Just in a Word

11/05/2024

21/11/2023

08/07/2021

Innocent mispronunciations can "probly" make you "nucular".

I work with languages, so I mind what I say and how I say it, but I'm aware of people in all sorts of places and functions, who simply don't.

Over many years of continuous learning, I've achieved a native-like proficiency in English, but it remains my second language. I still make mistakes and improve every day, and I appreciate all feedback.

Apparently, 65% of people are cool enough to let a mispronunciation go unchecked, 35% like to correct their friends, with 10% making a point of correcting strangers 👉 https://bit.ly/3hBelkk

I wouldn't dare!

You may argue, that differences in pronunciation are simply a sign of the language evolving, or that some words are just hard to say (rural, otorhinolaryngologist, ignominious).

We "probly" should pay more attention, if you "aks" me. "Specially" when it comes to "pacific" words and details, which can be misconstrued when mispronounced. 😄

❓What do you think❓

07/07/2021

Today I've got for you few tips for success straight from Sir Dave Brailsford - a sporting guru, who transformed the British cycling Olympic Team into the best sports team in the world.

Brailsford was noted for his innovative concept of "marginal gains" - brake down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, and then improve it by 1% and you will get a significant increase when you put them all together.

So easy and so applicable to all spot, business and life.

Here's how it's done:
🚴 Differentiate between aims and targets
🚴 Forget the result, focus on here and now
🚴 Know what's in it for you
🚴 Take ownership
🚴 Get s**** done
🚴 Go one step at a time

Watch the full interview here: https://bit.ly/3yylY1B

02/06/2021

Is the future hybrid?

👉 https://bit.ly/3uKwSzb

01/06/2021

Consistency of aim and effort is what differentiates success from failure.

Sure, you can go all in and immerse yourself into a new project or learning a skill, but to my mind, it's just a good starting point. Very soon, the excitement fades away and you realise that the time and energy you've been spending on it is simply not sustainable. What do you do then? How do you keep up the momentum? Do you give up? Move on to the next new thing? Or take on a new, consistent approach? 🤔

Think about it. We tend to overestimate what we can do in a week but underestimate what we can achieve in a year. With a consistent approach to life, in 10 years you can be further than you think.

Do you think that Usain Bolt woke up one day and started to sprint the way he did? Of course not. Same with Tiger Woods - do you think he swung the club for a month and became the golf champion? I don't think so. Their success was a direct result of long-lasting consistency of aim and effort.

Same goes to your running a business, learning a language, bringing up children, losing some weight (if you want to) and even brushing your teeth!

So, brace yourself for a marathon, rather than a sprint! 🏃
Be consistent and be successful.

&lifestyle

19/05/2021

Writing a message to a friend this morning, I wanted to include a "thank you" emoji, which we all know is this:🙏. The below screenshot shows the choice I was given. 👇

It made me 🤣 and then I thought it's rather 🤓.
🦃 emoji for "Thanksgiving", I thought. I might be wrong, though.

By the way, this ⭕ is the emoji for "wrong". It's used as an alternative to a ✅ in Japan and used for something, that is incorrect. Hollow Red Circle was approved as part of Unicode 5.2 in 2009 under the name “Heavy Large Circle” and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. (found in: emojipedia)

Wow.

And I started to wonder about the language of emojis, which is truly universal and perhaps the first truly global language. It derives inspiration from various symbolisms, gestures and cultures and is truly unique, if you think about it.

Here's the Guardian's article on the topic, which I recommend: https://bit.ly/3w9Fdh0.

It's something to 🤔 about, for sure. Perhaps translating emojis will become "a thing" soon? 😜

I'm keen to hear your thoughts on the language of emojis. Comment ⏬.

18/05/2021

Better early than sorry is one of my domains in life.

So much so, that I've been known to arrive for an interpreting assignment before the event organisers and when the technical team wasn't even yet in site. I've not yet tried to log on to a virtual event when the link hadn't yet been created, but I'm sure it'll happen one day. 🤣

Being late bothers me so much, that only thinking about it makes my body tight and my breath shallow. I can't say I'm never late, because of course, there are things that happen beyond my control, but I always do everything I can to arrive on time. I prefer to wait out in sleet and snow for an hour than to face the stress, shame and sorrow of being late.

