My round-up for the month of April as a coach, writer and human being.
Nelkon & Parker: Advanced Level Physics – a trip down memory lane
Who else has one of these from their past?
After watching the recent Netflix series, The Three-Body Problem, I decided to treat myself to a second-hand, Fourth-edition Nelkon & Parker – because my interest in Physics has always been present in one form or another.
So, what does this book mean to me?
Hours of hard work grappling with a whole host of concepts for my A’Level Physics, a subject I enjoyed, maybe loved, but often found baffling and confusing. I remember having ‘THINK JANICE’ scrawled in red ink across my first assignment by the enigmatic Dr P. Still; I got there in the end 😉.
Having this book on my shelf also reminds me of how my head, Mrs G, pulled the necessary strings to secure an interview for me at our local college. When she saw my A-level choices, she must have realised my chances of successfully passing them at school were minimal. She was entirely correct in this, and I will be forever grateful to her for sharing this with me and helping me get a foot in the door. It would not have happened without her guidance and intervention, especially as the rather snooty interviewer told me they didn’t usually accept students from my school.
However, this is where life can throw you an unexpected lifeline. He then asked me which of the three topics I felt weakest in – my immediate answer was Physics. So, Mr G (no relation or connection to Mrs G) offered me a place at college with a D in Physics at O-level as long as I achieved a C or above in everything else.
But today, I can reread this book and grapple again with concepts and ideas without the pressure of exams – just for the sheer fun of it, and yes, I am still talking about Physics 😊.
It might even inspire a few story ideas.
So, what topics from your past would you revisit just for fun?
Courage, curiosity or creativity
What will it take for you to share your writing at our next Open Mic at Afrori Books, Brighton?
I was going to include confidence, but then I realised this would probably muddy the waters. Because taking part isn’t about having confidence beforehand, I’m learning it’s about releasing your words – getting them off the page.
Our confidence grows as we step out of our comfort zones.
So, if you are a writer, author and/or poet who would like to share your writing in a safe and supportive space on Sunday 11th May at 7 pm – email us at authorsopenmic@gmail.com for further details.
Experimenting with ChatGPT
After reading how others are experimenting with ChatGPT on LinkedIn and Medium, I decided it was time for me to do the same.
So, when I came across Mark Thompson’s article on Medium: Use AI to monetise (not write) your content, I was immediately intrigued, especially since he suggested using AI to analyse the writing you already have. This approach could serve me well as I already have a library of posts and articles on different platforms, which I could usefully review and repurpose.
So, this is what ChatGPT came up with when I asked it:
What are the key themes and ideas contained within this article: about overcoming the fear of starting again.
The article suggests that holding onto past habits—even those that once served us well—can eventually lead to stagnation. Key themes and ideas include:
• Fear of Starting Over: The author shares a personal experience playing the piano, where relying solely on muscle memory became a comfort zone. Forgetting a well-learned section highlighted the fear of beginning anew and how that fear can block progress.
• Embracing Change: Instead of resisting the need to re-learn, the article encourages readers to confront their discomfort and view starting over as an opportunity to rebuild on a stronger foundation.
• Returning to Fundamentals: By deciding to re-engage with musical notation, the author illustrates the value of revisiting the basics—an approach that can be applied to other areas of life and work.
• Breaking Old Routines: The piece challenges us to question long-standing routines and habits that may no longer be beneficial, urging us to have the courage to move beyond what is familiar.
• Continuous Growth: Ultimately, the article promotes the idea that personal development often requires stepping out of our comfort zones, accepting temporary setbacks, and using them as a springboard for further growth.
In all honesty, I would not have come up with such a concise list as a summary of my own post. It is certainly one area where AI could assist me, as I sometimes struggle to articulate key themes clearly on paper – even though I know what they are. Something likely linked to my Dyslexia.
But in the meantime, I will continue to explore ChatGPT and for those of you who are interested, here is the link to Mark Thompson’s article.
AI-Powered Humans: Coaching for the Future of Work
I continue to be fascinated by all things AI and its implications for work, so I am delighted to be on the panel to discuss this with @JennyGarrett, @Hira Ali and @MarthaCuffy on Wednesday, 23rd April.
What opportunities do you see for yourself with generative AI?
What do you need to become AI literate?
Do you see AI as your friend, foe or something else?
And since approximately 57% of web-based text is already AI-generated, how much more AI do we need?
The whole topic of AI is also causing me to think about how we view our roles and which aspects we might attempt to offload – in terms of whether it energises us, brings us a level of joy, or is draining. We may even need to consider what is at the heart of what we do.
So, if you are at all curious about any of the questions above or have some of your own, then you can watch the recording via this link.
Until next month.
