ramping up my training. I swapped gyms to one with free weights, bought some books and invested in some supplements.

Now you have to remember what the supplements were like at this time. Protein shakes didn't mix well at all. Half the time the spoon or fork would sit straight up in the cup. I'd gag as the lumpy mixture slid uncomfortably down my throat but I persisted. I tried everything natural I could. Raw egg whites, tonnes of chicken, red meat, tuna, pasta... I cut out as much fat as I could and took low sugar alternatives.

The weight slowly, and I mean slowly, started to come. My initial gains faded fast against what seemed like everyone else down the gym, it was tough. But my my late 20's I was training 2 hours a day, 4 days a week and eating cleanly and in good regular quantities. I'd even set an alarm to remind me to eat.

I guess it took me about 12 years to finally get the physique I'd wanted.

The moral of the story? Patience. Nothing good is ever easy to come by. You have to put in the time, the effort and commitment and then results will come.

Project 366 / 87 - Making plans and setting goals

We were out at a 40th birthday party last night and it was great to catch up with some friends that we don't see very often. Ironically they are the type of friends that I'd like to spend more time with. They are not only interesting but interested in you and don't come with any baggage of expectation.

The other thing that I noticed last night with this group of friends was that the majority of them have been settings personal goals. Now a lot of us "make plans" but setting goals feel a totally different thing.

Yes if you fail to plan then you plan to fail but without having a goal your plan has the chance of drifting. Life throws curveballs at us constantly so without having a set goal you will be likely to be knocked off course.

You should set goals in everything you do, be it business or fitness or whatever. Set short-term, mid-term and long-term goals, these become the baby steps that you need to not only keep yourself driven but also on course. Plus it's a hell of a lot more fun; fun because you'll experience a sense of achievement everytime you reach a short term goal.

None of this is easy though, but then again nothing good is ever easy to come by. Whilst I have set long term plans for my business I've been struggling to set the short term goals. Does this matter? Well I'd say yes, since the journey to the long term goal will probably take me longer without having the shorter term goals to guide me.

Life isn't an exact science. I'm a work in progress at the best of times so if you're struggling don't beat yourself up about it. Just stop, reset, and start again.

Project 366 / 86 - Good Friday, annotated images and Easter

Easter is a strange time for our family. We're not a religious bunch and so the meaning behind it all has tended to become lost. But I don't think we're the only ones, it's a story that appears to be a repeated everywhere.

Our eldest son asked me why Good Friday was called Good Friday. After all it was the day in which Jesus was crucified. Hardly a good day in anyones book. Typically I didn't know, but thankfully google did.

There are 3 theories;

1.  In short it was because good used to mean holy.
2.  Christians believe that "it is the anniversary of Jesus suffering and dying for their sins. It led to the resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin". Which was a good thing.
3.  And this is my take on it, it was a typo. They meant to write God but someone wrote Good.

And so we'll chomp on a tonne of Easter eggs this weekend. Eggs because they signify new life. So we're eating new life. Nice.

All this goodness links nicely to positivity and that is something that is really beginning to get under my skin. Now whilst I appreciate positivity, relish and understand the power of positive thinking and scorn negativity, the sheer volume of positivity quotes that are literally being rammed down my throat over on Facebook is beginning to make me sick.

What's worse is that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Now I'm not one for telling people what to write on their own profile, not at all, after all it's your profile. So posting the occasional quote that you've found helpful is fine. But starting every single day, every morning, every lunchtime, every afternoon, every evening posting continual "be thankful, be driven, be positive, be great" happy annotated images is pathetic.

If you need this shit then keep it to yourself. Print them out and stick them on your fridge. You aren't a guru and you aren't a life coach, you're a twat.

Happy Easter by the way.

Project 366 / 85 - Overcoming creative blocks

Staring at a blank screen with an empty head is a bit of a daunting prospect. You start doubting your own imagination, creativity and ultimately your ability. The same blocks have haunted my creative life. In writing music, in photography and now, whilst hopefully momentarily, in writing.

But in a strange twist that, ironically, becomes the topic of conversation to write about that then overcomes the writing block.

Am I a wannabe writer?
Am I a wannabe photographer?
Am I a wannabe musician?

All creative people have flashes of magic and of genius. It's the ability of repeating those flashes that set the great apart from the just good.

When I look back upon the library of my various works I am proud of what I have accomplished yet frustrated. I'm frustrated that that promising young man had his creativity stifled. That he wasn't given the opportunity to see just how good he could have been. Moments are lost and that ignorance of youth cannot be recaptured.

As a musician I went though a very creative period, constantly writing new tracks back to back. I lived and breathed it, getting up early to work on my music and rushing home from work to continue working on what I was creating. Yes there were times when I couldn't write for toffee but something always came sooner or later. Some songs were ok but some were great. Then something interrupted me and I haven't started again.

