Don’t be left behind in times of Change
We all know that change is nothing new.
Yet everytime it raises its head we find people and organisations either hide in the sand or get creative, meet it head on and use it to their advantage.
An example of this is back to 1927 and Hollywood, when great change came upon the industry and its stars. The advent of sound in movies. No longer silent movies the “talking pictures” had arrived. For many in the industry it was an unsurmountable challenge. Stars like Charlie Chaplin refused to have his character speak and he was left behind. He couldn’t or wouldn’t make the transition from Silent to Sound. He couldn’t or wouldn’t change.
However in 1928 just one year later a small mouse made its debut in the first talking cartoon the world had seen (and heard) “Steam Boat Willie” it amazed the movie industry and audiences alike. With Steam Boat Willie – Walt Disney had seen an opportunity and grasped it. He saw the change in the industry and changed with it.
Disney had a knack for sensing change, getting creative and turning it to his advantage.
In the 1950′s another change rocked Hollywood -Television. Once again Disney was there ready to take advantage of the change, see it as an opportunity. Some resisted the change saying it would destroy the movie industry, why watch movies when you could see shows in your own home?
But Disney like many of the extraordinary people through history saw the opportunity.
Thinking differently to everyone else he had an creative idea.
He wanted to create “Disneyland” and needed the finances to get it established- he saw TV as the fundraiser and a promotional tool for his new project. He agreed a deal with a major network, then provided an exclusive weekly show called “Disneyland” and got the funding he needed. At the same time viewers all over USA tuned in to watch and he would show them snippets of the park being built. This built excitment and anticipation in his growing market of potential guests.
You can see in the above story that the changes in Hollywood some survived, others didn’t, those who saw the change as an opportunity, got creative and took control.
The questions to ask are:
How do we deal with change? Do we hide or do we reinvent ourselves?
Do we have the skills to be creative?
Do we have the ability to focus on the opportunities not the dangers?
Do we resist change, prefering the good old days, or do we embrace change with a positive “can do” attitude?
It is the creative companies, the ones where people are empowered to be creative that are best placed to deal with change, to see the opportunities the change brings and maintain their competitive edge.
Now more than ever, as we head into 2013, is the time to start thinking creatively and have creativity flowing in your organisation and its people. It is more than just a culture statement on your website, it is visable, palpable when you walk into your premises or meet your people.
Creativity is not just a fantastic insurance policy against change- but a huge driver to maximise from it.
We can provide tools for improved Creativity in your organisation if you are interested in finding out more contact us on enquiries@mindstoreaustralia.com
Sources: The man behind the magic, the story of Walt Disney – Katherine and Richard Greene, Viking 1991.
September 2012
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May Newsletter
With less than 70 days till the start of the London 2012 Olympic games and the growing publicity around it, there has been many positive comments about last months newsletter. This month we focus on Innovation, as May is Innovation month and you may have seen a range of festivals around the country organised to promote Innovation.
This is a busy month for us with Damian speaking at three events in Newcastle, Brisbane and the Gold Coast all as part of Innovation month.
Make May the month to re-member how to be more Innovative and Creative.
Damain and the MindStore Australia Team
How to Harness your creative and innovative Mind
Creativity is often mentioned in the same breath as Innovation.
We know from research that we are at our most creative when we are relaxed. Think about the great ideas you have when you first wake up from sleep, or when you are out walking the dog, or mowing the lawn. The secret is to be able to access that relaxed state of mind at any time of the day when required. At MindStore we call that relaxed state, the Alpha state. You may have heard athletes refer to it as the Zone, or being in the Zone. We have tools and techniques which you can use to access this alpha state to improve your creative thinking.
Innovative thoughts also come from being in that relaxed state of mind. Think of the opposite state, when you are answering two phones, deadlines are approaching, you can feel your stress levels going through the roof!. You haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast, you have a growing to do list and you feel hot and bothered. You may have heard people say “ I cannot hear myself think!
Do you think they can be creative or innovative in this type of environment?
Absolutely not.
When were you last creative?
Here’s a thought: When was the last time you made sand castles? When was the last time you used coloured pens to draw or sketch?