Having thought about it for the purpose of this post, I realise that there are several reasons why I want to be on time. To me, be on time is synonymous with:

👉Be respectful
👉Be professional
👉Be considerate
👉Be credible
👉Be organised
👉Be reliable
👉Be classy
👉Be relaxed
👉Be prepared

Wouldn't you like to be all of those things?

14/05/2021

I've been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here's an important lesson I'd like to share with you today: LISTEN

🧘 On the mat: listen to the sound of your breath - it'll take you through practice. Listen to your body - it'll tell you what it can do and what it needs on the day. Listen to the surrounding silence - it'll guide you to where you want to go.

☀️ In life: you can hear so much if you just stop for a few minutes and listen. Listen to you yourself and to your loved ones. Listen to what you soul tells you and where it wants you to go. Listen into the soundless stillness and hear its counsels. Making the right decision is so much easier if you just stop and listen.

👩‍💼 In business: stop for a minute, be still and listen to the voice inside you - it knows what's best for you. Listen to your colleagues, bosses, employees and clients; really hear whet they've got to say. Everyone has a story to tell and if you listen, you just might truly hear it.

"When the lips are silent, the heart has a hundred tongues" - Rumi

12/05/2021

❓ What if you could learn from the experiences of other people?
❓ What if you had access to the precious knowledge someone else accumulated over the last 20 or 50 years?
❓ What if you could learn from it and become that much wiser in, say, 2 weeks, 2 days or 2 hours?

Reading is power.
📚 Reading gives you access to experiences and life lessons others needed time to learn, sometimes painfully. Some are better to learn second-hand, trust me!
📚 Reading is a skill, which opens many doors leading to stories, facts, opinions, science, fantasy and fiction.
📚 Reading helps you to fast track your personal and professional development by acquiring 20-years' worth of experience in 2 days (or 2 hours, if you speed-read, like me 😊).
📚 The more you read, the more you become interested - and interesting!

So, if you're encouraged to learn, evolve and discover, I recommend you reach for "The Happiness Hypothesis" by Jonathan Haidt today.

Ride that elephant!

11/05/2021

If you type in "top communication skills" in the google search box, you're going to have about 900,000,000 search results to choose from. And that's in English alone! 😲

This just proves what we all know already - communication is an essential skill. People research, teach, write, read, learn and talk about communication. And no wonder - to be successful in life you must be a good communicator.

If you're tempted to go through some of the 900,000,000 search results you will notice, that the #1 communication skill on those easily available lists varies. Some of them prioritise listening, other body language or cohesion and clarity. 📙

However, even the greatest mastery of body language, confidence and register is all for nothing, if you don't have much to say. So I'd suggest, that the #1 communication skill is: HAVE SOMETHING INTERESTING TO SAY first, and then decide how to say it. 🗣️

❓Am I right ❓

I'm sure you don't want to end up talking but not saying much interesting or adding value. It wouldn't look good on you. It would be like selling air in a golden wrapper. 🎁

💡Read, learn, gather facts, knowledge, opinions and experiences, collect the actual content before you start thinking about which communication strategy to employ.

07/05/2021

I've been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here's an important lesson I'd like to share with you: TRY IT

🧘 On the mat: there's no failure, no right or wrong, there's simply your expression of a pose. Try it - you won't know if you can do it or not, if you don't. Falling down and wobbling is to be expected, giving up is not. Try it - you might be surprised how far you can go.

☀️ In life: avoid thinking: "I'm not good enough", "It's not for me" or "It's too late". If you want it, simply try it. Put your mind to it and you might be surprised how much you can achieve. It's better to fall than regret not trying at all - you can always get back up and try again.

👩‍💼 In business: learn, innovate, expand, evolve, diversify. Don't let others limit you by saying: "This isn't how it's done" or "You're not cut out for it". Try it! It's only by trying that we can truly know what we can and can't do. Go for it, if you really want to. Your limits might be further than you think.

05/05/2021

Here's the story of how I learned the hard way.

Scene one:
Contracted to interpret at a medical conference online. Materials received. Preparation in progress.

Scene two:
Preparation complete. Glossaries ready and shared with the booth mate. Online work rules and schedule agreed.

