There are many different approaches to identifying your vocation. One approach is described in piece called 3 tips for following your successful style. Another is based on finding your vocational themes. Here are 3 steps you can take to explore this latter route.

1) You can recognise the vocational themes.

During the 1970s many people began taking a different approach towards shaping their careers. Previously they had tried to fit themselves into a traditional ‘job’ But many became interested in the approach outlined by pioneers such as Richard Bolles, Barrie Hopson, Mike Scally and William Bridges. These authors encouraged people to find recurring ‘themes’ and ‘transferable skills’ in their work. Different authors ‘grouped’ these themes in different ways. But essentially the topics covered the basic human activities, such as building, creating, problem-solving, etc. Here are some of these activities - but you can obviously add or combine various themes.

Vocational Themes

* Exploring - discovering, adventuring, navigating.

* Learning - studying, researching, understanding.

* Simplifying - crystallising, patterning, mapping,

* Educating - enabling, empowering, equipping.

* Encouraging - giving, helping, serving.

* Coaching - mentoring, facilitating, developing.

* Problem-solving - fixing, renovating, healing.

* Creating - designing, pioneering, inventing.

* Performing - entertaining, expressing, showing.

* Communicating - connecting, reporting, storytelling.

* Selling - trading, persuading, influencing.

* Building - making, doing, implementing.

* Protecting - preserving, upholding, enforcing.

* Leading - shaping, visioning, inspiring.

* Managing - planning, organising, co-ordinating.

* Achieving - delivering, finishing, succeeding.

2) You can clarify your vocational themes.

Looking at the themes, circle the words that ‘make your heart sing’. Here are two examples. One person circled: ‘Encouraging, enabling, coaching and communicating,’ plus he added: ‘writing’. Nowadays his main income comes from one-to-one coaching, but he also writes article for magazines. These provide people with practical tools they can use to improve their lives. Another person circled: “Pioneering, implementing and serving.” She now leads new projects for companies - mainly around improving customer service. The normal ‘project time’ is two years, which also includes educating her successor to take over the team.

Looking at the vocational themes, do three things. First, describe those that make your heart sing. Second, describe the specific activities in which you have expressed these themes in the past. Third, bearing these answers in mind, describe what you believe to be your vocational themes. Try completing the following sentences.

The vocational themes that make my heart sing are:

*

*

*

The activities in which I have expressed
these themes in the past have been:

*

*

*

Bearing this in mind, I believe my vocational themes are:

*

*

*

3) You can find the right vehicle for following your vocational themes.

Now comes the creative part. After finding your vocational themes, the key is to find – or create – the right vehicle for expressing these in your life and work. You may, for example, enjoy ‘creating, designing and succeeding’. But what is the specific activity in which you enjoy doing these things? You can follow these themes in many areas – such as painting, writing, building houses or whatever. Focus on the activities in which you feel in your element – you feel at ease and yet excel.

Sounds challenging? Perhaps, but most of the future jobs have not yet been invented. So we each face a choice: a) We can wait for the new ‘boxes’ to be drawn - then try to fit ourselves into these boxes: b) We can clarify our themes - then combine these to provide a product or service that potential sponsors want to buy: c) We can simply express these themes in our personal – rather than professional – lives. Whichever route you want to take, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to find – or create – the right
vehicle for following my vocational themes in the future are:

*

*

*

“I seem to play a lot more as I get older,” said one person. “Certainly I find life more joyful. I am also less judgemental - which frees me up to be more creative. I do a lot of painting. Previously my style was quite conservative, but it has become lighter and more liberated over the years.”

“There is nothing more serious than play,” we are told. Certainly this is how we learn during the early years. We become absorbed in an activity, explore and discover the world. Creative people retain this quality throughout their lives. Let’s consider how to make this happen.

1) You can clarify where you enjoy a sense of play.

When do you enjoy a sense of play? You may be designing, fixing cars, being with children, teaching, gardening, building, creating or whatever. Laughter is good for the soul – and it is often present during play. If not laughter, then perhaps curiosity, the joy of finding patterns in life. Play can help us to see things from another angle, which leads to a sense of wonder. Where does this happen for you? Start by brainstorming the activities in which you experience a sense of play, then focus on one specific situation. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation in which I enjoy a sense of play is:

*

2) You can clarify what you are doing when you enjoy a sense of play.

“During my 30s I became rather earnest and perhaps a bit boring,” explained one man. “Work was all-consuming and things weren’t going well at home. My partner told me to ‘lighten-up’, so I returned to playing music. During my youth I performed in a rock band, but then gave-up. So I bought a piano and began writing songs. I’ve also recorded some for my own amusement. I will never make a hit record, but music has enriched my life. Now I follow Mark Twain’s motto of: ‘Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.’ My partner also says that I am more fun.”