I can't help but feel that if I'd just carried on I would have had a vast back catalogue by now of some amazing work.

As a creative you have to capitalise on inspiration. Creativity breeds creativity. Take that momentum and run with it as long as you can because just as surely as day becomes night, something will come along and interrupt your flow.

Project 366 / 84 - The great rush of life

It's my birthday and for once I'm not working. Instead I'm slumming it at Bailiffs Court Hotel & Spa. It's been a gruelling day of massages, fine food and treatments.

Strangely though, as secluded and peaceful as it is here we're still caught up in the great rush of life. Let me explain...

We were running a bit late this morning, compounded by the fact that I'd forgotten my swimming trunks. After a very quick stop off at Sainsburys to buy some more we made it just in time for our first hour long treatment. "We haven't got time for coffee though" Gem said. Not that we ever arrive early enough for that.

After the treatment we met back up, chose and ordered our lunch, hit the coffee lounge before retiring to the poolside for an all-too-short book break.

Before we knew it lunch was being served. My poor wife is on her extremely strict competition diet so forwent the niceties for a plain boiled chicken salad with no dressing. My pulled beef ciabatta feast on the other hand was gorgeous.

We'd just begun to relax when I we realised that we'd only got 10 minutes until our next treatment. I know, the tribulations huh.

After the treatment I thought we'd actually get to sit down and relax without any time constraint but alas no. Gem, fearing we'd be left with a poor choice of room wanted to check into the hotel. So after an all-too-brief sit by the pool we donned our gear and walked over to the hotel.

We've now got 1 hour to get ready before dinner. Rush, rush, rush, rush, rush. But all in the most wonderful way.

Project 366 / 83 - My birthday eve

So it's the day before my birthday. I'll be 45 tomorrow. Wow, 45, that doesn't seem possible. I mean I remember my parents when they were my age and that feels like a heartbeat ago.

But times have changed tremendously since my parents were my age. The way people in their 40's act, dress and talk now is the same as people were back then in their early 30's. People nowadays are starting businesses, families and ventures well into their 50's and 60's whereas only a few generations ago they were preparing to retire.

We're all fighting this ageing process. Getting "old" is just not cool.

So what do birthdays mean to you now? Well the excitement of having a "birthday" and getting another year older doesn't have the same allure that it does to the kids. I often ask my Mum how she feels about me being as old as I am, or that my sister is 2 years older. How does it feel to her to have a son and daughter in their mid/late 40's. She thinks the same as me, that it just doesn't seem possible.

Yet she still harbours on about what a nightmare I was as a teenager. Will she ever forgive my 4 tearaway years?

Gift/present wise I am fortunate enough to not really want anything. And anything I do really want costs the earth (Aston Martin DB9S anyone?). I get frustrated at crap presents wishing that people didn't buy me anything instead of the garbage they do sometimes buy. I mean if you want to buy me anything then give me an iTunes voucher or an Amazon gift card. Don't buy me "odd socks", "curly-wirly straws" or a "bread maker". Please, save your money, after all you've worked hard enough to earn it.

I care not about my age, more the reflection in the mirror. The boy in my reflection looks tired. So I hope he catches a break - I think he deserves it.

Project 366 / 82 - Belgium and the reign of terror

There has been some terrible incidents over the past few years. The emergence of ISIS has cast a long terrifying shadow over Europe in particular, with terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Paris and now Belgium to name sadly and literally but a few.

During the last century our enemies wore a uniform, they were easily identifiable and struck in force and in numbers. Today's enemy is invisible, dressed in civilian clothes and hiding in plain sight. These terrorists are the worst kind of enemy, preying on the only people who aren't even their enemy.

So whilst the politicians cause conflict, fund wars and supply arms, it is us, the general public who are not only paying for their "game" but suffering as a consequence. It is a frightening time.

The politicians tell us to carry on as usual, to not let the terrorists win. Yet they are the ones letting these people into our country. And how are you meant to carry on as usual? The current National Security threat level for the UK is classed as SEVERE, so yeah, you just carry on your business, no worries.

I worry for my children, for the world in which they are growing up in. The ISIS army isn't your usual army. It's not one that easily be defeated, if at all. It's time to batten down the hatches, to stop these people infiltrating our countries and to look after thy neighbour.

But for tonight we pray for the people of Belgium and hope they can quickly heal their scars of pain.

Project 366 / 81 - Judging people

What seemed to be a lifetime ago (ie before kids) my wife used to say "comfort is nothing, style is everything" as she tottered about in the most uncomfortable, yet stylish shoes whilst being suffocated in the most gorgeous figure hugging clothes.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover" they say, but we do. Constantly. And that's the reason we spend money on looking good. We want people to notice how good we look as the way society treats us is based on our image above everything else. Yes when we look good we feel good and we're more confident. But that confidence tends to be borne from admiration and acknowledgement.