Scene three:
The day of the event. Revision work in progress. Time to log on the to the RSI platform. THE INTERNET GOES DOWN 😱

Scene four:
Restarting the router. Unplugging the router. Texting my booth mate. Plugging the rooter back in. Restarting the laptop. Trying the second laptop. Updating the booth mate. Connecting via mobile hotspot. SUCCESS! Getting disconnected. Then back on again. Call from the tech support. Flatmate on the phone with Sky customer service. Connected via RSI mobile app. Sound check done. Approved. The event begins.

Scene five:
Two laptops, Ipad, professional microphone and headset on the desk. Me interpreting via MOBILE PHONE. Good sound, but small screen. Handover via text. On the same phone. Keeping calm. Doing a good job. Client happy.

Epilogue:
Flatmate says Sky has an outage in North London. Thousands left with no internet access. (https://bit.ly/2Rv7y23). Lesson learnt. Secondary internet connection ordered.

04/05/2021

According to the 2019 Ofcom report, in 2018 an average screen time per person per day in the UK was a whooping 4 hours and 32 minutes. 📺💻📱

As people across the UK followed official health advice to stay at home during April 2020, they kept themselves informed and entertained by spending an average of 6 hours and 25 minutes each day watching TV and online video content – a total of almost 45 hours a week! 🕒🕒🕒

It's practically the equivalent of a full time job! What if we spent half of those 4 hours and 32 minutes reading or learning a new skill ? Wouldn't it be a better investment of time and resources?

Now, I understand that the pandemic was (and is) unprecedented circumstances calling for unprecedented measures. However, see that the 2018 score is only 2 hours shy of the peak screen time last year. Screens are the most skilful Time Robbers. 💰

We all have the same amount of time - 24 hours in a day. It's our priorities, that are different. While some of us watch TV, others learn languages, write books, volunteer for a good cause and run marathons. The choice is yours.

Resist the Robber!

Source:
https://bit.ly/3gZ7FOk
https://bit.ly/3gXyrqc

30/04/2021

I’ve been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here’s another important lesson I’ve received: LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

🧘 On the mat: a fixation effect makes you go where you look, and not where you want to go. If you look down when you balance and think: “I don’t want to fall”, you’re going to hit your face on the mat. On the other hand, if you gaze beyond what’s possible and see your goal clearly, this is where you’ll find yourself sooner than you think.

☀️ In life: focus on where you want to be and what you want to achieve and not on where you’re not and what you want to avoid. If you focus your attention on a tree when driving, you’re going to hit that tree. Look where you want to be and the fixation effect will pave the way for you.

👩‍💼 In business: look beyond now and focus on what you want and not on what seems achievable today. The further you look, the further you’re going to go. Don’t think “Impossible”. Think “I’m possible”.

29/04/2021

In positive psychology, "flow" is defined as a mental state in which someone is fully immersed, with energised focus and enjoyment, in an activity (source: https://bit.ly/2PtJKuS).

Oh, that's me, each and every day! Well, almost...😁

Don't we all have moments when "flow" is so hard to find, that it becomes just a distant memory of what it's like to feel motivated? I'm talking about times when doing things feels like "pulling yourself out of a swamp by your own hair", as a fictional German hero Baron Munchausen aptly puts it.

How do you come out of such a state?

Here's what Harward Business Review advises you do:

👉 https://bit.ly/2PtJKuS

27/04/2021

In the 16th century, Mikołaj Rej, a Polish poet and prose writer of the emerging Renaissance in Poland wrote:
📜"A niechaj narodowie wżdy postronni znają,
iż Polacy nie gęsi, iż swój język mają."

The English translation is equally powerful:
📜 "Let it by all and sundry foreign nations be known
that Poles speak not Anserine but a tongue of their own."

Rej was the first Polish author to write exclusively in the Polish language, denying to follow the renaissance trend of writing in Latin. His words and attitudes prove, that language is tied to identity, and this often includes the identity of a nation.

Language has power: it can unite, bind, dissolve, separate and sever (source: https://bit.ly/3xv4MdE). Each time in history has its lingua franca: Greek, Latin, French or English, which permeates countries and nations, becomes a tool of soft power, influence and even dominance and enslavement. However, the nationalistic attribute of a language, the unique identity linked with it, and the strong will to preserve and protect it, continues to thrive.