What happens for you when you play? You may follow your passion, relax, explore, settle on a goal, try many ideas, not worry about being judged, concentrate fully, use your imagination, finish something you are proud of or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I do right when I play are:

*

*

*

3) You can enjoy a sense of play more in the future.

“My ‘play’ consists of renovating old Saab cars,” said one person. “Yes, I know Colin Powell had a similar hobby - but he fixed Volvos! I know it sounds sad, but I love to go into the garage and fix things for myself. My day job consists of making tough decisions, so sometimes it’s good to turn-off. I like to mess around without anybody looking over your shoulder. It’s also good to see an end result. My next project is to renovate a 1950 Saab. That will be a real experience.”

How can you plan some time for play? You may want to set aside time to do gardening, inventing, writing, mountaineering, creative problem-solving or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to enjoy
a sense of play more in the future are:

*

*

*

Play helps people to ‘forget themselves’. They emerge feeling refreshed, creative and more able to do great work. They may also do some ‘slow thinking’ and see things into perspective. As we said at the beginning, sometimes there is nothing more serious than play.

“Peak performers are different,” we are told. “They actually do what they say they are going to do. They are ‘committed to the commitment’.” What does this mean – and how does it work in practice? You have probably attended meetings where people end by making their action plans. Looking around the room, you will know: a) Who will deliver; b) Who may deliver; c) Who probably won’t deliver. You will know who can be relied on – and who you wouldn’t like to ‘pack your parachute’. The best place to begin is by acting as a positive model, of course, so let’s explore how you can fulfil your promises.

1) You can clarify your goal, consider the consequences and commit to the commitment.

Peak performers focus on their values, translate these into a clear vision and deliver visible results. They do, however, choose to be selective to be effective. Why? People realise there are only a few things they can do brilliantly. So they take three steps to forming their commitment. a) They clarify their picture of success; b) They clarify the key strategies they can follow to give themselves the greatest chance of success – and the pluses and minuses involved; c) They commit to pursuing these strategies to achieve the picture of success. People take this last step in full consciousness, however, with a clear understanding of the implications. They are then fully committed to the commitment.

People go through this process as individuals when aiming to achieve a specific goal. They may aim to follow a healthy diet, compete in a Triathalon, embark on a course of treatment, radically change their lifestyle or whatever. Great teams go through a similar process when aiming to achieve success. They are often brilliant niche providers who deliver exceptional work in their chosen field. They pursue the right strategy with the right people in the right way. During the past year I have worked with several teams that have taken this path. They include The Search Works, Digital-Outlook and an Age Concern project on Dementia. Such teams understand this policy has consequences: but so does trying to be many things to many customers. Organisations that are serious about ‘living their values’ adopt a similar approach. They focus on a few values – probably four at most – and explore the consequences of living these properly. Bearing in mind the implications, they clarify how to build on the pluses and manage the minuses. They then commit to the commitment.

Looking back at your own life and work, can you think of a time when you went through some of these steps to commit to achieving a goal? What did you do right then? How can your follow these principles in the future? Bearing these in mind, try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe a specific goal you want to achieve in your personal or professional life. Second, describe the key strategies you can follow to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Third, describe the pluses and minuses involved in working to achieve the goal. Complete these steps then, on a scale 0 – 10, rate your commitment to doing your best to reach the goal.

The specific goal I want to achieve is:

*

The key strategies I can follow to give
myself the greatest chance of success are:

*

*

*

The pluses involved in reaching the goal will be:

*

The potential minuses
involved in reaching the goal will be:

*

My commitment. The degree to which I am committed
to doing my best to reach the goal is: _____ / 10

2) You can pursue the commitment by developing daily disciplines and delivering concrete results.

It’s now time to translate words into actions. So you will probably follow certain daily disciplines to reach your goal. This will build up your physical and psychological ‘muscle memory’ – specific habits you follow without thinking. ‘Muscle memory’ is a term used to describe how the body remembers physical movements – such as walking, dancing, cycling or whatever. After awhile you do these things automatically. People also have a ‘psychological muscle memory’. They adopt certain attitudes that become their starting point when faced by challenges. Resilient people often give a stock answer when asked how they coped with adversity. It goes along the lines of: “There wasn’t any choice. I just had to get on and do it.” Certainly they had a choice, they could have succumbed. Such people believe in doing their best, however, so making this positive choice had become second nature. You will have your own method for developing your physical and psychological muscle memory. These daily disciplines will then be translated into concrete results.