I had a telephone meeting this morning from an IT company that we've placed some business with. Part of their spiel included their "what we do for you" and up popped a picture of the spotty teenager I was talking to. Ok so he wasn't spotty and he probably wasn't a teenager but he was obviously far too young to know what he was talking about. Or was he?

I wasn't that dismissive in what he said, it just wasn't relevant and so I told him so. Besides he was wasting my most valuable asset - my time.

Next was a CV for an apprentice position that I'm advertising. The applicant appeared to be no more than 18. The CV read well apart from that but I still found myself doubting his ability, his credentials and what he could bring to the role based on his age and nothing else.

And then I think of what I was like when I was young. Just begging to be given a chance. Ready to work for free to gain some - any - experience. Knowing for sure that whomever was clever enough to employ me would reap massive rewards in not only my dedication but also my creative abilities.

And so I'm stuck between my head and my heart. A rock and a hard place.

Project 366 / 80 - The kids

I often wonder what goes through our children's heads. From the imaginative play to the high level of expectation (probably induced by my wife & I). Both our kids have that unique selective blindness (noted by the devastating mess they leave in their trail) and selective deafness (how many times have we told you to stop playing and eat your dinner?).

The comprehension of what the weekend and school holidays mean has also taken hold but at the same time their understanding of time hasn't. During term time they complain that they don't get enough time to play. Come the weekend they don't know what to play with and so waste an extortionate amount of time sulking that they don't know what to do, despite having a bedroom each filled with toys of their every past want and desire.

But they are old enough now to think that they know what they want and want to do. This is proven every time we tell them that we are going to go somewhere. "I don't want to" is the standard response. Followed much later by "I don't want to go home" when we've finished what we went out to do.

As brothers they have a total love/hate relationship, literally flitting between the two within 5 minutes of each other. I'm told that is one of the big differences between girls and boys. Whilst boys don't harbour grudges and are best friend 5 minutes after being sworn enemies, girls do, and won't let you forget it.

By the time I realised my parents were right, I had kids that didn't believe me.

Project 366 / 79 - Hustle or hassle?

In business we're told to hustle, to hit all the angles, to not give up. But when does this hustle turn to hassle? When does the want and desire to do business with someone turn into your hassling them, irritating them and pressure selling them? Is there such a thing as too much?

We've all had those multiple pushy sales calls, the hard sell that simply gets your back up and nothing else. It's never worked on me. Do these people really succeed? Is the softly softly approach too soft?

I believe in patience. I believe in what goes around comes around, that if you do good by someone then somewhere along the way that good deed will be repaid. Of course this doesn't always happen, in fact it rarely does but it does't stop me believing that there are good people out there. I don't like to tarnish everyone with the same brush.

My sales approach is from all angles, it's to portray a solution to solve your problems and provide you with the information needed for you to question your current arrangement. We all like being in control. We all like making our own decisions and feeling as though we are the ones in control of our own direction. Being informed gives you this ability. Being informed gives you control.

I like to think I hustle. I wouldn't like to think that I hassle. Maybe I'm leaving money on the table by doing so. Maybe I need to be better at closing deals. Maybe I need to take control of you.

Project 366 / 78 - Influences

The way we are, the way we act, think and conduct ourselves is a direct result of external influences. We are influenced by our environment and by what we consume, be it friends, family, strangers or any form of media, we're not even aware of it.

Psychics play on this, cleverly leaving subtle psychological markers which we pick up on without even knowing it, giving them the opportunity of amazing us with their "powers".

I see people influencing people everywhere. I see people who begin to act and talk like the people they surround themselves with, who allow themselves to be literally changed by those around them. But is this a bad thing?

Well yes and no. It is a bad thing if the influence is bad - peer pressure, anti-social behavior and negativity. I know groups of people who are living in a world of panic, worry and negativity. On the flip side there are those good influencers. People who are positive (without being sickly over the top positive), constantly striving and trying to positively encourage those around them.

Our mannerisms change, the way we talk changes. We begin adding new words into our vocabulary, totally naturally and without effort. Positive influence can light the fire in your belly and set you off on a new path full of determination to succeed.

In an ideal world you would surround yourself with those positive influencers - both in business and pleasure. Sorting the wheat from the chaff however can be a life long challenge.

Project 366 / 77 - Paul Daniels

In a way I feel sorry for Paul Daniels. Not only for the fact that he suffered and died of a brain tumor today aged 77 but just for the way in which his latter life was portrayed by the media.

We, the public, have a really bad habit of building people up and then ripping them down. In his heyday Paul Daniels was one of the darlings of the BBC regularly attracting 15 million viewers for the best part of 25 years. He was incredibly popular and was a staple of my childhood TV viewing for sure.