Examples of Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Quebec, Catalonia, Turkey, Ireland, Wales or Ukraine are just a few of many, which prove, that language forms individual and national identity, signifies sovereignty, and it must be protected.

Over 40% of the world’s approximate 7,000 languages are at risk of disappearing. Thankfully, we have the awareness, tools and technology at our fingertips today that could prevent that happening, because every time a language disappears of the face of the Earth, we loose a unique vision of the world and an enormous cultural heritage, experience, end even botanical and medical knowledge (source: https://bit.ly/2Qz2Ksx).

Mikołaj Rej was also a translator, and he contributed hugely to the preservation of his (and mine) native language. I'm grateful for that and I continue translating! 🙏

16/04/2021

I've been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here's another important lesson I've received: BE CONSISTENT

🧘 On the mat: there's no short cuts to touching your toes, fancy backbends, binds, arm balances or headstands - you have to consistently show up for practice and work on your balance, flexibility and strength to get your body to as far as it can get to.

☀️ In life: consistency of aim and effort takes you where you want to be; with a clear goal in mind just keep going and you'll be surprised how quickly you can get further, better, happier.

👩‍💼 In business: don't underestimate gradual progress; do however much or little you can in a day, week, month or a year, but do it consistently; stay consistently dependable, honest and supportive.

CONSISTENCY is key. Be consistently outstanding.

15/04/2021

How you show up and treat people mens everything - both to you and the people.

Christine Porath talks about why being respectful for your coworkers is good for your business. 👉 https://bit.ly/2QigFTr

I know what it feels like to work with people who threat others with incivility. I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the "incivil behaviour" Christine Porath talks about. All in the past, luckily.

This is probably why I'm so grateful for all the wonderful, supportive and respectful teachers, mentors, colleagues and clients, with whom I've been honoured to work, talk, meet or simply chat in the past few years. 🙏

Special thanks to Jasinska-Dawidson and Wawrzon-Stewart, without whom I simply wouldn't be. 🙏

12/04/2021

I dare you to tell me that you've never lost a sock in the wash. You can't, because we all have. 🧦🧦

You do everything right and the way you always do. You separate whites from darks, into the washing machine, detergent, softener, door shut, push the on button - same sequence each time. And yet, sometimes, you put in six socks and take out five. Or, better still, you put in six and take out seven!

A sock monster 👹or socks stuck under the wash plate? You don't know and you probably don't think much about it. You don't loose your sleep over it, you simply put the unmatched sock in your drawer and wait for the lost one to appear, hopefully some time soon.

What if you took on a similar approach to things mismatching unexpectedly in work and in life? You do everything right, and just like you always do - same strategy, each time. And yet, your outcome is less than expected. You put in six and take out five. You see it, fold it, store it. Instead of dwelling on the lost items, clients, earnings, opportunities, you carry on with life and wait for them to appear, hopefully some time soon.

One day, you will put in six and take out seven. Nothing gets lost in nature.

09/04/2021

I've been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here's one of the most important lessons I've received: BREATHE

🧘 On the mat: breathe deeply and fully through your nose to mobilise, focus, go in deeper into your practice, alleviate physical discomfort and relax into your pose.

☀️ In life: breathe deeply and consciously through your nose to slow down your heart rate, focus on breath to take a moment before you react and decide, inhale all that's positive and exhale what doesn't serve you.

👩‍💼 In business: breathe deeply and slowly before acting or reacting, concentrate on your breath to stay calm, focused and grounded, follow your inhales and exhales - one step at a time on your way to progress.

Just BREATHE.

01/04/2021

"No matter how interesting the content is that you are sharing, if your communication skills are not up to scratch, it’s often an uphill struggle to inform, influence, or inspire others." - SecondNature (Aug, 2019).

Communication becomes even more complex in business settings spread across languages, cultures, religions and nationalities. This is where your choice of words has a price tag. 💰💵

Here's what Harvard Business Review has to say about it: https://bit.ly/3me8NhL

31/03/2021

So, here's a thing. Sometimes you just have to fire your...CLIENT 🤭

Yes, I know, no one wants to disappoint or let go after having worked so hard to find and secure a client in the first place. Especially, when the project is exciting, the new relationship promising and the eagerness to serve as strong as ever. I, too, always want to overdeliver, work to the client's budget and dates and be the best on the block - all with agility and smile.