Imagine you want to improve your well-being. You will probably choose to get enough sleep; eat a healthy, sustainable diet; walk at least 5,000 steps a day; do fulfilling work; make good use of your ‘prime times’ – the times when you have most energy; give yourself ‘time-outs’ to reflect and make good decisions during the day and spend time with positive people. If you begin from a position of feeling ‘run down’, you may start by doing 2 or 3 of these things and get concrete results. Seeing the benefits, you will develop more habits that take you nearer to achieving your long term goal.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your specific goal, describe the daily habits you can follow to pursue your commitment. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to develop daily
disciplines on the road to achieving my goal are:

*

*

*

3) You can maintain your resilience, find creative solutions to challenges and do whatever if required to fulfil your commitment.

Great sports teams recruit people who are resilient. When the chips are down, they want people who will fight and flow, rather than flee. Such athletes frequently overcome adversity to win trophies. Great work teams also recruit people who demonstrate resilience. They look for people: a) Who have positive characters – perhaps having a history of overcoming difficulties – and deliver on their promises; b) Who are prepared to sweat and do superb work; c) Who can find creative solutions to challenges. Character is vital, because it provides the foundation. Some of the other skills, such as problem-solving, can be developed. Resilient people make clear contracts. Their key contract is with themselves - such as always doing their best. They then make clear contracts with other people and deliver the goods. You will develop your own repertoire for doing what is required to fulfil your contracts.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things you can do to maintain your resilience, find solutions to challenges and reach your goal. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to do
whatever is required to reach the goal are:

*

*

*

Some people you would trust with your life. You know that, whatever happens, they will fulfil their promises and perform the equivalent of ‘packing your parachute’. Why? You have seen them deliver time after time. Such people are ‘committed to the commitment’.

Epiphanies are ‘Ah yes,’ moments. You see things as if for the first time, make creative breakthroughs or experience moments of realisation. Sometimes you act on this enlightenment, sometimes you don’t. Let’s explore three kinds of epiphanies.

1) Creative epiphanies.

These are creative breakthroughs. ‘Things fall into place’ or you find a solution to a problem. There are several ways that you can increase the possibility of such moments.

* You can your ‘prime times’ - the times of the day when you feel most creative. You can then safeguard and make good use of these times.

* You can follow your successful pattern for making creative breakthroughs. Looking back on your life, identify when you have enjoyed those ‘Ah yes,’ moments. Find and follow those principles in the future.

* You can set aside time for ‘slow thinking’. Set aside enough time to rest, relax and recover. Give yourself permission to ‘not do anything’. Recognise that it is okay to be ‘fallow’, rather than always in ‘flow’. Paradoxically, you may find new ideas begin to spring forth.

When have you experienced creative epiphanies? What did you do right to create such moments? How can you increase the odds of generating such creative epiphanies in the future? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
creative epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did right to
create those moments were:

*

*

The things I can do to increase the odds of
generating such creative epiphanies in the future are:

*

*

2) Critical epiphanies.

These arrive at critical moments - such as in the midst of a crisis, a disappointing setback or a ‘near death experience’. There are several things that may happen during these times.

* You recognise what is really important in life. The crisis forces you to count your blessings and see things in perspective.

* You take a new direction in life. Learning from the experience, you focus on the values you want to pursue in the future.

* You learn valuable lessons from other people or from yourself. For example, you may get tough feedback from somebody you respect. Whilst it hurts at the time, you take the lessons on-board and grow stronger from the experience. Similarly, you develop resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks. The breakdown leads to new breakthroughs.

When have you had critical epiphanies? Looking at what you experienced during those times, how did you translate the learning into action? Looking ahead, how can you make the best use of the learning from any possible future critical epiphanies? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
critical epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did to put
the learning into action were:

*

*

The things I can do to make the best use of the
learning from any future critical epiphanies are:

*

*

3) ‘Caught by surprise’ epiphanies.

These come without warning. For example, you may fall in love, have a ‘road to Damascus’ moment or experience what the Zen Buddhists call kensho - the moment of ‘awakening’ or enlightenment. (Though the latter may only happen after years of practice.) There are several things you may do as a result of these moments.

* You feel in awe of something much greater than yourself and pursue a life of service. Some people follow a ‘spiritual’ path; others find and follow their personal or professional vocation.

* You appreciate the beauty of life - but become aware of its temporary nature. Bearing this in mind, you enjoy each moment and encourage others to live life fully.

* You decide to radically change your ways. For example, realizing the consequences of your actions, you change your lifestyle or other aspects of your behaviour.

When have you had ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies? Looking at what you experienced during those times, how did you put the learning into action? How can you make the best use of the learning from any possible future ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies? Try completing the following sentences.

The times when I have experienced
‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies have been:

*

*

The things I did to put
the learning into action were:

*

*

The things I can do to make the best use of the learning
from any future ‘caught by surprise’ epiphanies are:

*

*

Epiphanies come in many different forms. Sometimes we learn from them, sometimes we don’t. The key is to be open during those remarkable moments.

