Reading is Feeding! Anita Frost interview Part 2

Anita Frost, founding director of Curricula and Co says upskilling and staying proactive in your personal and professional development is the way to go while navigating the pandemic, and all the weirdness it brings. It’s something she is doing herself. 

‘Reading is food for our minds’, Anita says. ‘If we continue to consume everything the media throws at us, all our mental energy gets hoovered up’.

​She’s right - just five minutes of looking at the headlines is enough to make a lot of us want to go back to bed!

CATCH UP ON PART 1

With so much doom and gloom and fearful language floating around, as business people especially, but for everyone, we need to find that balance of staying informed and aware of what’s going on in the world, but at the same time, know our limits, so that it does not affect our emotions and get in the way of our goals, and the kind of lives we want to be living. 
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We need to be wise with the kind of content we are consuming, and make sure we are choosing things that will be uplifting and motivating - things that will inspire and empower us.

‘To stay informed about current affairs’, Anita suggests, ‘it is best to follow your local government, and be aware of what they are saying. We need to follow the guidelines given to us, no matter who we agree or don’t agree with - in order to do our part to help our country overcome this challenge. Also, if you are a manager, make sure your staff and teams are up to date with regulations. ​

Also, the media has loads of super helpful information on where the opportunities are, both now and in the future - where the gaps in the market are. Businesses that are struggling right now will be needed in the future, as the economy recovers from the lockdown. Sift through the media, but don’t allow yourself to be intoxicated by negativity - because there is a lot of it - but be inspired, and always be thinking of what possibilities we can find buried in all of this crazy news. And don’t get on board with all that fake news nonsense that’s all over social media! You can skim through the headlines and take what you need without spending hours scrolling and being like UUUUGH!’

​Anita advises entrepreneurs, and everybody, to read loads of stuff about your industry, whatever that is. 
‘If you are a creative, read blogs, listen to podcasts, read books and articles that inspire you, educate you and keep you up to date with everything that’s going on with the creative world. If business finance and making profits is your thing, look for resources and quality content on the economy, finance, stock markets, etc. If you are someone who leads teams or a company, read stuff about leadership. For me, reading is feeding!’

 Anita is currently reading Zero to One, by PayPal founders Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. This book talks about how there are still brand new things to be invented that have never been thought of before - that every new stage of progress has to start from zero. This is an exciting book about progress and scaling up that will refresh the way you think about what’s next.

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What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey is another classic one that Anita comes back to again and again - it’s a collection of thoughts on the human soul - about resilience, clarity, possibility, and more. ​

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Also, John Maxwell’s How Successful People Think , which explores tapping into your creative potential, and how to think outside of the norm. ​

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Over the last few months, we have been producing a lot of content on our blog and social media about physical and mental health and wellbeing. This is because we are aware of how fear can affect people in so many different ways. It can affect the way we think, our ability to make decisions, our creativity can get squashed…

Eating well is massive for general wellbeing, together with getting as much fresh air as we can, through daily walks, even if it’s just in the garden, sitting outside. All of this goes a long way towards supporting our wellbeing during challenging times.

Wellbeing and self care is an absolute must for Anita…
‘I enjoy a nice smoothie in the morning, with avocados, and loads of healthy things like that, then a really great breakfast with lots of cereals like bran, oats and all that jazz, and then I go for a walk. I normally am up at five in the morning, and I do exercise, and then spend time reading, reflecting, and doing some meditations. Then from 8 o’clock, I’m logged on and work through till lunch. I have a healthy lunch, then I work through till 7pm, have my evening meal at 8, then I unplug all phones and computers before 9pm. If you keep scrolling, you end up feeling like you have square eyes when you go to bed - thinking of all the stuff that’s going on in the world, and that’s not great for a good nights sleep!’

​In Part 3, Anita updates us on what Curricula & Co has been doing to adapt their services to the current situation, talks all things employability and business, and just generally gives our morale a much needed boost!