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Groningen, David Bowie, Mompreneurial reflection and Ninja's in the night

Yes you are reading it right. Part of this yearplan from a personal and business perspective is to visit all the capitals of the Dutch 12 provinces in one year.

Living in the ‘Randstad’ Groningen seemed to be the perfect city to start. A bonus was the exhibition David Bowie Is in Groninger museum. His to the audience unexpected passing was reason to delay our trip until a more quiet moment.

I am the kind of mompreneur who loves planning and preparation. So our trip by train, stay at the hotel and the visit to the museum were very well planned and prepared. Unfortunately due to circumstances our departure didn’t go as planned, but the inner crisis manager picked up the phone to make it smooth again.

The arrival at gorgeous Groningen up in the North of The Netherlands was a true gift. The city couldn’t welcome us in a warmer way on the next-to-last day of March with a bright blue sky and a nice temperature. We could easily roll into the Groninger Museum from the trainstation. For an optimal experience of this extraordinary artist David Bowie was we decided to bring our luggage to the hotel first.

The exhibition was impressive indeed. It reminded me once more how important it is to always leave inspiration as a legacy during and after life. The exhibition itself to me cannot be captured in words. It is an experience, a sequence of emotions which when translated into words loses its essence. At the end of the exhibition concerts of David Bowie were shown to a huge group of fans, sitting next to each other and comforting each other for the loss of a unique and versatile artist who has coloured chapters of their lives. What touched me the most beside his impressive legacy, is the fact that he knew his life amongst us was about to end and managed to manifest some of his wishes towards the end anyway: a new album, his musical Lazarus and this exhibition David Bowie Is. Again I am reminded how volatile life expressed in time and energy is. Spend it wisely!

Impressed, inspired and happy with some exclusive vinyl we walked back tot he hotel. On our way the love for churches and cathedrals was rewarded with a visit to the St. Bonifatius church, where an English service was given and a young man named Angelo sang heavenly.

Dinner reservations were made in an Italian restaurant. It was a true culinary feast, whereupon we rolled back to the hotel.

From the hotelroom there was a beautiful view on the harbour. Combined with the peace a vibrant city like Groningen can have, I decided to work some more. Was it the town, the relaxing day or the combination of both? All I know is that I had done a lot of work in little time. It felt so good, I couldn’t sleep. I was full of energy like the city. During a So-Me break I noticed a tweet from Think Productivity NL who started to follow me recently. The tweet referred to the first podcast episode of Beyond Busy.

In this first episode, Graham talks to the CEO of Advantage Spring and author of We Have a Deal, expert negotiator Natalie Reynolds about unconscious bias, gender, money management, work/life balance and the art of procrastination. Graham and Natalie kept me company during the night at a hotel in Groningen. Natalies experiences were so recognizable and it gave a connection which is so caracteristic for the awareness that there are always more women facing mompreneurial challenges. Graham made me curious while referring here and there to his book ’How to become a productivity Ninja’. Upon my request a copy was sent to me to read and share with you.

Between my daily activities, on my way to or from an appointment Graham invited me into his world of experience of productivity. His productivity experience is written in a personal and authentic way. As if the book is a long and interesting letter addressed to you. In 11 chapters Graham teaches you how to become a productivity ninja. These 11 chapters seem to be perfectly written to read during lunch, a break or a trip from A to B. The book promises less stress, achieving more and loving what you do.

Like I mentioned before I am pretty organised by nature. Structure provides me peace, space and clarity to live and work in the ‘flow’. Once as a well paid corporate slave at one of the Big Four I often had the highest productivity score. Often I was asked how I did it. I never knew the answer. I just did my job and was not at all busy with my productivity score. At least that was what I assumed. I actually did have a modus operandi. Reading this book I realised I had been a productivity ninja without being aware of it.

This book with the promise to less stress, achieving more and loving what you do had always been visible, with the result that people would always take a peek. It led to stories about their own job or about people who would be helped with this book. Even before I started writing this blog, already nine people ordered their own copy of hope to a better life. Could it be the promiss of this book or the Ninja within us awakened by just seeing this book to get ready for an efficient and balanced life?

Get your own copy of ‘How to be a productivity ninja’ here.

I would also recommend to listen to the two biweekly podcast of Beyond busy.

Get more tips about productivity on the YouTube channel Think Productive.

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