And yet after his TV show finished in 1994 his popularity diminished and the media appeared to cast him as a caricature of his former self. Yes he was quirky and a bit odd at times, but aren't we all? His marriage to Debbie McGee back in 1988 was laughed, mocked and sneered at and yet they stood the test of time, together 28 years later.

The word "Legend" is touted about far too much for my liking. Any popular person who dies is automatically classed as a legend, it's not right. Actually my son was asking me what a "legend" was last night and so I described King Arthur, ancient Greek mythology and Robin Hood. I certainly didn't mention Paul Daniels, but that's not to say that he wasn't a very good entertainer because he was.

I had a friend die of a brain tumor only last year. There were no symptoms, he simply collapsed in the office one day. His wife called the ambulance, he was taken to hospital and a scan showed a brain tumor. Within a few months he was dead. He was 57.

Life is short - I'll be 45 next week and I still can't believe it. The days, weeks, months, seasons and years are flying by and slipping away - it's not Halloween scary but I don't like it.

Project 366 / 76 - Writing and being myself

So this is a first... doing my blog whilst warming up on a stationary bike down the gym. Expect some typos.

I've been doing a tonne of social media marketing and blog marketing research over the last few days and I'm finding that the more I look the deeper the rabbit hole goes. But in a good way. I'm learning new ways to connect & new ways to get my content noticed.

In the past I'd hear people saying that they spent 4-5 hours a day on this stuff & I thought they were crazy. I mean what were they doing? Now I'm beginning to understand.

I'm enjoying the process of writing, especially my work content. I think what I'm saying & how I'm saying it ticks a lot of boxes. I'm also trying not to be put off when I read that people are spending days writing, re-writing & editing their articles. I think the most time I spend on any one business or personal blog is 20 minutes.

Perhaps mine aren't as professional, perhaps mine are simpler, perhaps I'm still waiting to find my voice, perhaps mine are easier to understand...

Project 366 / 75 - Meetings, social media and keyboard warriors

I've been involved in a considerable volume of meetings recently and in all honestly I have enjoyed the external interaction. The meeting I had this morning was especially enjoyable as we got onto the subject of marketing and more specifically social media marketing.

Now this is an area which I have been experimenting with - types of posts, platforms and timings of posts. In the past I haven't had the chance to do this, really for 2 main reasons;

1:    I didn't have the time
2:    I didn't have the content

Since writing a blog-a-day for 2016 (yes this is my 75th consecutive post in as many days) I have found my creative streak and therefore been able to create more content. Add into the mix improved staffing levels and their ability I now have the time.

Now going back to the meeting this morning. The chap that I had the meeting with is in a similar sized business and, like me, has been experimenting with much the same things (posts/platforms/timings) so it was really useful to trade experiences. One of the main things that he said that stuck out was searching forums to find threads which may benefit a link back to one of my business blogs. Apparently this has great SEO benefits.

So I began searching various forums looking for the golden threads. But what was the one thing that stuck out more than anything else? Negativity.

Yes those keyboard warriors - so fucking brave behind their screens; cutting people down, criticizing, moaning, dissecting and destroying everything in their path. And for what? Trying to make out that they are the more knowledgeable, more informed or speak from a higher level of authority?

If I like something I'll hit the "like" button.
If I love something I'll hit the "share" button.
If I don't like something then I'll stop reading or watching and move on.

If you feel that you can’t move on without being negative and that you want to criticize then just do one thing: make your criticism constructive. It’s not difficult.

Project 366 / 74 - North Korea and our future

So according to John Connor "There's no fate but what we make for ourselves". So this means that aside from from some random major meteorite hit (which will happen one day) the future really is in our hands.

So as if we weren't doing enough damage to the environment to eventually destroy the habitat in which we thrive we now have the another global threat. Step forward Kim Jong-Un and North Korea who seem hell bent on continually defying UN sanctions and developing weapons of mass destruction.

Their latest comment apparently came from one of their nuclear scientists, Cho Hyong-Il who said "Our hydrogen bomb is much bigger than the one developed by the Soviet Union. If this H-bomb were to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile and fall on Manhattan in New York City, all the people there would be killed immediately and the city would burn down to ashes."

Why build such a thing? What so in the split second before the human race is wiped out, yourself included, you want to be the one with the biggest cock? I really don't understand this mentality. A nuclear attack can only end one way and it's not good.

The earth will always survive (that is until the sun eventually dies some 5 billion years from now). The only extinction will be the inhabitants. So as us normal people carry on our lives, there is always some extremist who is plotting and planning to destroy us all.

Project 366 / 73 - Mind control

The mind is a very powerful thing, it literally controls everything you do, every emotion, every feeling, every event, every memory. It dictates our behaviour, our mood and our actions.