What’s that got to do with anything, you might say? Well we know kids love making sand castles, they also love colouring in or playing in cardboard boxes. It is because they are creative and innovative at that age.
The shame for us adults is that we don’t lose that ability, we are educated to curtail our creativity. We all have the ability to be amazingly creative and innovative. If you don’t believe me find Betty Edwards book ” Drawing on the right side of the Brain” buy it and read it, you will create a drawing or painting you are so proud of you will frame it. I know because I did. So did Fiona and she took Art at high school!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Drawing-Right-Side-Brain/dp/0874774241
Like so many things in life, the changes that are required start with you. You need to want to, to have the desire, determination and belief to keep going in the face of challenges, to focus on being innovative when you need to develop solutions.
Re-member: we all have an amazing capacity for creativity and innovation we just need to DARE yourself to access it and unleash our potential.
May May be Innovative for you too!
Innovation Month Professional Development breakfast with Damian McConnell of MindStore Australia
AITD Professional Development Breakfast
FRIDAY 18th MAY 2012
7.15am – 9am
Mill Hotel, Brisbane
May is Innovation month, so make a commitment to come along to this breakfast event and discover some
Innovative thinking tools for performance improvement. Presented by Damian McConnell, Course Director of
MindStore Australia.
Einstein said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
By attending you will discover some take away tips to inspire innovative thinking in your organisation to enable
you to better solve the challenges you face in training, learning and development.
Learn ways to:
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access greater creativity in your professional and personal lives
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become more innovative in overcoming challenges in your workplace
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inspire new thinking in your organisation
For bookings and more information please contact AITD at www.AITD.com.au | Address: Suite 111, 410 Elizabeth Street SURRY HILLS NSW 2010 |
Phone:02 9211 9414 | Fax: 02 9211 8784 | Email: national@aitd.com.au
Guest speaker Damian McConnell of MindStore Australia
Damian believes that “all performance is due to the quality of our thinking”.
Involved in Performance Excellence & People Development for over 15 years, he assists clients understand that small changes in thinking and attitude can make massive differences in people and organisations.Passionate about helping people become the extraordinary people they were meant to be, Damian shares easy to learn mental tools and techniques with participants, in a fun environment. He enables them to harness the greater levels of creative and innovative thinking we all have inside us, our teams and organisations.
April 2012 Newsletter
Welcome
Following on from last months newsletter which was all about mental fitness in surfing, this month we look at the 2012 London Olympic preparations and how we can all learn from Olympic Champions. We know they have a range of coaches for physical and mental elements of their preperation. The mental coaches share with them tools for mental resilience, unquestioning belief in themselves and an unshakeable desire to win.
Read on to find out how to develop your own mental coaching skills.
Achieve your Goals in 2012!
Damain and the MindStore Australia Team
How to Perform like an Olympic Champion
The 2012 Olympic Games are almost upon us. The Australian Olympic swimming team has just been picked. The planning and building of the Olympic facilities has been ongoing for more than 7 years. Here in Australia as businesses head towards the new financial year in July we too need to be preparing, like these Olympic athletes if we want to deliver a gold medal performance in financial year 2012/13.
We know that individuals that become Olympic champions are able to, every day, access their alpha state and visualise the peak performance which results in them winning gold. They are able to imagine the sights, sounds, smells at that moment when the medal is placed around their neck. This ability gives them the unshakeable belief in their performance, whether as an individual or part of a team.
The men and women who will be there, in London, competing have dreamed their whole lives of competing at an Olympic games, some will already have competed before but for some it will be their first Olympics. All the hard work and mental preparation will soon be realised.
If you would like to deliver an Olympic medal winning performance in your business or organisation then this is the time you need to be planning to call in MindStore. Take the first step towards preparing for an outstanding FY2012/13 and book an initial appointment today. Discover the benefits of our in-house MindStore courses to prepare you and your team for an outstanding FY2012/13.
Using our unique processes including the “house on the right bank” you will have access to a range of performance improving mental tools and techniques. For more information click on the link below from our MindStore international site and look at the entry from March 15 entitled “New Homeowners Supplement”.
If you feel like you or your colleagues could benefit from easy to learn tools and techniques used by Olympic champions give us a call at MindStore we would love to help.