But what if your client makes unreasonable demands, is slow to pay, doesn't listen to your advice and shows a basic lack of respect and appreciation for the services you offer? What do you do then? The answer is simple: you know your worth, set boundaries and fire that client to avoid problems, grief, frustration and anger later down the line.

It's better to fire a client than to dread working with them. But, to do it politely and diplomatically is not so easy. How do you do it?

30/03/2021

Progress is fundamental to human nature. When we think about progress, we often imagine how good it feels to achieve a long-term goal or experience a major breakthrough. These big wins are great, but they are relatively rare and quite often, after having achieved them, we often think "is that it?" and move on to the next thing or challenge. It's just how we're wired.

Jonathan Haidt calls it a 'progress principle' and compares the big win to taking off a backpack at the end of a long hike ."If you go on the journey only to feel that pleasure, you're a fool", says Haidt.

So, make it all about the small wins, recognise and celebrate each time you make a step towards your ultimate goal - however big or small! 🎉 🥳



👉 https://bit.ly/39oszlj

29/03/2021

I know closely a 18-year old young man, who's currently trying to decide about his future - amidst the pandemic, chaos and uncertainty it's brought upon us all.

How do you decide on your future job or profession in the world so changeable and unpredictable? Is automation really a threat or an opportunity? What about hanging demographics, urbanisation, globalisation, inequality, political uncertainty, and climate change? 🌎

While trying to help, I came across Pearson, Nesta and the Oxford Martin School novel methodology for predicting the demand for work and skills in the US and UK economies in 2030. It combines the expertise of humans with the power of machine learning.

A tonne of material and guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/3u0LIBC. Perhaps it can help young people you know.

26/03/2021

I've been practising yoga for almost 15 years. Over that time I realised, that what I learn on the mat resonates in life and improves my overall approach, choices, relationships and work.

So here's one of the first lessons I've received: SHOW UP

🧘 On the mat: show up for your practice, carve out the time, put in the effort and participate fully, always to the best of your abilities on the day.

☀️ In life: show up for yourself and for others, be present in the moment, be dependable and reliable, stay consistent with your aims and efforts.

👩‍💼 In business: put in hard work and effort, be consistent, persevere, do the best you can on the day and under the circumstances.

25/03/2021

Great news! Reading's good for you!

Despite shops being closed for much of 2020, figures show Britons bought books in volume – although many authors continued to struggle

24/03/2021

Last month, I said YES to tablet interpreting. Thank you to Jasinska-Davidson and for motivating this development.

Yes, I'm a late adopter, but better late than never! I decided on an iPad and after just over a month there's no going back! Here's the list of functions and applications, which I found most useful:

👍🏻 notepad for consecutive and simultaneous interpreting
👍🏻 third device for RSI
👍🏻 split screen for note taking
👍🏻 mind mapping on Notability App and mind-mapping apps
👍🏻 annotation of word, pdf and ppt files
👍🏻 note taking during CPDs, French language course & meetings
👍🏻 video recording speeches for peer interpreting practice
👍🏻 built-in monolingual and multilingual dictionaries

23/03/2021

Would you feng-shui your home office?

I'm new to the concept, which is very far from new (6,000 years old!). It’s a form of ancient Chinese geomancy, the harnessing of positive Qi (universal energy), which — if well applied — has many benefits:

✓calmer, cleaner, more balanced work space
✓enhanced concentration and productivity
✓reduced levels of stress
✓boosted mood and morale

Definitely worth looking into.

Have a read: https://bit.ly/319Pf4o

22/03/2021

Good leaders don't give advice. Good leaders guide others to arrive at their own solutions, put them into action and set goals.

In my opinion, leadership is not so much about a certain skill set, but about personality traits and charisma. It's the ability to motivate and inspire to action, to see people's potential and bring the best out of them, and to stay calm and strong, find solutions and lead when everything and everyone around comes crumbling down.

Do you agree?

👉https://bit.ly/3lBdeCK