According to medical myth we apparently only use 10% of our brain. 10%... wow, that's not much of it's capacity. I liken that to pretty much every electronic device in my home, from the washing machine to the TV to this computer that I'm typing on now.

Our washing machine, for example, has about 15 programs of which you can vary the temperature and spin on pretty much every program. That makes up to be quite a wide variety of options but we use probably only 2 programs with no variations. Why did we buy such a high spec machine? Well probably because there isn't a machine that only offers what we want. I guess the simpler the machine the more reliable it would be and that's not what the manufactures want.

But what if we could access more of our brain functions and power? The Bradley Cooper film "Limitless" explored this theory (it's now got it's own TV spin off) as did "The Bourne Legacy". Both exploring a somewhat minor increase in brain capacity with phenomenal results.

Putting sci-fi drugs to one side for a minute we each have the capacity of controlling our brains better. One of the things I'm trying to teach Reece (my eldest son) is the ability to control his emotions. It would be a powerful thing to be able to master. I mean how many time have you let your emotions get the better of you? How many times have you reacted emotionally with negative results? Yeah, a lot. We all have. If you could control that you'd be better in control of the outcome.

Being able to recognise your brain patterns and the resulting emotions gives you the opportunity to control them better. Running for me is a prime example. I don't like it, I don't enjoy it and my brain constantly tries to convince me to stop. It's a battle of wills and I don't let it win.

My wife has begun her competition diet for her Miss Figure body building competition in July. The diet started last Monday but by lunchtime that same day she was struggling. She felt she was suffering from mood swings and cravings, all within hours of starting. It's as much a physiological battle as it is physical.

She weighed out her food today and said "look, that's all I get to eat". I said "No, that's all your body needs, it's all the nutrients that it can absorb, any more would be stored as fat".

To control your brain you need to trick it. My wife thinks I have great will power. I don't, I just have the ability to trick my brain and to ignore my brain when it tries to trick me. Of course all it will ever be is a work in progress.

Project 366 / 72 - Things I don't understand

There are lots of perplexing things in this world. And I'm not talking about things like why the superglue lid doesn't stick to the tube but other observations which I don't seem to understand.

Subtitles. Now bear with me here for a minute. The majority of programs are not "live". They are scripted or read from autocue. With this being the case why do they have someone quite obviously sitting there speed-typing the subtitles? I was on a stationery bike down the gym the other day and was watching the news on one of the many screens on offer. Now despite the newsreader reading the autocue the person cranking out the subtitles... well they were having a pretty awful day. Mistake, after mistake, after mistake. But why do they do this? The reader is reading the autocue - just use the autocue feed as the subtitles - simple!

"Red sky at night, shepherds delight" - how does this work? I've googled it briefly but it's just an old wives tale and has very little scientific or meteorological foundation. But it seems to work - I just don't get it.

How do electrical wires get so tangled? I literally just plugged my tv, sky box, dvd player and apple TV in and by the next morning all the wires were in a tangled mess. How does this happen? It happens in every room of every house I know. Wire gremlins!

Project 366 / 71 - Music and things that make us happy

I was sitting in traffic at a junction earlier today waiting for the lights to change when I saw an elderly lady in her car. The windows were down, the music was up and she was singing for all the world to hear like she was in the car with Wayne and Garth rocking to Bohemian Rhapsody in Waynes World.

It reminded me just how amazing music is. How it has the ability to lift us up or sympathize us when we're down. How a song can transport us back to specific time or fire us up to make our workout better.

The old lady in the car was undeniably happy. But what else, outside family and friends, makes us happy?

• Good weather - today has been, what we all hope turns out to be, the first day of Spring and it's been absolutely glorious. You can literally see the lift it has given everyone.
• Winning something - anything (preferably money please!). Sadly I'm not that lucky so I try and make my luck in other areas.
• Finishing for work on a Friday - ah, that Friday feeling. I love my work but I love my family more.

I'm not really a sports fan so I can't say "watching my team win". The emotions and passions that run through games like football are shockingly powerful. They are a religion to some and are contested by fans with the same vigor.

To me "it's just a game", to others it's a way of life.

Project 366 / 70 - My youth, working and kids

Raising children really has to be the hardest things to do. As parents we really only want the very best for our children and we only want them to experience the very best that life has to offer.

When I was growing up I think my parents were more than desperate to know what I would end up to be. So every "thing" that I showed an interest in they'd think was the "thing". I couldn't enjoy a glass of milk without them thinking that I wanted to be a farmer and if I looked at the stars too long they thought I'd be an astronomer.