Peak performers are focused on getting results - but they recognise this also calls for building-in times for rest and recovery. Failing to do so means they can crash and burn. Climbing your chosen mountain - or doing your best in your job – can be arduous. So set aside times for re-energising your body and mind. You will then be able to make even better quality decisions. Let’s explore three steps for making this happen.

1) You can build-in time for rest & recovery.

“Nowadays I only have so much energy – so I have learned how to channel it properly,” said one leader. “Looking at the year ahead, I anticipate the busiest periods of business activity. Bearing these in mind, I create time to both prepare and recover. If possible, for example, I plan two long weekends - Friday to Monday - before and after these hectic periods. My partner and I love sunshine, so we get away to warm our bones in November and February.”

“Nowadays I also break-down my day into blocks and build-in time for recovery. I schedule 45 minute meetings, for example, rather ones that last an hour. I have re-learned to eat properly. Now I have a healthy snack every 90 minutes. I also walk outside to refresh my brain and get oxygen. Previously I hardly ever left my desk. Starving myself between breakfast and lunch, I then ate stodgy food. Now I seem more able to channel my energy.”

How can you follow these principles in your own way? Looking to the future, how can you create time to refresh your mind and body? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to build-in times
for rest & recovery in the future are:

*

*

*

2) You can make good use of the times for rest & recovery.

Different people have different ways of re-energising themselves. Colin Powell famously spent time in his garage renovating old Volvo cars. You may sleep, take a holiday, listen to music, do gardening, go skydiving or whatever. “But I feel guilty about taking time-off,” somebody may say. “I am so duty-driven that sometimes I don’t eat or rest properly – then I get ill.” Such people need see how resting will improve their performance. Otherwise they will never give themselves permission to relax. They must also find their individual way of regaining energy. How can you follow these principles in your own way? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I can do to make good
use of these times for rest & recovery are:

*

*

*

The benefits of doing these things will be:

*

*

*

*

3) You can encourage other people to build-in time for rest & recovery.

If you are a leader, encourage your team members recharge their batteries. Good workers often volunteer to take on extra tasks. You need their 100% effort, but they must also re-centre. Certainly everybody must work hard to scale their chosen mountain. But if they try to climb it in one burst they can lose concentration and court disaster. Encourage people to revitalise their bodies and minds. They will then be more likely to make good decisions and achieve ongoing success. The challenge will be to communicate this message in a way that people can accept. It’s useless to urge them to ‘take a rest, you will feel better for it’. The key will be to outline the benefits. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I can do to encourage other people
to take time-out for proper rest & recovery are:

*

*

*

The things I can do to communicate this
message in a way that people can accept are:

*

*

*

Great performers have enormous fighting spirit. They may be well-known stars: such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer contesting an epic Wimbledon Tennis Final. Or they may be relatively unknown: such as an immigrant family working to survive in a new country. Such people are prepared to sweat, be creative and do everything possible to reach their goals. Let’s explore how you can continue to demonstrate these qualities.

1) You can clarify the times when you have harnessed your fighting spirit.

Looking back on your life, when have you shown fighting spirit? You may have been playing a sport, recovering from a setback, searching to find work or whatever. What did you do right then? How can you follow those principles in the future? Al Siebert, author of The Resiliency Advantage, has devoted his life to studying people who have overcome adversity. Embarking on his studies, he focused on people who had:

* Survived a major crisis or challenge;

* Surmounted the crisis through personal effort;

* Emerged from the experience with previously unknown strengths and afterwards found value in the experience.

“I kept a curious and open mind as I read autobiographies and interviewed hundreds of people,” he wrote. “(These people included) survivors of the World War II Bataan Death March; Jewish survivors of the Nazi holocaust; ex-POWs and Vietnam veterans; survivors of cancer, polio, head injury, and other physically challenging conditions; survivors of rape, abuse, alcoholism, co-dependency, and addictions; parents of murdered children; survivors of bankruptcy, job loss, and other major life-disrupting events. I became curious about public employees who remain cheerful and dedicated to their work even while being maligned by the people they serve.”

A few people are born survivors, says Al, just as some people are born musicians or artists. They have a natural talent for managing adversity. But then comes an important point: “The rest of us need to work consciously to develop our abilities … We have to work at learning how to handle pressure, difficult people, negative situations, and disruptive change.” Many of the best people in our world have been strengthened in the school of life, says Al, “… and hit by the worst that life can throw at them. Their reaction is to pick themselves up, learn important lessons, set positive goals, and rebuild their lives.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking back on your life, describe some of the times you have used your fighting spirit. Maybe you were tackling a big challenge - such as regaining your health or finding work during a recession. Maybe you were mobilising your energy over a shorter period of time - such as striving to meet a deadline or hit the heights during a sporting context. Try completing the following sentence.

