The Big Idea and what you need to do (Part II)

In the first part of this blog I wrote about The Big Idea and how focusing too narrowly doesn’t create sustainable change. Instead a more successful strategy is to test out many ideas. There are a myriad of ways to work through changing your relationships, changing your career, or changing your life. It’s just a question of trying them out.

My Spoon by Spoon project has been a bit of a marathon. I’ve interviewed over a hundred people from Australia to Saudi Arabia, San Fransisco to India and Venuzuela to Norway. They’ve ranged in age from 28 to 68 — all going through a host of changes. Here are a few of the things they are working on at the moment:

1) Mind-set:

- Fola lives in Nigeria and has had some really challenging times. Both her parents died within six months of each other. She’s mid career change but wants to accept where she is: “I imagine I’m sitting on a bench at a railway station. I’m watching the scenery, enjoying a nice sunny day, while waiting for my train to arrive. I don’t know where my train is or when it will arrive, but I’m enjoying the view.”

- Andrew is Scottish and is working on how he sees the world. His mantra is: “Don’t compare yourself to other people. Stop living your life trying to keep up. You know we’re all different. Just be yourself, make yourself happy and realise that all these material things won’t actually do it.”

- Ana Marta is 32 and Portuguese and is normally positive and upbeat. She’s…