The reality was I wanted to be a pop star. I actually had the opportunity, talent and makings to give it a go but ironically it was the one avenue that they gave me no support, quite the opposite in fact, despite a pretty promising start. As a result at 16 we fell out, I got chucked out and ended up living on my own in a bedsit. It was harsh. I couldn't hold down a job, I was penniless and eventually got evicted from my £30/week bedsit for non-payment of rent. I'd even picked the lock of the electricity meter to get the pile of 10p's inside.

I went to work at a hotel washing up in the kitchen. It was a smart move as they gave me accommodation and I was working in the kitchen so had access to food. But I didn't want to work, especially washing up, and eventually got the sack for one too many no-shows. It was pitiful.

After sleeping rough for a couple of nights I gave in and called home. My dad picked me up the next morning. I was soaked, tired and broken.

I went back to live with my parents but it didn't last. After being at boarding school from 7 to 16 I'd grown independent from my parents. I didn't need them and from my perspective they didn't even want me around. Within a year they'd thrown me out again.

I'd found a good job so went to live with some friends. We had a blast for 9 months; life was one long shag-fest, drug-fuelled, cigarette and alcohol party. But true to form I then lost my job. I went on another job rampage, each of them lasting between 1 hour and 1 month. I was drifting aimlessly.

My housemates suddenly disappeared, seemingly overnight leaving me with a pile of debt. I was screwed so once again moved back home. I found a better job, began to understand the concept of work and began to understand what I was capable of.

So my teachers were right in my school report "if he applied himself he could do well".

I began to apply myself and opportunities began to open up. I've never looked back.

Watching my own children I've become indebted to my own life experiences. They say that you learn a lot from your parents. Well I've certainly done that. I've learnt how not to raise my children and I think I'm a far greater parent as a result.

We're giving our children opportunities. We're opening doors for them but leaving it up to them to decide which doors they want to walk through.

Project 366 / 69 - Advertising

The subject of advertising is firmly in my head at the moment at work. Since doubling our capacity by buying my next door warehouse and beginning to assemble something that resembles a good team I'm trying to push towards a period of growth.

But where to spend my advertising budget? I tried an expensive Google ad word campaign with HiBu (who used to be Yell) but it fell flat on its face. We'd launched a new website and were keen to drive traffic to it but the ROI was shockingly low. In my last meeting with them they told me that I needed to double, if not treble my monthly investment (I was already paying £600 per month). I told them where to go. When I terminated the campaign a month later they didn't even try to persuade me not to. I think that said everything.

In the past I've tried local radio advertising. Their pitch was that your phone would ring every time the ad aired. Well that was a load of baloney. It did drive some results but nothing like what was expected.

We're currently trying social media marketing (promoted Facebook posts, Twitter and LinkedIn). We're getting attention but no real enquiries but I appreciate we have to play the long game and to be honest it's a minimal investment.

Our e-mail marketing is looking better (design wise) than ever but the open rates are in the mid 20's and any click-through option hovers around the 2-3%. I am testing times of day and days of the week but it's pretty disappointing.

Today we've signed up to a service which tells me who (ie the name of company) has visited our website, almost in real time. This should give me the opportunity of calling the prospect if we don't get an enquiry off the back of them visiting our website. If I can then drive more traffic to our website and then monitor who is visiting then we should experience greater conversions.

In summary I'm learning that there isn't a single solution. We need to be doing a bit of everything. If our Google rankings are good, our website optimised, we have a consistent social media and newsletter strategy and we know who is visiting our site and when then I think we're in the best shape we can be.

That's unless you've got any bright ideas?

Project 366 / 68 - Nostalgia and the digital revolution

People harp back on a bygone era so much. Life is so full of nostalgia, perhaps because you are what you've experienced and what you've experienced is what has defined you.

"Back in the day" has to be one of my most hateful sayings. Ok so that's probably a bit of an exaggeration but I don't like it. It suggests that things were so much better back then. But was it really? The chances are the majority of people look back and remember the good bits. Just as the body has no memory of physical pain, so the mind tricks you into looking into the past with rose tinted glasses.

Yes there were defining eras, but hasn't every decade? You have to appreciate the digital revolution that we now living through - it's the biggest revolution since the industrial revolution. It's literally changing everything and we're at the start of it.

Just think - the internet as we know it is only 25 years old. The first iPod (2001), the first iPhone (2007), the first iPad (2010), Google (1998), Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006) and look how these products have literally changed the world. And we're living through this - amazing isn't it.

Project 366 / 67 - Good times, bad times and Conor McGregor

"Nothing great is ever easy to come by"

That's a saying that I tend to repeat to myself quite regularly. I was going to say "it can be" but in truth "it is" incredibly frustrating that things can be going so well for a short while and then, just as you think you've cracked it, the wheels fall off and things begin to wobble all over the damn place.

You can apply this to pretty much every aspect of life. From business to exercise, from your favorite sports team to your local pub pool game and from personal projects to relationships.