Carpe diem – Sieze the day.
Book Review Corner
MindStore for Personal Development by Jack Black
If you are looking to find out how MindStore can help you both professionally and personally then this book, written by the founder of MindStore, gives you a taste of a few of the MindStore tools and techniques and the amazing ways that they can change your life.
Read it and learn some amazingly simple techniques for improvement.
www.angusrobertson.com.au/book/mindstore-for-personal-development/26640919/
This might seem like a plug, but like all the books we have recommended over the last few months, we fundamentally believe that they absolutely help.
March 2012 Newsletter
Quicksilver Pro and Roxy Pro
Mental Resilience with MindStore
http://www.aspworldtour.com/tag/quiksilver-pro-gold-coast http://www.aspworldtour.com/tag/roxy-pro-gold-coast
You only have to read the interviews given by Stephanie Gilmore, our local surf world champion, to understand the thinking and mental toughness that makes the difference between extraordinary surfers and ordinary surfers like me.
Here’s another quote from Mick Fanning another local world champion, ”Sometimes surfing this bank from Snapper to Kirra, sometimes you don’t even think what you’re doing… You get to the end of a wave and go, what did I do? Sometimes you go into a totally different state of mind.
The MindStore members who receive this newsletter will notice the strong similarities in the language between these surf coaching comments below, between what top surfers learn and practice consistently, and what you can learn from MindStore.
Just as we do in MindStore to achieve our goals we use our subconscious mind to visualise the moment of our success and constantly replay that image.
February 2012 Newsletter
Achieving More with MindStore
How to overcome extraordinary challenges with MindStore tools
We trust you all had a fantastic Australia Day. I spent some Quality Recovery Time on the beach with my family. It’s amazing to realise that January is over, it has been such a quick month for MindStore Australia as we plan for a fantastic 2012.
How are your goals progressing?
It is so important to keep focused on your goals, viewing them every day to keep them clearly in your mind.
Enabling the universe to assist you in achieving them.
Achieve your Goals in 2012!
Damain and the MindStore Australia Team
P.S. Check out the amazing book by one of our MindStore members in the book review corner this month. Proof it you needed it that MindStores tools and techniques absolutely work.
Fit Mind Fit Body – Achieve your Goals
Achieve your goals with MindStore tools
Following on from last months newsletter about writing down your dreams/goals for 2012 to assist you in achieving them.
This month we feature a popular goal. Most people’s goal is to lose weight, get fitter, stay fit or a combination of all three. It enables you to be more empowered to achieve your other goals as you feel better and can see the results.
Visualise in the present your goal being achieved. Have the desire, belief and expectation that you will be able to fit into that smaller size or run that extra mile.
I have seen at first hand my wife Fiona within a few months of having our second son Ewan losing all the “baby weight” and being fitter than ever. She had the desire, belief and expectation that she would achieve her goal. Using the MindStore tools and techniques she was able to achieve that goal. Even after limited sleep in the first few months she kept going out every morning exercising knowing that it just works.
Common uses for MindStore tools and techniques
As well as all the well known tools for business performance improvement, such as reducing stress, improved communication and effectiveness, achieving work life balance. Here are some personal advantages to using the MindStore tools and techniques:
· Relaxation
· Weight loss
· Giving up smoking
· Pain relief – general, dentist, childbirth
· Fun things – finding ideal space in a car park or a table in a busy restaurant, hailing a taxi.
Book Review Corner
Gang of One: How One of the Nat West Three Survived Extradition and Life in a Texas Prison by Gary Mulgrew
As you know we have included a book review for the last 6 months with the intention of highlighting some inspiring and helpful books for your own personal learning and development.
This month it is fantastic that we are able to recommend not only an inspiring book but one written by a MindStore member who used the MindStore tools and techniques to overcome extraordinary challenges.
Gang of One: How One of the Nat West Three Survived Extradition and Life in a Texas Prison by Gary Mulgrew
Click on this link to find out more:
http://amzn.to/zV4yVp
MINDSTORE AUSTRALIA
EMPOWERING PEOPLE…. TRANSFORMING ORGANISATIONS
MindStore is available to organisations throughout Australia. We are able to deliver customised in-house corporate training events and business performance improvement courses. Before an event we meet to take the time to find out about the key dangers facing your business as well as the opportunities.