Some of the times in my life when I have
harnessed my fighting spirit have been:

*

*

*

*

2) You can clarify what you did to harness your fighting spirit.

Looking back, focus on one of those times. What did you do right then to demonstrate fighting spirit? You may have, for example, chosen to take a stand, set a positive goal, clarified your strategy, gathered allies, thrown yourself fully into the task, found creative solutions to challenges and worked hard till you reached the goal. Every such act begins with a decision. You choose to use every ounce of your being to achieve your picture of success.

Al Siebert found that resilient people had certain ‘life-competencies’. For example, they took responsibility, were curious, saw patterns, focused on what they could control, developed problem-solving skills and did their best to reach the goal. Such schools were learned in the ’school of life’, rather than the sheltered classroom (or an organisational institution). He found that actual ’survivors’ of real-life crises were more likely to stay calm in the emergency, see things in perspective and clarify the ‘controllables’. They were also able:

* To rapidly read the new reality, gather information and see what was actually happening;

* To set their goal, explore all possible options and choose their strategy – or strategies – for going forward;

* To do their best, find solutions challenges – sometimes in rapidly changing circumstances - and do everything possible to reach their goal.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking back on your chosen example, describe the specific things you did to harness your fighting spirit. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I did right to harness
my fighting spirit in the situation were:

*

*

*

3) You can clarify how you can harness your fighting spirit in the future.

“People choose between ‘fight or flight’ in difficult situations,” we used to be told. Nowadays we know that some people choose to ‘flow’ when faced by tough challenges. Before going into ‘flow mode’, however, they channel their ‘fighting spirit’, work hard and then, at the right moment, ‘flow, focus and finish’. Great athletes, for example, mentally rehearse mobilising their efforts when it matters. Some athletes find it easier to tap into their fighting spirit when ‘chasing down’ others, rather than being the one who is ‘chased’. Tiger Woods is an exception. He is quite happy leading from the front in a major golf championship. Certainly he possesses enormous resilience – which he uses to overcome bad shots - but is also able to flow at key moments. Great performers mentally rehearse using their fighting spirit for potential ‘positive situations’ - when things are going well – as much as they do for ‘negative situations’. This enables them to maximise their talents and go into new dimensions.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, choose a specific situation where you may want to use your fighting spirit in the future. This could be a ‘negative situation’, such as receiving a severe setback, or a ‘positive situation’, where you are already experiencing some success. Second, describe the specific things you can do to use your fighting spirit. Third, describe the benefits of mobilising your energy. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific situation where I want to harness
my fighting spirit in the future could be:

*

The specific things I can do to harness
my fighting spirit in that situation are:

*

*

*

*

*

*

Everybody has a history of using their fighting spirit. People can gather strength from finding these successful patterns. They can follow these patterns in the future in both their personal and professional lives. Al Siebert’s work provides a vast resource of tools and knowledge that people can use to develop such resiliency. You can find out more about this work at: http://www.resiliencycenter.com

How often do you get creative highs? Is it 3 times a day, 3 times a week or 3 times a month? Creativity is like oxygen. If you don’t get enough, then the brain begins to suffer. People love to use their imagination, solve problems and see positive results. Here are three ideas for maintaining your creativity.

1) You can clarify where you get your creative highs.

When do you feel creative? You may cooking, playing music, painting, giving presentations, gardening, selling to customers, fixing problems or whatever. One person wrote:

“My highs have changed over the years. Once they came from creating order out of chaos, such as putting together a budgeting process for our department. Sounds sad - but I enjoyed finding a simple but effective solution. Then I ‘rediscovered’ people. Partly it came from seeing my daughter’s joy when learning - but also from seeing people develop in my team. Previously I had considered myself a poor ‘people manager’ - partly because I get impatient with serial moaners. But I found I got a kick from seeing motivated people consider an idea and then go: ‘Ah, yes’. So I threw myself into ‘learning about learning’. I am still good at following business principles - but now love helping motivated people to learn.”

There are probably several activities where you enjoy a sense of excitement coupled with that of peace. When do you flow, focus, finish and get a sense of fulfilment? For the sake of this exercise, it may be good to just focus on one activity – perhaps one you want to do more in the future. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific activity where I get creative highs is:

*

2) You can clarify the reasons you get creative highs.

Why do you feel good doing this activity? Perhaps it is because you follow your passion, translate it into a clear purpose and get positive results. Perhaps it is because you lose yourself and become absorbed in the activity. Perhaps it is because you do something that has a positive impact. One writer explained why he loved producing short articles.