But you have to hold on to the fact that nothing ever good or bad lasts forever. When things are good then recognize it, appreciate it and acknowledge it. When things are bad then weather the storm, batten down the hatches and be safe in the knowledge that it will pass.

Much like a lot of people I've been getting in to UFC and MMA over the last year, greatly fueled by the likes of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey. Say what you want about McGregor - the bravado, the banter, the cockiness and the hype, this man steps up and delivers. He has pretty much single handedly brought the worlds attention to MMA, He's delivering a marketing punch far greater than anyone else, is electrifying the global audience and as a result is making the industry millions upon millions of dollars.

And then he lost. Or did he? In attempting a double jump in weight class his power simply fell short. But by being gracious and humble in defeat he has almost become more likeable.

"Humble in victory, humble in defeat"

The press, the marketers and the public like nothing more than to build you up. Then they all like nothing more than to tear you down.

The comeback could become the story of all stories.

Project 366 / 66 - Mothers Day, Sunday opening and change

It's been a beautiful Sunday. It's mothers day so we have visited my mum and showered love, appreciation and gifts upon my wife for being such an amazing mum. You mums really are the best.

We were going to be going to Brighton for a mooch around the shops but after visiting my mum and then coming home for a spot of lunch we found ourselves running out of time so decided to do that another day. The reason? Shops closing early on a Sunday.

My mum was complaining about everything being open all the time and how is never used to be like that. Yes when I was young nothing but pubs opened on a Sunday and it was really lovely. But times are a changing and as much as you may be nostalgic of how it used to be you have to embrace the change.

The world in which we live in is very much a 24/7/365 world. We're all connected and contactable all day every day. I know many people who always said that they would keep their phones off on a Sunday for family time but even they have gone back on that.

It's only people of our generation who remember everything being shut on a Sunday. It's like the smoking ban. I never thought it would work but now I can't imagine how it used to be.

My wife and I were in Prague a few year ago and walked into our hotel only to be faced with the stench of cigarette smoke. I was aghast. Who had the audacity to be smoking indoors? I then realised that the same ban didn't apply in Czech Republic but we found it repulsive. It's amazing how you get used to things so quickly.

As a business owner you have to adapt and embrace change. The alternative is the chance of being left behind and put out of business by those more willing to adapt.

Project 366 / 65 - Music formats and valuing possessions

If you're like me then you've purchased quite a lot of music over the years. I've boxes and boxes of vinyl, cupboards of tapes and stacks of CD's. I'm actually liking the digital revolution as for once it feels like it's a permanent format.

There are drawbacks to the digital format. Cover art has become less important and "B" sides simply don't exist. We now have the opportunity of simply purchasing the song that we want rather than investing in a whole album. The downside is missing out on real golden nuggets of songs that we simply won't get to hear. They won't get commercial airtime and won't get played live. The music industry has changed considerably.

We all have clothes in the cupboard that we never wear, CD's that we never listen to, DVD's that we've only watched once and countless "must have" things that we don't need. Why is this? Do we not value our possessions any more?

A friend told me about his visit to an Eastern European orphanage. During his visit he saw where the children slept and saw that above their beds was a shelf. He noticed that one particular child had placed a toy car on the shelf and turned to one of the staff and commented,

"The toy car looks brand new, why doesn't the child play with it?"

The answer took him aback, "The child plays with the car for 1 hour every day. He looks after it, he cleans it and then places it back on the shelf ready for the next day".

It was the child's only toy.

We should value our possessions. We all work hard enough for our money - don't waste it.

Project 366 / 64 - Walking the walk, help and winning £100k

It's so easy to talk the talk, but walking the walk. Hell, that's something completely different and so many of us, myself included from time to time, are failing miserably.

I hear it all the time, people who are either not qualified or not practitioners pushing their advice down peoples necks. "Oh you should do this" "oh you should do that" when they don't even follow their own advice. From fat PT wannabees to nutritional so-called experts. Experts because they're currently on a diet.

My failures are in my business marketing - I know what I should be doing but I don't follow my own advice. And this isn't advice that I'm giving out, it's advice that I'm telling myself in my own head. I'm blaming everyone around me for not letting me follow my advice but in truth I've got the opportunity of making whatever I want to happen, happen.

I guess we all need help.

There's a competition on the radio at the moment where you could win £100k by naming the 3 "famous" people saying a particular phrase. I say "famous" as I've never heard of the the first person that's been correctly guessed. Either I'm totally out of touch or the word "famous" is being used in the broadest sense of the word.

But it gets you thinking about what you'd do with the money if you won. It's no life changing lottery win but £100k could have a very positive impact on your immediate life. This especially depends on whether you listen to the angel or devil on your shoulder.

I'm 45 later this month - I'd listen to my angel and pay off my small debts and finish my house off (yes there's still a few major things to do).