MindStores complete mental tool kit gives you the best techniques for managing stress, maintaining a positive mental attitude and influencing those around you.
We also share tools for increasing creativity and innovation to solve challenges in organisations. These mental tools and techniques are easy to learn on the day and are immediately actionable by participants resulting in instant performance improvement and ongoing increased effectiveness, enthusiasm and energy.
If you are interested in this then please drop me an e-mail. This is one of the many topics we cover on our MindStore events either in-house for clients or in an open format. We can share with you the tools to use TFT to improve decision making to become more aware of syncronistic events, to raise your frequency levels, via tools for protecting yourself from negativity and in particular negative self talk and thoughts. Also tools for improving your energy, creating positive thoughts and by relaxation exercises. To find out more visit our website:
Previous Newsletters
As more and more people sign up for the newsletters we have had numerous requests for copies of the previous MindStore newsletters.
Click below for access to all our previous newsletters via our website:
http://www.mindstoreaustralia.com/main/news
January 2012 Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR – Heres to a fantastic 2012!
The world has watched Sydneys spectacular themed display TIME TO DREAM
This re-minded me of how critical it is to make time in our busy lives to Dream, to use our whole brain for greater access to innovation and creativity in our lives.
It also re-minded me to keep my written goals up to date, to view them every day, and to visualise in the present my goals being achieved, even though they have yet to be achieved. This is what we call a FUTURE HISTORY.
Let us be inspired by the fantastic sound and colours of the Sydney NYE Fireworks to enable us to “see” our goals every day in our minds eye, even when they seem furthest away from being achieved.
“Most people give up just when they are about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touch down.” Ross Perot.
Have a Dream 2012!
Damain and the MindStore Australia Team
What are your dreams for 2012?
What do you Dream about when you sleep?
Do you go to sleep dreaming about achieving your goals?
Following on from last months newsletter about resolutions.
Take time in the next few days to think about your Dreams for 2012.
Write them down and then look at them every day. Have some fun, add a few photos of what the dream/goal will look like when you achieve it.
When you fall asleep like my oldest son Alastair, dream and when you wake up write your dreams down, they can be pointers/ stepping stones towards your goals and dreams for 2012.
What ever your Dreams are for 2012, we wish you success with them and if you would like further information about setting and achieving your goals drop me a line at enquiries@mindstoreaustralia.com
Book Review Corner
A Whole New Mind – why right brainers will rule the future by Daniel Pink
A new book for a new year about a whole new mind.
This book was a great read, I didn’t want to put it down. It describes a shift taking place, where we are moving from an economy and society built on logical capabilities of the Information age, to an economy and society built on inventive, empathetic, big picture capabilites, the Conceptual Age.
It is available on Amazon for $11, less than the cost of a fast food lunch, and the content is much more satisfying. For many it highlights what you already felt happening, for others it will be enlightening, challenging and encouraging.
Buy it here:http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1594481717
I would like to thank my friend and fellow Scot, John Flett for giving me this book as a gift. http://www.flettconsulting.com.au/
EMPOWERING PEOPLE…. TRANSFORMING ORGANISATIONS
If you would like to organise an event to kick start 2012 with a positive message and tools for greater creativity and innovation then give us a call and we would be glad to come and meet you to find out more about your companies needs and how we can best help.
MindStore is available throughout Australia, from our base here in Coolangatta.
We can deliver in your premises or at external venues. We pride ourselves on being flexible and adaptable in our delivery method. All our programmes are customised to meet your requirements based on asking about your organisations key dangers and the future opportunites.
December 2011 Newsletter
Green Christmas MindStore Australia
Last month you will remember we shared some inspiring resources, to give us all the inspiration to keep going forward with our goals and dreams. The feedback from recipients was fantastic. A big thank you to everyone who emailed us with comments about the youtube videos.
This month as it’s the last Newsletter for the year we would remind ourselves about successful goal setting for 2012 and beyond.
As always feel free to forward this to anyone you feel would benefit from reading it.