“I obviously enjoy writing – but creating a short article just takes a day, which means I quickly see a finished product. There is a beginning, middle and end to the whole creative process. Apart from doing what I do best - which is writing - I feel in control. Producing a short article enables me to shape and create a whole world. Seeing the end result is extremely satisfying.”

Looking at the specific activity you want to do more in the future, try completing the following sentence.

The reasons why I get creative highs doing this activity are:

*

*

*

3) You can plan how to get more creative highs in the future.

Creativity is a habit. So how can you create the right conditions for exercising this muscle? Here are some suggestions:

a) Set yourself up to be creative. Start by identifying your prime times - the times of the day when you have most energy. Plan ahead and protect those times. Create the right environment. You may work best when being alone, playing music, working in a certain room or whatever. Give yourself the best opportunity of doing satisfying work.

b) Follow your successful pattern for being creative. Looking back on your life, think of the times when you have done stimulating work. What did you do right then? How can you follow these principles in the future? Find and follow these patterns. Set yourself up for success. Depending on the time available, you may want to create a single page of writing, a rough design for a prototype or other kind of ‘finished product’. Do something that gives you a sense of satisfaction.

c) Keep yourself healthy. Sleep well, eat well, keep your mind and body in good condition. This increases the chances of using all your senses when being imaginative. Be patient and go easy on yourself. Sometimes the creative juices do not flow. Relax, have a cup of tea, take a walk, let your mind wander. Learn how to make good use of the ‘fallow times’. Get lots of positive stimulation. Inspire yourself by being with encouraging people, reading thought-proving books and immersing yourself in creative experiences. Keep your mind and body fresh and alive.

Employ the creative muscle at least 3 times a week. You will then become positively addicted – which will lead to a sense of joy. Looking to the future, how can you get more of these experiences? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get
more creative highs in the future are:

*

*

*

“Feelings are the starting point,” said one of my teachers. “Whatever you are feeling – whether it is happiness, sadness, injustice or whatever – you can use it as material for improving the world. Feelings are a springboard for helping others, rather than for being self-indulgent.”

Many people have translated this philosophy into practice. Chad Vera converted his concern for suicidal people into founding the Samaritans. Wangari Maathai translated her sorrow about deforestation into planting more than 20 million trees. E.F. Schumacher used his disenchantment with big organisations to embrace appropriate technology and write Small is Beautiful. Everybody has feelings – the question is, how do they use them? Let’s explore how to translate feelings into positive action.

1) You can clarify your feelings about something.

“I felt angry about being abandoned by mother when I was two,” said Sue Carter, who was a resident in a therapeutic community I ran. “So I resolved that, if I ever had the chance, I would give my children a happy childhood.”

Sue went on to raise two children and become a proud grandparent. Anger often covers up hurt - a feeling of not being valued or respected. People can choose to express their anger constructively or destructively. Sue chose to acknowledge the hurt and use it to create a loving life for her children. When I last met her, she was very different from the troubled 14 year-old who arrived at the community. Reflecting on her life-journey, she wrote a piece for The Strengths Way, explaining:

“My greatest fear as a parent was that my kids could end up in care. So I then decided to be the best single parent I could be. This meant that relationships with men were out. I stayed on my own with the boys for the next 18 years. Then I met a good man with whom I had a child. Even though the man and I have now parted, we are still good friends and he is a good father.”

Look back at your own life. Can you think of a time when you acknowledged your feelings and then took positive action? You may have been sad, happy, disappointed, joyful, hurt, ecstatic or whatever. What did you do to clarify your feelings – then translate these into positive action? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific time when I clarified
and acknowledged my feelings was:

*

The specific things I then did to translate
my feelings into positive action were:

*

*

*

2) You can use your feelings to help other people.

“I had the good fortune to be born happy,” wrote Alexander Calder, the sculptor. His parents were artists and, from the age of 8, he always had his own workshop. Calder threw himself into creating paintings, mobiles, sculptures and other media. Many people found his art uplifting and Calder described his approach as: “I want to make things that are fun to look at.” He used his joy to encourage other people.

Embarking on working with people in the 60s, I met many individuals who were on their personal journeys. Some strove to completely understand their personalities. They believed that then – and only then – could they move onto meaningful action. Others maintained that: “Reflection is vital – but the real test is applying the lessons. If you are angry about schools, then improve education. If you are upset about unfairness, then enable people to improve their life-chances. If you are fed-up with ugliness in our cities, then create beautiful buildings.” Many people took this second route. Viktor Frankl translated his journey through concentration camps into the inspiring Man’s Search For Meaning. Elisabeth Hoodless took over from Alec Dickson to spread the work of Community Service Volunteers. Henry Pluckrose converted his concern for children into spell-binding education at Prior Weston Primary School in the Barbican.