I'm sure my wife would listen to her devil and have concoct other plans. New York being one of them.

What would you do?

Project 366 / 63 - Rugby and contact sports

So a group of over 70 doctors and academics have called for a ban on tackling in rugby matches in UK and Irish schools. They want a move to touch rugby instead.

I just find this unfathomable. Rugby was born way back in 1823 so somehow, just somehow, we've managed to survive all these years. Yes there have been accidents - but hasn't there in literally every sport? Someone, somewhere will always get sadly and badly hurt. A bad fall, a bad collision - it could happen to any of us in any game.

I played a ton of rugby all the way through school. Yes from time to time I got hurt but that was just part of the game. I had my hand stamped on and took a fair few boots to the mouth but I like to think that it toughened me up.

The worst aspect of rugby was tackling practice in icy and snowy conditions. Hitting the ground in nothing more than shorts and rugby top when the ground was frozen certainly stays in my mind longer than any match-play.

I know the Americans get criticised for their American Football protective gear but research shows that this offers a false sense of security. As a result the players go in even harder, foolishly believing that their headgear and padding will take the majority of the impact. The truth is that it doesn't and when it comes to the brain, it is left bouncing around the inside of the skull.

Adult rugby is more similar to MMA. In cage fighting the fighters don't wear boxing gloves. As a result rather than getting hit to the head 200 times and accruing the potential of long term brain damage the fighters get hit 20 times so far less damage is done.

Project 366 / 62 - Impossibly sad stories, Murfey and DMD

We're all self-consumed, full of selfish goals and self pity - it's sickening.

Why am I feeling like this today? Well I've just received an e-mail from a client who is looking to place some business with us. Their story is incredibly sad - they had a son who died of cancer aged just 9. My eldest son, who is my world, will be 9 in July so their story really hit home.

How do people cope?

Murfey, our dog, died on 27th April last year and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of him and miss him. He got me through some tough times personally and I'm still mourning him. When he died we were devastated.

One of my first thoughts were with our friends Shelley and Geoff who's son Fraser was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). It's an incurable disease which will result, unless a cure is found, in premature death. My immediate thought was "how are they going to cope"? There was me struggling with the death of my dog - but a child?

Their story is the reason my wife and I fund raise. Of course when I say "fund raise" I mean "we push our bodies to the absolute limit in the hope that our friends, family and business acquaintances will donate money to this desperate cause". Of course they don't.

Yet here we are, accumulating wealth and spending money on mindless disposable crap that we don't even need. These horrible life changing events happen to people - I pray that they don't happen to you.

Project 366 / 61 - 10 top tips to a good marriage

This year will mark my wife and my 10 year wedding anniversary. To celebrate we're heading to Las Vegas to renew our vows over a 4 day binge-fest on food, drink, excess and entertainment. I think we've more than earned it.

The last 10 years have, without a shadow of a doubt been the happiest of my life. We are, right now, the best we've ever been. The following are my 10 pointers of how we've done it.

1. Take the piss out of each other. Laugh, joke and don't take yourself too seriously.

2. Respect each others lives - just because you are married doesn't mean you can't lead your own life. You don't have to do everything together; give each other space to grow, to learn and to have experiences outside your marriage. You'll have lots more to talk about.

3. Switch of the TV and talk. We've spent thousands on decorating and kitting out our lounge yet after the kids have gone to bed Gem and I spend most of our time at the dining room table just talking until bed time.

4. Have kids - they are the best thing anyone can ever do and they enrich your life beyond measure. Pregnancy for Gem really took it's toll; ever since then I've total respect for what she put herself through (both times). In addition I have even more respect for how hard she has worked to regain her figure.

5. Exercise. And by this I mean don't just sit on a stationary bike and free-wheel. Push yourself in what you do. Get your heart pumping and build up a sweat - it'll release a load of endorphins and make you feel great. You'll then want number 6.

6. Have as much sex as possible (with each other, obviously).

7. Tell your spouse that you love them, at least once every day.

8. Take risks and don't settle for doing just one thing all your life. That wealth that you want to attain? It's not coming to find you - you've got to go and find it.

9. Do things together. Yes I did say you don't have to do everything together but definitely do a lot of things together. Over the last 2 years Gem and I have done lots together as a couple and it's really allowed us to find each other again after a long stint of just being Mummy and Daddy. Go places and have experiences that you can talk about for the rest of your lives. You're a long time old so make the most of now

10. Don't bury your problems or be frightened to voice your opinion or anger. We all get frustrated with each other from time to time but if you air it then you get the chance to get over it. If you let it fester no good can ever come of it.

That's it really. I love my wife with all my heart. She's the sexiest woman I've ever met and I still pinch myself now because I still can't believe my luck. Yes you have to work at marriage but it's so worth it, I promise you.