Your Time With James Sweetman

Episode 118 Signs that you are doing ok

Most of us are fully paid up members of the tough on ourselves club, so this week I’m suggesting that you are probably doing better than you give yourself credit for. So often we run the pattern that there is something wrong with us that needs to be fixed, but remember we can be both perfectly ourselves and still be works in progress.

This week’s episode is a reality check, a time to take stock and to acknowledge how far you’ve come. I share 15 signs that you are doing fairly ok. I close with a short reflection, powerful words that shift perspective and give us permission to be a little more gentle with ourselves.

Episode 117 Interview Skills – Essential Preparation

Did you know that on average we will attend 42 interviews over the course of our careers?

This week I’m delving into a topic that is a core part of my business and that’s interview skills coaching. If you have an interview on the horizon this week’s episode will cover all the basics of quality preparation. The themes of communication and influencing skills and promoting what you do are relevant in many other situations too, from sales and presentations to running effective meetings.

As I say to my clients, being offered the job, the contract, or the place on the course, is outside of your control so the focus is on controlling what you can control. I share tips for banishing common misconceptions about interviews, how to respond to probably questions, as well as key distinctions when it comes to giving examples to illustrate competencies.

Episode 116 In conversation with Roly Miller of Jobcare

This week I’m joined by Roly Miller who is eLearning & Digital Media Manager with Jobcare. Established in 1994 Jobcare is a charity that provides training, resource services and transitional work programmes to equip unemployed people with the skills to secure and sustain work. What I particularly admire about Jobcare is their ethos that ‘Working Matters,’ that everyone has the right to a form of employment, ensuring people are not left behind.

In addition to discussing the services Jobcare provide, Roly speaks about the unforeseen benefits people get from their free programmes. We chat about how they successfully pivoted their services online at the start of the Covid crisis. I also share my experiences of volunteering with them for many years. If you find yourself between jobs, or are interested in volunteering your services to such a worthy cause, be sure to tune in. www.jobcare.ie

Episode 115 My conversation with Des Canning

This week I’m delighted to be joined by Des Canning, a counselor, and psychotherapist. I was a client of Des’s earlier this year and I’m a huge fan of his work.

In an open and frank conversation, we chat about how men can still be reluctant to discuss mental health and to reach out for assistance. I share some of the ways receiving counseling has benefited me. Des speaks about his journey from working in telecoms to following his passion and establishing his own counseling practice.

Other themes of our conversation include, how we can be our own worst enemies, acknowledging that we do our best, and seeing ourselves as others see us. Des also shares some beautiful and profound quotes that really spoke to me. An episode not to be missed. 

Episode 114 The Disciplines of High Performance

Inspired by all the great sport on TV, and with the Olympics just around the corner, this week I’m exploring the topic of high performance. What does it mean, how do we recognise it and how do we attain it.

I define high performance as achieving above and beyond expected results in a sustainable way over the long term. In this episode I’ll take you through what I refer to as the 7 disciples of high performance, including the mindset as well as the personal qualities that all high performers draw upon, irrespective of their field of endeavor.

Episode 113 Are you a corporate mystic?

Are you a corporate mystic? That’s the question I’m posing this week. The word mystic might conjure up a guru living in a cave, or even Yoda from Star Wars. For me, a corporate mystic is an enlightened leader, someone who is comfortable harnessing the wisdom of both head and heart and who inspires and is inspiring.

Integrity is a value espoused in every organisation, but integrity is not just the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, it’s also the state of being whole and undivided. So this week I’m exploring why companies need corporate mystics as well as the qualities of corporate mystics. Maybe you will recognise yourself in the description?

Episode 112 My conversation with Georgina Durcan

I’m joined this week by Georgina Durcan an Intuitive Therapist who is affectionately known as the ‘Soul Whisperer.’ In her work, Georgina points the way for her clients to come home to who they truly are. I so enjoyed our conversation and I think you will too. Georgina shared her story, how a breakdown led to a breakthrough, and to her own soul calling.

She also speaks about how she helps her clients connect with their internal guidance system, a practice that always leads to our highest good and greatest joy.

She tells us about her own self-care practice and the importance of carving moments of joy. She lets us in on the story behind her new Soul Side Up Mantra Card deck, a fantastic resource that I’ve been using every day. It was such an uplifting conversation. Find out more about Georgina and her work by visiting www.georginadurcan.com 

Episode 111 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome, that sense of not being good enough, feeling like a fraud, and having the fear of being found out, is the topic I’m delving into this week. If we are honest, it’s something we can all relate to.

I believe that imposter syndrome is part of our human make-up, it’s in our DNA, so we can’t remove it, but we can learn to diminish it, so it doesn’t prevent us from reaching for our potential and living the truest expression of ourselves.

So in this episode, as well as sharing tips and practices for overcoming imposter syndrome I’ll be exploring the underlining beliefs that fuel this habit of fear-based thinking. I’ll also speak about my experiences with imposter syndrome and what I do to combat it.

Episode 110 My conversation with Eileen Hopkins

This week I’m delighted to be joined by Eileen Hopkins an experienced Psychotherapist, Life, Career & Public Speaking Coach and Certified Trainer. Having worked in nursing and nurse management for many years, Eileen has a passion for emotional health, self-care, resilience, personal development, pain management, education, and empowering change.

I so enjoyed our wide-ranging conversation where we explored topics including fear of change, compassionate inquiry, our experiences of psychotherapy and having the courage to be vulnerable. As an award-winning toastmaster, Eileen also shared some tips for speaking in public.

Episode 109 Reflect, reminisce, refuel

As well as sharing what I hope is thought-provoking, maybe even inspiring content and conversations, a key intention with my podcast is to give you an opportunity to take some time out of your busy schedule and reconnect with yourself and your inner wisdom.

This week’s episode is based around 5 questions that encourage us to pause, connect with a sense of gratitude, and maybe even have a little trip down memory lane. If you journal, this week’s episode will have you reaching for your pen and notebook.