Let’s return to your own life and work. You may have many emotions about different experiences – such as feeling happy, stressed, creative, frustrated or whatever. Can you translate any of these feelings into a ‘project’ that helps other people? You may want to enable them to find their talents, run inspiring workshops, create a beautiful product, educate people to care for their health, find solutions to problems or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to use
my feelings to help other people are:

*

*

*

3) You can use your feelings to build a better world.

“How can you leave a positive legacy? How can you encourage future generations? How can you plant seeds of hope during your life?” These are the key questions facing people. Many parents, for example, want to forge a better life for their children. They may buy a house, provide a loving environment and encourage their children to get a good education. Some people want to improve institutions – such schools, hospitals, work places and societies. Some build positive prototypes that show other ways of living, learning and working. What is your preferred way of building a better world?

Many of the people I admire took three steps. First, they pursued a positive way of working with people. Second, they wrote about this approach – often showing a new paradigm. Third, they passed-on their knowledge through writing, teaching and sharing experience. This was the path taken by people such as Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl, David Wills, George Lyward, George Dennison, Virginia Satir, Virginia Axline, E.F. Schumacher, Alec Dickson, Cecily Saunders and Wangari Maathai. You will, of course, follow your path in your way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to use
my feelings to build a better world are:

*

*

*

Feelings are ‘material’. We can then translate this experience into tangible work that helps other people. In this way, everybody is an artist. They can then use their feelings to build a better world.

How can you do fine work? One key factor is getting in shape to achieve peak performance. This provides the springboard for doing great work. So let’s explore how you can continue to make this happen.

1) You can get in physical shape.

What is your ideal physical condition? What kind of food are you eating? How much are you exercising? What is your weight? How are you using your energy? How much are you resting? Do you sleep for 8 hours a night; or do you sleep for 6 hours then have regular breaks during the day? What is your preferred pattern: a) for making good use of your energy: b) for building-in times for rest and recovery? Looking back on your life, when have you been in good physical shape? What did you do right to make this happen? How can you follow similar principles in the future? What will be the benefits?

“I can always guess my weight with half a kilo,” said one person. “Over the past 20 years I have stayed within a 2 kilo range. I immediately notice if I am overweight: my belt obviously feels tighter, but may brain also becomes sluggish. Heeding the warning signs, I eat healthy food and walk for at least 2 hours a day. Within 5 days I am back to my ‘fighting weight’. I feel better, more alert and quicker to find solutions to challenges.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. How can you stay in the right physical shape? How can you make sure this approach is sustainable? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get myself into the
right physical shape to achieve peak performance are:

*

*

*

2) You can get in psychological shape.

How do you get yourself into the right frame of mind to do good work? Mental preparation is crucial in any arena – whether you are playing a sport, making a keynote presentation, focusing on how to tackle a project or whatever. Let’s consider some of the steps in this process.

You may go through three stages to be on top of your game. First, you actually commit to achieving a specific goal. This sounds obvious, but it calls for doing several things. a) You explore the various goals you want to achieve in your personal and professional life. b) You consider the pluses and minuses involved in achieving each goal. c) You choose to commit to achieving a particular goal. You accept the ‘whole package’ involved: then plan how to build on the pluses and minimise the minuses. Third, you follow a daily discipline for achieving the goal. After setting aside time to tackle it properly, you manage your energy towards achieving the goal. This involves developing a structure for your working day. Different people will, of course, following different structures for making this happen.

Looking at my own work, for example, I obviously behave differently when spending days at home writing compared to being on the road mentoring or running workshops. Writing calls for setting aside enough time to tackle a piece of work. It is then important: to get into writing mode; rehearse what is going to be written, probably the night before; get up early; go for a run; explore the writing while running and find examples to bring it to life; relax and begin the writing; create the first chunk; go for walks during the day – which often produce fresh ideas and continue until the writing for the day feels completed.

Mentoring calls for a different approach. It is important: to get lots of sleep; wake early; rehearse the day; walk to the work place (preferably something like a 40 minute walk); reach the venue an hour early; re-rehearse the first session and encourage people during the meetings. Most of the day is spent thinking about how to help people to succeed, but I also build-in breaks for renewal. (Strangely, a good way to clear my mind is to surf the net for football stories!) Then it is onto rehearsing the next session. Whenever possible, I walk back from the session, which helps the learning to sink-in. Then it is on to rehearsing the next day.

So how do you get yourself in the right frame of mind? Everybody has their individual rituals for being on top of their game. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get myself into the right
psychological shape to achieve peak performance are:

*

*

*

3) You can get in practical shape.

How can you organise the practical things to give yourself the greatest chance of success? This will include some aspects mentioned earlier – such as setting aside time to tackle the task. It will also mean getting the right support, money and other resources that enable you to succeed.

