“H” is for hope – and happiness!

Whilst we often help clients examine what is holding their organisations or intentions back, helping them then to acquire the habits necessary for a breakthrough on a particular problem or question, what really excites those we work with most is a focus on potential! Building on those things that give and sustain hope creates a huge energy in ‘front foot organisations’ (www.idenk.co.uk/ffo). The necessary positive mindset can be practised – where we put our behaviour, then our minds will surely follow (www.idenk.co.uk/positive)!

At the end of 2009 we invited you to think about the year gone and the year ahead. Many of you did and the summary of your views is here. What is striking is how positive and hopeful many of you are at this time of economic woe and doom-mongering. The choice to go for hope — and thus happiness — is palpable.

One reader shared a bit more on how to make this a really BIG year. Enjoy their contribution here:

My BIG year

A good friend recently counselled that I’m at the start of my fifth decade and that many men don’t reach their prime until then (he cited George Bush and Ricky Gervais – that cheered me up). But having just turned 40, this version of my age feels like I have had my forties taken away.

Whilst I don’t go with new year resolutions, in December I decided that 2009 was going to be different. This year is the year of the happiness diet — the idea being to do what makes me happy and the rest will take care of itself.

Just one problem — what makes me happy? Well, I’ve been struggling with this since Christmas. Is it money? (no), power? (no), affiliation? (perhaps - but hang on, I want some money and power too!). Another friend reckons it’s good that I at least know that I don’t know what my goals are. She tells me that this is stage one. Having decided on the goals, stages two and three are making time to pursue them and being successful in achieving them.

I keep saying to myself “what you need old boy is a BIG idea”. This is my BIG year — time to grow up and sort myself out and get on with the pursuit of stuff that makes me happy. Everyone says that “looking at the BIG picture” is a good strategy in any situation.

The trouble is that thinking BIG is not easy.  So while I wait for the BIG idea to come — the one that forms the organising principle behind where I put my energies this important year — I have resorted to a game of figuring out what BIG means — quite literally. Is it Bold, Innovative, Gutsy? Or perhaps Better, Insightful, Gorgeous? Or possibly Behave, Inspire, Give.

My yoga teacher reckons I am a wise man — and that the only thing I lack is Balance. Balance does sound right. So I think I have settled on the ‘B’. Now for the I and the G: Inspiration and Growth? My running partner suggests I need to  ‘get off my arse’ and stop being jealous of others success around me. Ummm G for “get off my arse”. 7 weeks per letter — I might be ready to start thinking BIG by Spring.

Structured Thinking: The secret of convincing analysis and communication

Through the snow in early February, the first public idenk Thinking Course happened and got rave reviews. The next 3 sets of dates for this highly evaluated opportunity to brush up your skills in persuasion, compelling communication and powerful presentations are now out. Check out the programmes and registration details for the sessions in late March, late April and mid May at www.idenk.co.uk/thinkingcourse for further information and testimonials.

idenk Independent Research

More than ever, decision-makers need high quality information and insights to make good choices. Helping them with this, we are getting great feedback on our independent research services. More on this is available from David or Phil.

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