We wish you all a Magical Christmas and an Magnificent New Year!
Damian and the MindStore Australia team
New Years Resolutions
New Years Resolutions gym cartoon
In Scotland, like elsewhere in the world where the New Year is celebrated on 31st December, we make Resolutions for the New Year. For many these are made in the heat of the moment and some are given up on before the party aftermath has been cleared away.
As we approach the end of 2011 many people and organisations are looking anxiously to the future with the financial challenges of the eurozone and its potential global impact.
The best way to get out of that negative mindset is to set yourself inspiring goals which motivate you to look forward to 2012 with positive anticipation rather than the opposite.
To make your resolutions or goals for 2012, and beyond, that you will stick with use these key principles:
Write your Goals down- sounds simple but only 4% OF PEOPLE DO THIS, who happen to be the successful ones. Be one of them in 2012.
THINK BIG!- No one leaps out of bed enthusiastically in the morning with a passion for a goal that is “realistic and achievable”
Be less concerned about the HOW of your goals in the beginning.
Be more concerned about the WHY, why you want to achieve your goals. Why will this push all your buttons. Getting a powerful emotional connection to your goal is vital.
Constantly go “back to your future” – Use the power of Gestalt to work for you by repeatedly thinking of and seeing in your “minds eye” the outcome you Desire. An idea held firmly in your subconsious mind will receive the attention of your subconsious mind, which will then manifest in your life. Repetition is the Key.
Have the right Attitude - to succeed with your goals you need positive control of your Desire, Belief and Expectations.
Armed with the tips you will have given yourself the best chance to set for yourself goals which will last, because you will have a passion to achieve them.
Feel free to contact me if I can help you further with goal setting for 2012.
NEWS – Oil and Gas industry consultant joins MindStore Team
Alan Brodie
MindStore International appoints Oil and Gas Industry Consultant to its team.
Alan Brodie has worked as an engineer with BP in the North Sea and the Middle East, then for EGIS where he ultimately opened offices in Venezuela.
In 1996 inspired by a MindStore course he and 4 ex BP employees set up Helix RDS an oil and gas consulting company, with a vision to be recognised as a world leader in its discipline.
7 years on the vision was achieved with 150 staff in offices in Aberdeen, London, Kaula Lumpar and Perth WA. Plus a turnover exceeding 20 million pounds.
With Alan on our team Mindstore is ideally equipped to understand and assist the Oil and Gas industry here in Australia with their project challenges. MindStore has easy to learn tools for maximising team performance, improving personal and team effectiveness as well as techniques for managing stress.
Book Review Corner
Screw It, let’s Do It (Lessons in Life) Richard Branson
Everyone knows this Entreprenuer, known to his Staff as Dr Yes.
This is a quick read book, just over 100 pages. Ideal for the festive break.
Full of great lessons in life for us all. Light hearted but at the same time informative and inspiring. I recommned it to those like me who love a short quick read that you find difficult to put down.
Published in 2006 , ISBN 13: 9780753 510995.
Further Information
MindStore is available for organisations throughout Australia. We are able to deliver customised in-house corporate training events and business performance improvement courses. Before an event we meet to take the time to find out about the key dangers facing your business as well as the opportunities.
MindStores complete mental tool kit gives you the best techniques for managing stress, maintaining a positive mental attitude and influencing those around you. We also share tools for increasing creativity and innovation to solve challenges in organisations. These mental tools and techniques are easy to learn on the day and are immediately actionable by participants resulting in instant performance improvement and ongoing increased effectiveness, enthusiasm and energy.
If you are interested in this topic then please drop me an email. This is one of the many topics we cover on our MindStore events either in house for clients or in an open format. We can share with you the tools to use TFT to improve decision making to become more aware of syncronistic events, to raise your frequency levels, via tools for protecting yourself from negativity and in particular negative self talk and thoughts. Also tools for improving your energy, creating positive thoughts and by relaxation exercises. To find out more visit our website: www.mindstoreaustralia.com
November 2011 Newsletter
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Hello Damian, thank you for your efforts on Tuesday. According to my research, you caught the attention of the group and started some thinking that needed to happen. Excellent.
