The Best Way to Predict Your Future is to Create it...

Now the elevator pitch for this newsletter could be as simple as:

Start designing and implementing the future you want. Leverage on design and innovation methods, tools and mindset to get started and make it happen. Your ideas today shape who you are tomorrow, as well as the world around you. Make your ideas, your dream, your vision a reality. Learn by doing.

And it aims to answer one big question for you:

What are you currently doing with your big ideas, your dreams, your big aspirations and your vision? What are you doing with your life?

This is a wake-up call! It is time to realise that we only live once.

There is no replay after this when it all ends therefore you will not get another chance to be that other person who could have trusted his instinct and lived a completely different life, a vibrant life experimenting one idea after the other, or at least giving it a shot.

Do not miss out on the only life you have.

One shot, one opportunity.

It is your life, you are the main character and have every opportunity to take control, all you need to do is take the first step and just do it.

I created the IDEAS LAB almost nine years ago and the vision was for the IDEAS LAB to be that first step for many of you, of us...a place where ideas can be thrown, challenged, assessed, and built. The community grew to 800 like-minded individuals who brought their vision to life. Over the past nine years, I worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs and large MNCs as well as many public organisations. I have supported hundreds of corporate innovation teams, leaders, and public sector transformation initiatives.

It has changed me. I have grown.

I have learnt a lot. In particular, what works and what does not.

I have a lot that I wish to share with you.

I continue to have a vision for a "place" where a diversity of people connect, exchange, learn, share ideas and grow together. A "place" for growth. A "place" to make ideas happen. And I believe this "place", this community, is more then ever needed today in the post-COVID world we live in, the Great Resignation era we are experiencing, a world that has lost a bit of purpose and taken ours with it...

So this Newsletter is an invitation, it has a clear call-to-action: join the movement, make an important decision today - you will create your future. Sign up and trust the process.

More to come on what will unfold. Get onboard today by signing up to my newsletter so you do not miss out on what is coming.

You can expect connections, conversations, learning, sharing, dreaming and doing. You can take or give as much as you want.

I have listed below other factors (in no particular order) which you may wish to take into consideration to join this movement and start pursuing your ideas:

• Bringing your ideas to life simply gives sense to your life. Giving birth to something tangible, one achievement after the other – it gives you a purpose. And are we all not seeking purpose in this post-COVID world, in this Great Resignation era as some might call it?
• It gives you a sense of accomplishment: there is no better accomplishment than completing an artistic project, launching a business or startup, writing a book, fighting for a cause, pursuing a greater idea…
• Because what can go wrong really? Even when confronted with failure, you always grow out of trying to bring your ideas to life, one failure after the other until you meet success…failure is a core part of the process and journey towards success.
• Evolution is based on our ability to create, invent and bring ideas to life – we are a creative specie – however, our societies have appeared to compartmentalise this to the obvious artists and entrepreneurs etc.. Take control back – assume your creative/entrepreneurial side, do not leave this to others sitting on the back-office side of the world…
• Because you are burning with desire to open those idea closets – you secretly picture yourself singing on a stage, acting, painting, writing, being the next Unicorn, directing that movie, saving the world or making it a better place etc..
• Because you want to move away from the routine and being passive – be alive, be active, do, create and make an impact!
• Because you are imaginative, you are curious, you are willing to do stuff, and you do not see problems but solutions…
• Because you are going to learn along the way and also appreciate others’ creativity regardless of form with a brand new perspective.
• Because you are likely to meet incredible people who stimulate that side of your personality, you are likely to be exposed to new events, new ideas and new friends – discover and grow into a new “you”.
• Because it has never been easier with access to tons of knowledge, know-how, guidance, technology and tools – bringing your ideas to life has never been easier, taking them out of the closet, doing your coming-out whilst minimising the risk.

Other factors that are worth mentioning:

• Because you will have a lot to share at dinners or social occasions about your numerous creative ideas and projects or the ones you support in your communities.
• Because everyone will want to be your friend, because of all your interesting stories, achievements and the cool people and communities you hang with.
• Because you can introduce yourself saying you are an artist, entrepreneur, creative visionary, social entrepreneur etc. as opposed to an accountant, project manager, engineer or any other boring title you usually hide when introducing yourself!
• Because you will be invited to events, be part of the community, asked to share and contribute, and feel rewarded when people are keen to hear what you have to say and learn from you.
• Because you might become famous
• You might also become rich
• Because it might be the start of a brand new life!

Now the most important reasons from my perspective:

• Expressing the full potential of who you potentially are – shaping yourself through your ideas and achievements. There is a saying along those words which I like very much: “Show me your friends, I will tell you who you are”. Well, I would like to use a parallel and leave you with this obvious variant: “Tell me the ideas you are involved in, the ideas you are pursuing and I will tell you who you are”.
• Because when your children ask you for advice the first time they share their big idea, their big dream about who they want to be, what idea/dreams they want to pursue - whatever it might be (at eight years old, your child approaches you, “Dad/mum, I want to be a social entrepreneur!!!”), which answer would you rather give him:

“Listen child, this is a very nice idea, very interesting but a little risky. Do you know how many social entrepreneurs manage to make a living out of it? Do you know how hard it is? You have so many other things to learn. I also had ideas myself, many ideas like this one but life is complex and you have to let them go and focus on what’s important. Come child and let’s work on your math homework….”

Or

“Child, this is fantastic. If you feel strongly about this, give it a try, give it everything you have, just like I did every time I had ideas worth pursuing…Yes you might fail, yes it might be difficult, yes it might not be worth it at the end but the most important thing is believe in yourself, believe in your ideas and explore them. Otherwise, you will never know and left wondering: what if I had…”

Do you really want to tell yourself in the near or long future “What if?”

Well, I would personally rather live with failure than live with regrets…

Pursue your ideas, make your vision happen and create the life you want. The good news is you are not alone and you have everything you need out there to make it happen.

Join the movement and make the decision today to create your future. Subscribe.

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