Imagine that you have been asked to create a new prototype for an organisation. Let’s assume you have been given the authority to show how this part of the business can operate successfully in the future. You will require certain practical things to be in place. It may be important, for example, to be in a separate building. Why? You will hire people who may behave differently from others in the business. So they may need to be in a different physical location: otherwise they will be pressured to ‘conform’ to old patterns. Imagine you are aiming to do some individual creative work – such as painting, writing or refurbishing a car. You will need the time, the tools and the right environment to do good work. Sometimes this may mean paying others to do some of your ongoing ‘grunt work’. You can then channel your energy towards pursuing your particular project.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Whatever your chosen goal, getting the practical things in place provides the foundation for success. So try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get myself into the
right practical shape to achieve peak performance are:

*

*

*

There are many approaches to doing fine work. One is to make sure all the physical, psychological and practical things are in place. You can then throw yourself into the work and do whatever is necessary to achieve peak performance.

Peak performers often reframe a testing situation as a ‘positive challenge’. They adopt this approach in many circumstances, even those that involve life and death. Robert Muller, a former Assistant Secretary General for the UN, did this when escaping from the Nazis. Being hunted was so frightening, he said, that he reframed the experience as him being in a film. Robert found that ‘removing’ himself from the reality meant he was more able to see options. Looking back on his wartime experiences, he says they taught him the power of choice. “You can ‘decide’ how you are going to be in virtually any situation.” Robert later wrote a book on this theme called Most of all the taught me Happiness.

People sometimes translate difficult emotional situations into an intellectual challenge. Why? Because then it is easier to take a helicopter view and find solutions. Otherwise the feeling take over completely and they freeze. Let’s explore how this approach works in practice - particularly when encountering a testing situation.

1) You can adopt a positive approach.

People who contract a serious illness sometimes reframe the journey as tackling a ‘project’. They adopt a positive approach by aiming to do their best and ‘controlling the controllables’. They concentrate what they can control, rather than worry about what they can’t control. One person explained:

“My first step was to take more control. So I scanned the internet to discover more about my illness. Previously I had waited for hospitals to return my messages. Nurses and doctors always do their best, but they are frequently run off their feet. So I threw myself into discovering everything I could about the illness, the support groups and regaining my health.”

The Penny Brohn Cancer Care organisation, for example, aims to offer people a variety of options for tackling their illnesses. Formerly The Bristol Cancer Help Centre, it specialises in offering complementary care. But it insists on enabling people to consider all kinds of treatments - conventional and complementary. The aim is to encourage people to shape their own futures.

Positive people aim to do their best. They are realistic, however, and concentrate on what they can control. Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the specific situation you can reframe as a positive challenge. Second, describe the specific things you can do to adopt a positive approach towards this challenge.

The specific situation I can reframe as a positive challenge is:

*

The specific things I can do to adopt a
positive approach towards this challenge are:

*

*

*

2) You can set a positive goal and choose your way forward.

Peak performers often use the ‘5C’ model for finding setting a crystal-clear goal and find creative ways forward. They focus on the challenges, choices, consequences, creative solutions and conclusions. (See the links to the 5C model at the end of this piece.) Clarity is crucial. So when defining the challenge, identify the real results to achieve.

“Certainly I wanted to regain my health, but in some ways I saw that as a by-product” said the person who saw their illness as a ‘project’. “My aim was to care for my body and soul. So I chose to eat properly, do things I loved and pursue my chosen treatment. I also kept a blog – but tried to make it ‘educational’, rather then self-indulgent. My ‘project’ included helping others to navigate their way through this kind of illness in the future.”

Let’s return to the specific situation which you can redefine as a positive challenge. Try working through the following steps. Clarity is the key – start by defining the real results you want to achieve. Choices – describe the possible options. Consequences – describe the pluses and minuses of each option. Creative solutions – describe the potential imaginative solutions. Conclusions – describe your chosen route for tackling the challenge. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to set a positive goal and
choose my way forward towards tackling the challenge are:

*

*

*

3) You can do your best to get positive results.

“Persistence is crucial,” said one crisis manager. “Settle on your chosen strategy, then keep doing the right things. You must build-in ‘reality checks’, but sometimes you don’t see instant results. Keep looking for signs – even underneath the surface – for: a) What is working; b) What can be better and how. Encourage yourself and redouble your efforts. Do everything possible to reach the goal.”

Looking back on your life, can you recall a time when you tackled a challenge successfully? Perhaps you began by being consumed by emotion; but then explored many creative solutions. Pursuing your chosen route, you worked hard until you solved the crisis. How can you follow similar principles in the future? Let’s return to the situation have reframed as a challenge. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to do
my best to get positive results are:

*

*

*

Some you win, some you lose. But the key is always to do your best. You can do this by reframing things as a positive challenge – rather than by rushing around with pants on your head.